HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
According to The Hartford Home Fire Index,² New York City ranks 14 among the 100 U.S. cities with the highest home fire risk. In addition, the Bronx has more reported fires per housing units than any other borough in New York City.³
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 is donating a total of $20,000 to the Bronx public school district and the FDNY Foundation, the official non-profit organization of the New York City Fire Department, for fire safety education. This is part of a commitment the company is making to donate $2 million and to educate 1.5 million children on fire prevention and safety in the 100 cities with the highest home fire risk as identified in The Hartford Home Fire Index.
Mariano Rivera Joins The Hartford For Junior Fire Marshal Day at P.S. 63
Former New York Yankees legend and The Hartford’s brand ambassador, Mariano Rivera, will be making his way back to the Bronx to help educate students at P.S. 63 Author’s Academy about fire safety and deputize them as Junior Fire Marshals. Rivera will join The Hartford and the New York City fire department on Tuesday, June 6 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT to host a Junior Fire Marshal Day, a hands-on fire safety event for students in kindergarten and first grade at P.S. 63 Author’s Academy. The event will include a simulated fire and smoke demonstration in The Hartford Fire Safety House, an opportunity to meet local firefighters, tour their fire truck and try on gear.
“I’m honored to be partnering with The Hartford and its Junior Fire Marshal program to raise awareness about the importance of fire safety,” said Mariano Rivera. “The Bronx is a special place to me - it’s a community that has supported me throughout my career. I’m proud to be a part of an effort to educate children about how to prevent home fires and help keep this city and its residents safe.”
The Hartford Survey: Fire Safety and Prevention Behaviors in New York City
According to The Hartford survey on fire safety and prevention behaviors, many New York City residents engage in behaviors that can increase the risk of a home fire according to The Hartford survey. Charging a phone overnight is considered moderate risk, yet charging a phone overnight on your bed, leaving your kitchen with the stove on, or leaving a room with a candle burning are considered high risk. The survey found:
- 50 percent admitted they had charged a device (e.g., cell phone, tablet, laptop) in or on their bed overnight in the past year – compared with 34 percent nationally,
- 51 percent said that in the past year, they have left the kitchen while cooking something on a stove – compared with 58 percent nationally
- 32 percent revealed that they have left a room with a candle lit at least once over the past year – compared with 37 percent nationally.
The FDNY Foundation recommends all households have a working combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms as a first line of defense.
The Hartford to Distribute Free Educational Materials to Students
In addition to the monetary donation made to the city, The Hartford will also provide Junior Fire Marshal educational materials to children in kindergarten through third grade in the Bronx public school district. 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.
“The Hartford is proud to bring this program to New York City with the goal of empowering everyday kids to become everyday heroes,” said Debora Raymond, spokesperson for The Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal program. “By having kids take an active role in reducing the fire risk in their homes, the Junior Fire Marshal program continues our legacy of helping communities stay safe.”
The History of the Junior Fire Marshal Program
The 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.
¹According to the National Fire Protection Association
²The Hartford Home Fire Index is based on an analysis of the U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and a survey conducted by The Hartford on fire safety and prevention behaviors among the general population. Based on an analysis of data from NFIRS, among the five boroughs in New York City, the Bronx has more reported fires per housing units.
³NFIRS 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.
About The Hartford Home Fire Index
The 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 Hartford
The 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.
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