The Hartford To Provide Grants To Indianapolis For Fire Safety Education

• The Hartford brings Junior Fire Marshal program to the city and will donate a total of $20,000 to the school district and fire department for fire safety education
• While cooking is the leading cause of home fires nationally, in Indianapolis, fires that started outside the home are the most common claim

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Every 86 seconds a home fire is reported in the U.S. and 33 percent of fires are started by children ages 6-9.* In Indianapolis, the fire department responded to more than 18,850 fire runs in 2015, with more than 550 of them working structure fires.

In Indianapolis, most home fires originated from sources outside the home and spread to the homeowners or renters property, according to The Hartford’s claims data. The second most common cause of home fire is electrical followed by cooking.**

To help educate children in Indianapolis about the importance of fire prevention and safety, The Hartford is partnering with the school district and Indianapolis fire department to bring the company’s Junior Fire Marshal program to the city.

“The Junior Fire Marshal Program is part of The Hartford’s ongoing commitment to help build safer communities,” said Debora Raymond, spokesperson for The Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal program. “We are pleased to be able to bring this program to the city of Indianapolis and empower the next generation of children to take an active role in reducing the fire risk in their homes.”

The Hartford will grant $10,000 each to the Indianapolis Fire Department and Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) to support ongoing fire safety education. As part of the program, the company will also be providing a Junior Fire Marshal kit to every kindergarten through third-grade classroom in IPS. The classroom kit comes with 30 of The Hartford’s signature fire red helmets, an educator and parent guide and coloring posters designed to introduce fire safety concepts.

The educator’s guide includes fire prevention tips for the most common causes of fires including candles, cooking, matches and lighters and heating. As part of the fire safety curriculum, teachers have the opportunity to get students involved with demonstrations, activities, and creating a family escape plan.

The Hartford to Host Junior Fire Marshal Day at Clarence Farrington School 61

The Hartford is partnering with Clarence Farrington School 61 and the Indianapolis Fire Department to host a hands-on fire safety day. This includes 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. The event will take place at Clarence Farrington on Thursday, Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT.

About The Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal Program

The Hartford’s Junior Fire Marshal program was created in 1947 - to teach fire safety education to kids and keep families safe. The company’s signature red fire helmets have been proudly worn by generations of children who have learned the basics of fire safety through an innovative and educational program. The program teaches lifesaving lessons such as Stop, Drop and Roll; Go Low in Smoke; Draw a Home Fire Escape Plan and more through fun, engaging and educational activities and allows parents and teachers to have meaningful and vital fire safety conversations with children and students. Since the program’s inception, The Hartford has deputized more than 110 million Junior Fire Marshals.

*National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

**Based on an analysis of The Hartford claims data in the city of Indianapolis between 2010 and 2015

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.

About Indianapolis Public Schools

Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) strives to be the flagship in innovative urban education, preparing all students to be successful in the global economy. IPS is committed to creating individualized, relationship-based learning opportunities for nearly 30,000 students. As the educational landscape evolves to include more school choice, IPS continues to expand the scope of options available to families. IPS is the pilot district for Indiana's Innovation Network Schools; these autonomous programs operate in partnership with the district to provide a variety of unique educational opportunities for IPS students and families. IPS advocated for state legislation allowing districts to provide more options for families, including Innovation Network Schools and Transformation Zones. IPS’ Transformation Zone schools will serve as the Midwest pilot cohort for Opportunity Culture, a strategic staffing model empowering teachers to take on additional accountability and responsibility while earning a stipend of up to $18,000 above their salary. IPS is proud to provide personalized opportunities for students, and proud to be public! Learn more about IPS by visiting www.myips.org.

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 Hartford

Leon Davis, 860-547-8668

[email protected]

Source: The Hartford