FM Global donates US$100,000 to NSW Rural Fire Service
FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers, has donated US$100,000 to the New South Wales Rural Fire Service Association.
The NSW Rural Fire Service is the world’s largest volunteer firefighting organisation, with jurisdiction over 99 percent of the state’s 800,000 square kilometres. From the formation of the first formal brigade at Berrigan in 1900, it now has about 72,000 volunteers across almost 2,000 brigades and is the lead agency for fighting and preventing bushfires across the state. It also combats structural fires and transport incidents.
“The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report says Australia’s land has warmed by 1.4˚C in the past century. Heat extremes are increasing, the frequency of extreme fire days is rising and fire seasons are getting longer,” FM Global’s Operations Chief Engineer, Mike Hunneyball, said.
“The best ways to defend against fire risk are to use non-combustible construction materials, keep trees and grass as far away as possible from your facility, use external sprinklers, and develop a fire plan with local authorities like the NSW Rural Fire Service.”
FM Global has highlighted three main reasons why bushfire losses are increasing – increased value at risk, forest management challenges and the warming climate. As the climate continues to change, businesses seeking to cope with bushfires will need to become more climate resilient. For more information on how to protect facilities from this growing natural hazard, check out FM Global’s bushfire resources.
About FM Global
Established nearly two centuries ago, and present in Australia for almost half a century, FM Global is a mutual insurance company whose capital, scientific research capability and engineering expertise are solely dedicated to property risk management and the resilience of its client-owners. These owners, who share the belief that the majority of property loss is preventable, represent many of the world’s largest organizations, including one of every three Fortune 1000 companies. They work with FM Global to better understand the hazards that can impact their business continuity in order to make cost-effective risk management decisions, combining property loss prevention with insurance protection.