Grinnell, Iowa (PRWEB) August 28, 2017 -- The National Association of State Fire Marshals Fire Research and Education Foundation (NASFM Foundation) and Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company are pleased to announce that 110 fire departments from 31 states earned the Life Safety Achievement Award for their fire prevention accomplishments in 2016. (See list of award-winning departments below.) For over 20 years, this national award has recognized fire departments for actively promoting fire prevention in the pursuit of saving lives.
To qualify for the award, fire departments recorded zero fire deaths in residential structures or a 10 percent reduction of fire deaths from the prior year. In addition, award recipients documented active and effective fire prevention programs as well as a commitment to reducing the number of house fires in the community.
“Fire departments take pride in what they are doing, and we want to give them the recognition they deserve,” said David Miller, assistant vice president of Special Investigations for Grinnell Mutual. “The Life Safety Achievement Award celebrates fire departments for their efforts in organizing fire safety inspections, offering outreach programs that spread the word about fire safety, and, most importantly, saving the lives of people in their communities.”
In 2015, there were 1,345,500 fires reported in the United States. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), these fires caused 3,280 civilian deaths, 15,700 civilian injuries, and $14.3 billion in property damage.
“Experience tells us that fire prevention activities and public education can significantly reduce life and property loss from residential fires,” said NASFM Foundation President Butch Browning. “Prevention and education are very cost effective compared to the traditional approach of relying on fire suppression. The Life Safety Achievement Award encourages fire departments to continually improve upon those efforts.”
The 2016 Life Safety Achievement Award recipients named in 2017:
Alabama:
Gulf Shores Fire Rescue
Springville Fire & Rescue
Arkansas:
Fairview Volunteer Fire Department
Arizona:
City of Prescott Fire Department
MCAS Yuma Fire Department
California:
University of California–Irvine
Connecticut:
East Great Plain Volunteer Fire Co., Inc.
Naugatuck
Tolland Fire Department
Suffield Fire Department
Woodbridge Volunteer Fire Department
Florida:
Clermont Fire Department
Greater Naples Fire Rescue Department
Maitland Fire Rescue Department
Tamarac Fire Rescue
Georgia:
Peach County Fire Department
Riceboro Volunteer Fire/Rescue Department
Iowa:
Alburnett Fire Department
Bettendorf Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services
Grinnell Fire Department
Hiawatha Fire Department
Montezuma Fire Department
Onawa Volunteer Fire Department
Palo Fire
Vinton Fire Department
Idaho:
Northern Lakes Fire Protection District
Illinois:
Wheeling Fire Department Gurnee Fire Rescue
Alsip Fire Department
Bourbannais Fire Protection District
Countryside Fire Protection District
Effingham Fire Department
Gurnee Fire Rescue
Henry Fire Protection District
River Forest Fire Department
Kansas:
Andover Fire-Rescue
McPherson Fire Department
Ottawa Fire Department
Kentucky:
Campbell County Fire District #1
City of Danville Fire Department
Fire Department Bellevue-Dayton
Milton Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department
Owensboro Fire Department
Louisiana:
Gonzales Fire Department
Massachusetts:
Georgetown Fire Department
Shrewsbury Fire Department
Maryland:
Winfield VFD
Michigan:
Graafschap Fire Department
Minnesota:
Albany Fire and Rescue
Alexandria Fire Department
Andover Fire Department
Avon Fire & Rescue
Braham Fire Rescue
City of Hastings
Cloquet Area Fire District
Eden Prairie Fire Department
Excelsior Fire District
Hopkins Fire Department
Minnetonka Fire Department
Montevideo Fire Department
New Brighton Department of Public Safety
North St. Paul Fire Department
Wayzata Fire
White Bear Lake Fire Department
Missouri:
Battlefield Fire Protection District
Branson Fire Rescue
Fort Osage Fire Protection District
Kearney Fire & Rescue Protection District
North Carolina:
City of Mount Airy
Etowah Horse Shoe Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department
Pinehurst Fire Department
Vance County Fire Department
North Dakota:
Garrison
Nebraska:
Arnold Volunteer Fire Department
Pawnee City Fire Department
Wilcox Volunteer Fire Department
New Hampshire:
Salem Fire Department
New Jersey:
Berlin Fire Rescue Company
Ohio:
Concord Township Fire Department
Pennsylvania:
Green Lane Volunteer Fire Company
Montgomery Township Fire Services
South Carolina:
Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department
Bluffton Township Fire District
Edisto Beach Fire Department
Georgetown City Fire Department
Hilton Head Island Fire Rescue
Long Branch Fire Department
New Holland Volunteer Fire Department
North Myrtle Beach Public Safety
Pickens Fire Department
Tennessee:
City of Athens Fire Department
City of Clinton Fire Department
City of Henderson Fire Department
City of White House Fire Department
Columbia Fire Department
Cumberland County
East Ridge Fire Rescue
Germantown Fire Department
Madisonville Fire-Rescue
Ripley Fire Department
Selmer Fire Department
Sharps Chapel Volunteer Fire Department
Texas:
Ben Bolt Volunteer Fire Department
Highland Village Fire Department
Sheppard Air Force Base FES
Utah:
Diamond Valley Fire Department
Lehi Fire Department
Virginia:
City of Staunton Fire & Rescue
Wisconsin:
Hartford Fire & Rescue
Janesville Department
Middleton Fire Department
About NASFM Foundation
The NASFM Foundation is a public interest group whose mission is to reduce residential fire deaths and injuries. The Foundation advocates the use of residential fire sprinklers, smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and teaching people fire-safe behavior. The Foundation assists fire departments with implementing residential sprinkler/smoke alarm programs on a local basis. The Foundation’s partners include the United States Fire Administration, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and private industry/associations with an interest in and commitment to residential fire safety.
About Grinnell Mutual
Grinnell Mutual, in business since 1909, is the 109th-largest property casualty insurance company in the United States and the largest primary reinsurer of farm mutual companies in North America. The company provides reinsurance for farm mutual insurance companies as well as property and casualty insurance. Its products are available in 15 states.
###
For more information:
Jim Narva, Director of External Relations
National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM)
Jnarva(at)narvaassociates.com
Miranda Vos, Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company, +1 641-269-8126, [email protected]
Share this article