LOS ANGELES, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmers Insurance Group of Companies®, First Alert and Firefacts.org are teaming up nationwide October 17, 2009, with Sears and Kmart to equip local communities and residents with the fire safety materials necessary for the protection and prevention of home fire emergencies. Over 1,400 First Alert® smoke alarms will be donated to more than 200 local Fire Departments across the U.S. for those most in need. In addition, Sears and Kmart will host a Fire Safety Awareness Table, with the local Fire Department, Farmers Insurance and Firefacts.org at select store locations across the U.S. this Saturday.

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MEDIA: Please contact your local Sears and Kmart store for hours of the event this Saturday.

During the Fire Safety Day events, Farmers Insurance will be giving out Firefacts CD's to all families with children in kindergarten through sixth grade. First Alert will donate six smoke detectors to the local Fire Department and Sears and Kmart will have a special in-store display with all fire safety items offered by First Alert. Members of the local Fire Department will also be on hand to offer fire safety tips and give fire truck tours to children, where available.

"The need to educate consumers about alarm installation and replacement is very strong," said Deborah Hanson, director of external affairs for First Alert. "Public events about fire prevention, not to mention the educational efforts in schools, are wonderful reminders that simple maintenance and regular replacement of batteries and older alarms can help people stay out of harm's way."

    --  Simple steps like changing your smoke alarm batteries every six months
        and replacing your existing smoke alarm every 10 years can significantly
        reduce the threat of death or injury due to fire emergencies.
    --  Placing fire extinguishers or First Alert Tundra® Fire Extinguishing
        Spray on every level of the home and in key locations, such as next to
        the stove, near a fireplace and in a workshop or garage can assist in
        battling small fires.

    --  The Firefacts Interactive Learning System will help your family practice
        a home escape plan with all family members. This should be done at least
        twice a year and is another important step in fire safety.

The Fire Department wishes to remind community members to take the necessary precautions to help reduce the threat of fire by installing smoke alarms in every bedroom and on every level of the home.

"We respect the Fire Department's stance on promoting fire safety awareness and support the strides being made to ensure everyone is protected," said John Slavinski, Farmers Police/Firefighter National Manager. "We know that the use of the Firefacts Interactive Learning System will help educate children on fire safety and help save lives."

Home fire deaths have generally declined over the last decade, according to the National Fire Protection Association, due in large part to continuing fire-safety education efforts.

"It's simple. If your family was home and a fire broke out, would you be wishing you had prepared more, planned more and practiced more? If the answer is yes, then don't wait. Make your home fire safe and your family fire ready, today!" said Brad Ballard, FireFacts CEO.

To learn more on Farmers Insurance Commitment to Safety, visit http://farmers.com and click on Communities at the bottom of the page. To learn more about protecting your family from smoke, fire and carbon monoxide, visit the First Alert Web site at http://www.firstalert.com. To learn more on Fire Safety for your children, visit http://www.firefacts.org.

About Sears

Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,300 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada, which includes approximately 929 full-line and approximately 1,200 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 12 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at www.sears.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

About Kmart

Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD), is a mass merchandising company that offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, County Living and Route 66. For more information visit the company's website at www.kmart.com or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com.

About BRK Brands

BRK Brands, Inc. (Aurora, IL), is a fully owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (Rye, NY) (NYSE: JAH), a leading provider of niche consumer products used in and around the home. For 50 years, BRK Brands, Inc. has been the manufacturer of First Alert®-branded home-safety products, the most trusted and recognized safety brands in America. BRK Brands designs and develops innovative safety solutions including Tundra Fire Extinguishing Spray, ONELINK wireless alarms and a comprehensive line of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers and escape ladders to protect what matters most. Such products are also marketed under the BRK Electronics® brand, The Professional Standard for the builder and contractor audiences. BRK Brands, Inc. products are found in more than 30 countries worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.firstalert.com, http://www.brkelectronics.com or http://www.jarden.com.

(1) National Fire Protection Association Fire Loss in the U.S. During 2006 and USFA's Firefighter Fatalities in the United States in 2006.

    (C) 2008 BRK Brands, Inc., Aurora, IL 60504. All rights reserved.
    First Alert(R) is a registered trademark of The First Alert Trust, Aurora, IL 60504
    BRK Electronics(R) is a registered trademark of BRK Brands, Inc., Aurora, IL 60504.
    National Fire Protection Association is a registered service mark and NFPA is a registered
    trademark/service mark of the National Fire Protection Association, Inc.
    NYSE is a registered service mark of NYSE Group, Inc.
    Sears(R) is a registered service mark of Sears, Roebuck and Co.

About Farmers Insurance

Farmers is a trade name and may refer to Farmers Group, Inc. or the Farmers Exchanges, as the case may be. Farmers Group, Inc., a management and holding company, along with its subsidiaries, is wholly owned by the Zurich Financial Services Group. The Farmers Exchanges are three reciprocal insurers (Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange and Truck Insurance Exchange), including their subsidiaries and affiliates, owned by their policyholders, and managed by Farmers Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information about Farmers, visit our Web site at www.farmers.com.

    Media Contact:   John Slavinski      Media Contact:   Jerry Davies
                     916-201-4311                         213-400-4459

SOURCE Farmers Insurance Group of Companies