NEW BERLIN – Preferred Mutual Insurance Company is sponsoring the American Red Cross' Home Fire Preparedness Campaign in the Southern Tier region. The fire safety initiative, designed to help educate community members about the importance of having smoke detectors and a home evacuation plan, was launched nationally in October 2014.

According to the American Red Cross, approximately 7 people die and 36 suffer injuries every day as a result of home fires. And with fires causing an estimated $7 billion in property damage every year, Preferred Mutual has a genuine interest in preventing these disasters.

"At Preferred Mutual, we help our policyholders live assured not only by providing financial assistance after a catastrophe, but also through education and awareness before disaster strikes," said Christopher Taft, President and Chief Executive Officer at Preferred Mutual. "We've seen firsthand that those people and organizations that are best able to recover from a disaster are the ones who have prepared in advance."