Grey Bruce Insurance Brokers Association to receive Fire Safety Award

TORONTO, June 4, 2013 /CNW/ - Grey Bruce Insurance Brokers Association will receive a Fire Safety Award from the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council at a ceremony on June 12, 2013 in Toronto. The annual Fire Safety Awards recognize outstanding contributions to fire protection and prevention in Ontario.

In 2008, 27 fire departments agreed to work together to develop and deliver a year-round radio campaign that would target the 170,000 residents of Grey and Bruce counties and provide them with life-saving messages.  Even with pooling their resources, they were well aware that additional funds would be required.

Hearing of their dilemma, the Grey Bruce Insurance Brokers Association (GBIBA) invited the fire department group to their annual general meeting to pitch the concept. As a result, the GBIBA offered to match any funds raised by the fire department in support of the initiative.

With the required funding, the fire safety group recorded messages by individual fire chiefs and fire prevention officers using radio scripts developed by the Office of the Fire Marshal. The 30-second public service announcements targeted common fire safety issues such as Stand by Your Pan and Working Smoke Alarms: It's the Law!

"This important radio campaign would not have been possible without the generous support of the Grey Bruce Insurance Brokers Association," said Ted Wieclawek, Ontario Fire Marshal and Chair, Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council.  "This partnership has been valuable in helping to enhance fire safety in those rural areas of our province - and since the campaign extends throughout the year, the opportunity for success is greatly enhanced."

The Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council gratefully acknowledges the support of its sponsors in this event: Technical Standards and Safety Authority, The Co-operators Group, Kidde Canada Inc., Home Depot of Canada Inc., Proctor & Gamble Inc., Electrical Safety Authority, CSA Group, Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc., Roxul Inc. and Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada.

SOURCE: Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council

Carol Gravelle, Office of the Fire Marshal, 416-325-3138