Excerpts from oak-park.us:

When a fire strikes a home, most everyone on the block knows about the it. The Oak Park Fire Department plans to harness this natural neighborhood interest and raise awareness about the importance of smoke detectors through a new program made possible by a $2,000 grant from FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers.

As part of the new program, when a house fire occurs in Oak Park, fire department personnel will blanket surrounding homes on the block with information about the incident and reminders to check the batteries in smoke detectors. Funding from the grant also will help the fire department provide a limited number of smoke detectors free of charge.

The public education material distributed after a fire occurs will include instructions for residents in need of a smoke detector to contact the Oak Park Fire Department, which will provide and install one. Fire department personnel will track the location of smoke detectors provided through the program and follow up with regular maintenance reminders.

Residents interested in acquiring a smoke detector from the Oak Park Fire Department can contact the department’s public education division at 708.358.5600 or fireprevention@oak-park.us.

Because fire continues to be the leading cause of property damage worldwide, during the past 40 years FM Global has contributed millions of dollars in fire prevention grants to fire service organizations around the globe. Locally, the company has awarded grants to a number of Illinois-based organizations.

To learn more about FM Global’s Fire Prevention Grant Program, or to apply for a grant, visit www.fmglobal.com/grants.

thanks Dan

Tags: FM Global awards grant to Oak Park FD, FM Global’s Fire Prevention Grant Program, Oak Park Fire Department