Special to
L’Observateur

PAULINA — Paulina Grand Point Belmont Volunteer Fire Department was recently presented with a Life Safety Achievement Award.

The award recognizes the department’s fire prevention accomplishments in 2013 by the National Association of State Fire Marshals Fire Research and Education Foundation in partnership with Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company.

Alan Clark, assistant vice president of special investigations for Grinnell Mutual, said the heroic efforts of local fire service personnel aren’t limited to rushing into burning buildings to save families.

“They also present educational information to local schools and other community groups to make sure people know how to respond to fires and how to prevent them in the first place,” he said. “The Life Safety Achievement Award recognizes fire departments for their fire prevention programs that have been proven to save lives year after year.”

Although residential fires in the U.S. account for 20 percent of all fires, they result in 80 percent of all fire deaths. The NASFM Foundation is committed to reducing that number.