OC Fire Prevention receives FM Global Grant

The Oconee County Emergency Services has received a $2,000 fire prevention grant from FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers. FM Global representatives presented the award to Assistant Chief Shane Gibbs on Tuesday. The award will be used to assist with pre-fire planning to efficiently collect and track data related to local community buildings.  The information will help the fire service respond in an emergency situation. Because fire continues to be the leading cause of property damage worldwide, during the past 35 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 South Carolina-based organizations. “At FM Global, we strongly believe the majority of property damage is preventable, not inevitable,” said Michael Spaziani, manager of the fire prevention grant program. “Far too often, inadequate budgets prevent those organizations working to prevent fire from being as proactive as they would like to be. With additional financial support, grant recipients are actively helping to improve property risk in the communities they serve.” Through its Fire Prevention Grant Program, FM Global awards grants quarterly to fire departments, as well as national, state, regional, local and community organizations worldwide, that best demonstrate a need for funding, where dollars can have the most demonstrable impact on preventing fire, or mitigating the damage it can quickly cause.