November 26, 2012 -
New York City
Vanderbilt Properties Insurance Brokerage, LLC, a Terra Holdings affiliate, and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company have partnered to donate a $25,000 grant to the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) for fire prevention safety efforts in the city. The grant funds smoke alarms and batteries for families without working smoke detectors, multi-lingual fire safety literature for the city's diverse population, and educational materials for children including coloring books and online learning activities.
"On behalf of Terra Holdings, we are extremely grateful for all of the work that the FDNY does every day to insure the safety and wellbeing of the citizens of New York City," said Kent Swig, co-chairman, Terra Holdings, LLC.
The FDNY's community outreach efforts are conducted by an FDNY Fire Safety Education Unit which makes presentations at schools, community centers, senior citizen centers and neighborhood associations across the city to teach and reinforce important fire and life safety lessons. With a focus on communities most at risk, this program reaches more than 600,000 people per year. Utilizing a data-driven, targeted approach to reach communities most in need, this program has helped reduce the number of fires and fire fatalities to a record low in New York City.
"We are grateful to receive this grant as it will allow our department to provide critical fire and life safety education to communities most at risk. We want to bring fire safety and prevention to all New Yorkers and support the critical life-saving work of our firefighters," said fire commissioner Salvatore Cassano.
The grant is part of a nationwide philanthropic program funded by Fireman's Fund Insurance Company. The program is designed to provide needed equipment, training and educational tools to local fire departments and burn prevention organizations.
Since 2004, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company has issued grants to nearly 1,900 organizations totaling more than $29 million—including more than $1.7 million in New York and over $600,000 to the FDNY. Through this program, independent insurance agencies and brokers that sell Fireman's Fund products, such as Vanderbilt Properties Insurance Brokerage, LLC, are able to direct these grants to support the fire service.
"We can't think of a better way to support both the firefighters and citizens of this city. Fire safety and community education are top priorities in any fire department and we're proud to help in such a meaningful way," said Alnoor Ladha of Vanderbilt Properties Insurance Brokerage, LLC, an affiliate of Terra Holdings, LLC.