Ten U.S. Fire Departments Share $100,000 Award From Liberty Mutual Insurance

BOSTON, Nov. 18, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a recent survey by the National League of Cities, 14 percent of cities across the country cut police and fire-protection budgets in 2009, usually one of the biggest-ticket items for local governments, with many other cities expected to take similar measures through 2012 due to municipal budget shortfalls.  For 10 U.S. fire departments, hard-to-find funding has been found:  $10,000 each, thanks to their own community residents who rallied to earn fire safety grants through Liberty Mutual Insurance's second annual BeFireSmart Safety Pledge Program.

Between early September and October 31, more than 78,000 Americans visited www.BeFireSmart.com and took the online "Burning Questions" quiz, answering ten simple true/false questions about home fire safety to earn a credit for their local fire station.

More than 3,100 local fire departments earned credits, with the following 10 leading their population groups to secure the $10,000 Liberty Mutual grants:

Large communities (more than 100,000 residents)

• Richmond (Va.) Fire and Emergency Services
• Tampa (Fla.) Fire Rescue

Midsize communities

• College Park (Md.) Volunteer Fire Department
• Hutto (Texas) Fire and Rescue
• Midwest City (Okla.) Fire Department
• Mooresville (N.C.) Fire & Rescue
• Whitman (Mass.) Fire Rescue & Emergency Services
• Wilmington (Mass.) Fire Department

Small communities (less than 10,000 residents)

• Merrimac (Mass.) Fire Department
• Tittabawassee Township (Mich.) Fire Department

"This program allows residents to embrace their personal and civic responsibility and support the fire service in their own city or town," said Greg Gordon, senior vice president of Consumer Marketing at Liberty Mutual.  "We celebrate their efforts with funding for their local fire departments to use toward public education programs, residential fire alarms, upgraded equipment, or any other needs they might have to ensure the safety of countless families across the U.S."

About BeFireSmart.com

Parents will find www.BeFireSmart.com to be rich with resources that help them teach their families about fire safety and to prevent home fires from occurring.  The site includes games, instructional videos, interactive fire safety quizzes and a tool to build your own fire escape plan.  The fast and fun kids' section also features a downloadable coloring book that tells a story about the importance of never hiding from a firefighter during a fire.  The site also offers classroom lesson plans for teachers, and resources for firefighters.

About Liberty Mutual Group

"Helping people live safer, more secure lives" since 1912, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group (Libertymutualgroup.com) is a diversified global insurer and fifth-largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on 2009 direct written premium.  Liberty Mutual Group ranks 71st on the Fortune 500 list of largest U.S. corporations, based on 2009 revenue.  The company has over 45,000 employees located in more than 900 offices throughout the world.

The eighth-largest auto and home insurer in the U.S., Liberty Mutual (libertymutual.com) sells full lines of coverage for automobile, homeowners, valuable possessions, personal liability, and individual life insurance.  The company is an industry leader in affinity partnerships, offering car and home insurance to employees and members of more than 13,000 companies, credit unions, professional associations and alumni groups.

SOURCE Liberty Mutual