TRUMBULL, Conn.—The Nichols Fire Department has received a $2,997 fire prevention grant from FM Global, a major commercial property insurer.

FM Global representative Michael Spaziani notified Nichols Fire Chief Andrew Kingsbury that their grant application was selected among a pool of hundreds of applications received.  The award will be used to assist with pre-fire planning activities in an effort to efficiently collect and track data related to local community buildings.  The information will help first responders by displaying mapping and data when responding to an emergency situation.

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 Connecticut-based organizations.

“At FM Global, we strongly believe the majority of property damage is preventable, not inevitable,” said Michael Spaziani, assistant vice president – 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 to fire departments that best demonstrate a need for funding, where dollars can have the most impact on preventing fire, or mitigating the damage it can quickly cause.