FM Global Awards $2,000 Grant to Pelham FD

The Pelham fire department announced Thursday that it received $2,000 grant from FM Global that will be used to collect and track data on buildings in the community.

FM Global representative John Antola  presented the grant to fire Chief William Ston, Lt. Robert Benkwitt,  village Administrator Robert Yamuder and village Trustee Joe Marty Thursday at the Pelham fire department.

FM Global is a commercial and industrial property insurance with offices worldwide and clients in more than 130 countries. The company has been named “Best Property Insurer in the World” by Euromoney magazine, “Best Global Property Insurer” by Global Finance magazine and was voted “Best Commercial Property Insurer” in Business Insurance’s 2010 annual Readers Choice Awards.

“We are grateful to FM Global for this grant award,” said Chief William Stone.  “The funds will be used to replace our current computers and aid with prefire planning in the Village of Pelham.  Information such as construction type, any special life or safety hazards, and any other pertinent information of any structure will be incorporated into our response dispatch information."

The fire department is receiving the grant through FM Global’s Fire Prevention Program.  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 the funding.

Locally, the company has awarded grants to a number of New York-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.”

Visit www.fmglobal.com/grants to learn more about FM Global’s Fire Prevention Grant Program, or to apply for a grant.