NFPA and State Farm Announce Start of Funding Award Application Period for Wildfire Preparedness Day

QUINCY, Massachusetts, Jan. 7 -- The National Fire Protection Association issued the following news release:

Reducing fuel for fires around vulnerable homes. Meeting and talking with firefighters about community preparedness plans. Helping seniors with home improvement projects to resist embers. All of these activities and more are anticipated as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State Farm(R) announce the launch of the project funding awards application period for its sixth national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 4, 2019, which helps communities prepare for and reduce their risk of wildfire damage.

State Farm is providing funding to NFPA for the Preparedness Day event and a portion will be awarded to 150 neighborhood wildfire risk reduction projects being implemented on Saturday, May 4. Preparedness Day gives people of all ages a chance to plan and participate in a risk reduction or wildfire preparedness activity that makes their community a safer place to live.

Project applications can be submitted through March 1. Apply for an award. (https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Campaigns/National-Wildfire-Community-Preparedness-Day/Apply-for-an-award)

During Preparedness Day 2018, more than 500 projects were undertaken in 32 states and the District of Columbia. Of those projects, 150 received funding from State Farm for activities that helped make residents and firefighters safer when wildfires happen.

According to reports, on average, wildfires burn twice as much land area each year as they did 40 years ago, and the threat continues to increase. In 2018, California saw its deadliest and most destructive fire, the Camp Fire, burn more than 150,000 acres and claim the lives of 85 people. Wildfires once described by "seasons" are now burning earlier and later in the year across the U.S.

"NFPA and State Farm are pleased to be working together again on this, our sixth Preparedness Day campaign," said Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. "Since our initial launch of Prep Day in 2013, we have watched participation continue to grow. In 2018 we saw devastating wildfires affect communities in California and across the United States, but we are encouraged and inspired by the number of residents who feel empowered to take the necessary action with regard to wildfire safety."

"State Farm finds it important to inform and encourage homeowners and communities to adopt effective wildfire mitigation programs that produce stronger, safer homes where lives are saved and a family's largest investment is better protected," said Vickie Hodges, underwriting analyst.

For more information about Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, funding awards, project ideas and free resources to download, please visit www.wildfireprepday.org.

About State Farm(R)

The mission of State Farm is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its nearly 19,000 agents and approximately 65,000 employees serve approximately 83 million policies and accounts - approximately 81 million auto, fire, life, health and commercial policies and approximately 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 36 on the 2018 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global self-funded nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information, visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.