2018 Wildfire Community Preparedness Day funding application period

announced by NFPA & State Farm

January 8, 2018 – Every year, brush, grass and forest fires burn across the U.S., and more people are living where wildfires are a real risk. It’s not a matter of if it will happen, but when will a community experience a wildfire threat.

To help address this wildfire challenge, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and State Farm® are announcing the launch of the project funding awards application period for its’ fifth national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on Saturday,  May 5, 2018, 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 5. 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. A free webinar, “Completing a Successful Wildfire Community Preparedness Day Funding Application,” will be held on Thursday, January 18 at 2:30 p.m. Register today. Project applications can be submitted through March 2. Apply for an award.

During Preparedness Day 2017, more than 400 projects were undertaken in 37 states and 150 recipients 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 2017, California saw its largest fire in history, the Thomas Fire, burn over 273,000 acres and claim the lives of two people, including a firefighter. Wildfires once described by “seasons” are now burning earlier and later in the year across the U.S.

"NFPA is pleased to be working with State Farm on our fifth Preparedness Day campaign," said Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. "For the last four years we have watched participation continue to grow. In 2017 we saw devastating wildfires affect communities across the U.S., 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 national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, funding awards, project ideas and free resources to download, please visit www.wildfireprepday.org.

About State Farm

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 nearly 70,000 employees serve more than 84 million policies and accounts – more than 81 million auto, fire, life, health and commercial policies, and more than 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats 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. 33 on the 2017 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.