Wildfire Community Preparedness Day 2019 Set for May 4
"Since NFPA and State Farm first partnered together on Preparedness Day, the number of projects has grown tremendously. We are pleased to provide 150 communities with a grant to fund their wildfire risk reduction activities on May 4," said Vickie Hodges, P&C underwriting analyst at State Farm.
With U.S. wildfires having killed more than 100 people at a cost of more than $25 billion in property losses in the past two years, the National Fire Protection Association and State Farm are helping communities take steps toward safety with their national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day event on Saturday, May 4. The event is an opportunity for residents to participate in wildfire safety activities. Support from State Farm is allowing 150 communities across 27 states to receive project funding awards of $500 each to support activities on Preparedness Day.
"Since NFPA and State Farm first partnered together on Preparedness Day, the number of projects has grown tremendously. We are pleased to provide 150 communities with a grant to fund their wildfire risk reduction activities on May 4," said Vickie Hodges, P&C underwriting analyst at State Farm. "For State Farm, the largest home insurer in the U.S., it is important to us to take a leadership role in helping homeowners stay safe and better protect their property."
The partners say recent wildfires show Preparedness Day is more important than ever. Last year, California wildfires burned nearly 1 million acres, the largest amount of burned acreage recorded in a fire season, and large fires occurred in Nevada, Utah, and Oklahoma. "NFPA and State Farm are pleased to be working together on the Preparedness Day campaign," said Lorraine Carli, NFPA's vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. "Since our initial launch of Prep Day in 2013, participation has continued to grow. We are inspired by the number of residents who feel empowered to take the necessary steps to keep their homes and neighborhoods safer from wildfire."
Anyone interested in getting involved by planning a project and participating on May 4 can download a free Getting Started: Wildfire Community Preparedness Day Toolkit here. For resources, videos, and tip sheets, and to see the list of winning projects and their locations, visit www.wildfireprepday.org.