Freeland, Mich., October 14, 2011 - Local school children will get a safety boost thanks to the Tittabawassee Township Fire Department (TTFD) and local State Farm® Agent Scott MacGregor. State Farm provided a $5,500 grant to the Department along with a $10,000 grant in 2010 to bring the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) program Risk Watch® to Freeland.
“Risk Watch is an important program because preventable injuries are the number one health risk to children 14 and younger,” says Don Ortega, Fire Prevention Educator for the TTFD .According to the NFPA, unintentional injuries kill more than 5,000 children annually. The program, a comprehensive injury prevention program geared towards kids, will be presented to Kindergarten through Second at the Freeland Learning Center this year.
“Our goal is to provide children and their families the skills and knowledge they need to create safer homes and communities,” State Farm Agent MacGregor says. “ I’m excited to be able to bring this national programming to kids, and families, in our community.”
Risk Watch® is the first comprehensive injury prevention program available for use in schools and this is the first time it will be shared with Michigan kids. The school-based curriculum for students in preschool through the eighth grade, links teachers with community safety experts and parents. The program covers eight injury risk areas: motor vehicle safety, fire and burn prevention, choking, suffocation and strangulation prevention, poisoning prevention, falls prevention, firearms injury prevention, bike and pedestrian safety, and water safety.Scott McGregor, State Insurance, (989) 631-5512
Don Ortega, Fire Prev Ed. Tittabawassee Twp FD, (989) 695-9768
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 66,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 37 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.
