The Hartford Home Fire Index Identifies 100 U.S. Cities With Highest Fire Risk
March 09 2017 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
- Company marks 70th anniversary of its
Junior Fire Marshal® program with $2 million donation and
commitment to educate 1.5 million children about fire prevention
and safety in the 100 cities
- Since 1947, more than 110 million
children deputized as Junior Fire Marshals; such notable people as
Ron Howard, Dick Van Dyke and Ronald Reagan helped to recognize
children who participated in the program
The Hartford released its ranking of the 100 U.S. cities with
the highest home fire risk. According to The Hartford Home Fire
Index, the top five cities are: Detroit, Mich.; Shreveport, La.;
Boston, Mass.; Flint, Mich. and Richmond, Va. A complete list of
the 100 U.S. cities can be found at www.thehartford.com/jfm. The
Index is based on an analysis of the U.S. Fire Administration’s
National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS)1 and a survey
conducted by The Hartford on fire safety and prevention behaviors
among the general population.
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Pictured: Don Knotts and Ron Howard (The
Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal Program) (Photo: Business Wire)
A home fire is reported in the U.S. every 86 seconds and 33
percent of home fires are started by children 6-9 years old.2 As
part of the 70th anniversary of The Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal
program, which is one of the country’s oldest corporate-sponsored
public education programs, The Hartford has committed to donate a
total of $2 million to local school districts and fire departments
for fire safety education. In addition, the company will provide
educational materials to 1.5 million children in kindergarten
through third grade. The funding and resources will go to the 100
U.S. cities identified in The Hartford’s Home Fire Index.
“Since The Hartford’s beginning as a fire insurance company more
than 200 years ago, we have been committed to fire prevention and
safety,” said The Hartford’s Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift.
“We are proud of our heritage and the legacy of the Junior Fire
Marshal program, but there is still more we can do to help build
safer communities. Home fires continue to be an issue today. Our
goal is to empower everyday kids to become everyday heroes by
providing them with the tools and training to reduce fire risk in
their homes and be safe.”
2017-2019 Junior Fire Marshal ProgramOver the next three
years, The Hartford is making a $2 million donation and commitment
to the following:
- Donate $10,000 -- to the public school
district in each of the 100 cities to support ongoing fire safety
education for a total of $1 million.
- Donate $10,000 -- to local fire
departments in each of the 100 cities to support ongoing fire
safety education for a total of $1 million.
- Provide educational materials to 1.5
million children in kindergarten through third grade in each of the
public schools in the 100 cities. The Hartford Junior Fire Marshal
classroom kit comes with The Hartford’s signature red fire helmets,
an educator and parent guide and coloring posters designed to
introduce fire safety concepts to children.
In addition to this pledge and financial commitment, The
Hartford has created a mobile fire safety house that will visit
schools in select cities across the U.S. to immerse students in
fire safety demonstrations using state-of-the-art technology that
simulates various home fire situations.
The History of the Junior Fire Marshal ProgramThe Junior
Fire Marshal program was started in 1947 by an employee of The
Hartford. Since the program’s inception, The Hartford has deputized
more than 110 million Junior Fire Marshals.
The company’s signature red fire helmets have been displayed
proudly by generations of children who have learned the basics of
fire safety through this innovative and educational program. The
program teaches lifesaving lessons such as Stop, Drop and Roll, Go
Low in Smoke and Draw a Home Fire Escape Plan. These lessons, along
with other fun, engaging and educational activities, help parents
and teachers have meaningful and vital fire safety conversations
with children and students.
Over the years, celebrities such as Ron Howard, Dick Van Dyke,
Jack Benny, Jimmy Dean, Mr. Green Jeans and Captain Kangaroo, Carol
Channing, Red Skelton, Johnny Carson, Robert Young, Henry “the
Fonz” Winkler and Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan have
helped The Hartford recognize children who participated in the
Junior Fire Marshal program.
For more information about The Hartford’s Home Fire Index and
Junior Fire Marshal Program, visit www.thehartford.com/jfm.
1 NFIRS is a voluntary reporting system run by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency based on data submitted by fire
departments from around the country. The data was standardized
based on population size and adjusted as needed to reflect the
voluntary nature of the data within the system.
2 According to the National Fire Protection Association
About The Hartford Home Fire IndexThe Hartford Home Fire
Index is based on a study of the largest U.S. cities with a minimum
of 80,000 housing units as reported by the 2010 U.S. Census. The
Hartford calculated a rate of residential fires using the number of
residential structure fires from the 2014 National Fire Incident
Reporting System (NFIRS) data, dividing by 2010 U.S. Census housing
units. The Hartford also conducted a survey on fire safety and
prevention behaviors among the general population in late 2016 and
in early 2017. Survey respondents (approximately 100 per city) were
given a score based on adoption of fire safety best practices.
Standardized fire rates and survey scores were averaged to produce
a composite score for each city.
About The HartfordThe Hartford is a leader in property
and casualty insurance, group benefits and mutual funds. With more
than 200 years of expertise, The Hartford is widely recognized for
its service excellence, sustainability practices, trust and
integrity. More information on the company and its financial
performance is available at https://www.thehartford.com.
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheHartford_PR.
The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG)
operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The
Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, Conn. For additional
details, please read The Hartford’s legal notice.
HIG-C
Some of the statements in this release may be considered
forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution investors that these
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance, and actual results may differ materially. Investors
should consider the important risks and uncertainties that may
cause actual results to differ. These important risks and
uncertainties include those discussed in our 2015 Annual Report on
Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q, and the
other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
We assume no obligation to update this release, which speaks as of
the date issued.
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The HartfordDebora Raymond,
860-547-4611debora.raymond@thehartford.comorLeon Davis,
860-547-8668leon.davis@thehartford.com
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