WESTPORT, Conn.—The Westport Fire Department has received a $4,000 fire prevention grant from FM Global, a major commercial property insurer.

FM Global representative Meaghan Paul presented the award to Chief Andrew Kingsbury, Assistant Chief John Plofkin Jr, and Deputy Chief Robert Kepchar at Westport Fire Headquarters today.  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 the department when it responds to an emergency situation.

Because fire continues to be the leading cause of property damage worldwide, FM Global has contributed millions of dollars in fire prevention grants during the past 35 years to fire departments around the globe.  Locally, the company has awarded grants to a number of Connecticut-based organizations, including the Westport Fire Department previously in 2012.

“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 to fire departments 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.