WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., April 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dark smoke fills the sky. Sirens sound. While families pack their belongings and begin to evacuate, Los Angeles firefighters know they won't be joining those racing away from the flames; they're ready to run toward danger while others flee.
After years of going to battle with devastating wildfires, the courageous members of the Los Angeles Fire Department now face another harrowing crisis—serving on the front lines of the global COVID-19 pandemic, continuing to provide vital services while fighting an invisible enemy.
As the LAFD is managing the city's COVID-19 testing sites and firefighters continue to answer emergency calls from the community, many of which are coronavirus-related, first responders are increasingly in need of the personal protective equipment, sanitizing solutions and other essential tools that are vital to their safety when responding to COVID-19 and wildfires.
Recognizing the growing demand for supplies, L.A.-based Farmers Insurance rose to the challenge to help protect those who protect Angelenos, making the second largest donation in LAFD Foundation history with $525,000. Farmers® also recently donated nearly 20,000 protective masks to Los Angeles firefighters.
"Whether it's the historic wildfires that have devastated California communities in recent years or the current coronavirus pandemic affecting families and individuals nationwide, firefighters are first on the scene providing critical services in the face of unprecedented circumstances," said Deb Aldredge, chief administrative officer for Farmers Insurance and a board member with the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. "First responders are there for our communities when disaster strikes, and we are proud to be able to help them in a moment of great need for those on the front lines and the city we are all proud to serve."
The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation supports the LAFD in protecting life, property, and the environment by providing essential equipment, training, and public outreach programs to supplement city resources.
"The Los Angeles Fire Department serves the second largest metropolitan area in the country, and the need for essentials like personal protective equipment, masks and cleaning supplies is critical right now," said Liz Lin, president of the LAFD Foundation. "Thanks to the support of organizations like Farmers Insurance, our city's 3,500 firefighters can continue to selflessly answer the call to protect the people of Los Angeles today and every day."
As an industry-leader in disaster response, Farmers Insurance has expanded its commitment to first responders in recent years. In 2019, Farmers Insurance donated industrial washing machines to Los Angeles fire stations that help remove carcinogenic materials from fire-fighting equipment and announced $150,000 to benefit the National First Responders Fund earlier this year.
To learn more about the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and how you can help, visit https://supportlafd.org/.
About Farmers Insurance
"Farmers Insurance®" and "Farmers®" are tradenames for a group of insurers providing insurance for automobiles, homes and small businesses and a wide range of other insurance and financial services and products. Farmers Insurance is proud to serve more than 5 million households with over 15 million individual policies nationally, through the efforts of more than 45,000 exclusive and independent agents and approximately 19,000 employees. Farmers Insurance Exchange®, the largest of the three primary insurers that make up Farmers Insurance, is recognized as one of the largest U.S. companies on the 2019 Fortune 500 list.
For more information about Farmers Insurance, visit Farmers.com, follow on Twitter @WeAreFarmers, Instagram @ThisIsFarmers or follow on Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance.
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