AVANGRID, Inc. based in Orange, Connecticut, has partnered with the American Red Cross in Connecticut to support the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign. As part of the partnership, AVANGRID has contributed $10,000 in support of the Red Cross and has become a Ready 365 Bronze level supporter.

“We’re grateful to AVANGRID for this generous gift and for helping our region be ready 365 days a year through this corporate giving program,” said Mario Bruno, CEO, American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island Region. “AVANGRID’s partnership is key in helping us educate communities on home fire safety.”

AVANGRID’s contribution to the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign will help the Red Cross continue to make homes safer through fire preparedness and education. The goal of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign is to reduce the number of injuries and deaths due to home fires. As part of the campaign, Red Cross workers visit homes, share fire safety and preparedness information and install free smoke alarms in homes as requested. Volunteers help families understand the importance of fire safety and help them develop personalized family escape plans to use in the event a fire breaks out in their home.

“Installing working smoke alarms in your home is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your belongings from fire,” said Joseph D. Thomas, a board member of the Connecticut Red Cross and vice president for Electric System Operations at United Illuminating, an AVANGRID subsidiary. “At AVANGRID, we are proud to support the American Red Cross in its efforts to protect property and save lives.”

Home fires are the largest disaster threat faced in the U.S. Last year, the Red Cross responded to more than 1,000 local disasters in Connecticut and Rhode Island – most of them home fires.

“The presence of working smoke alarms in a home can cut in half the risk of dying in a fire,” Bruno said. “Early warning, combined with a personal escape plan, can provide the precious minutes a family needs to safely escape a fire.”

Since the program began in 2014, the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign has saved more than 200 lives. As part of the campaign, the Red Cross has committed to installing 2.5 million smoke alarms nationally.

Through the partnership, AVANGRID employees have the opportunity to volunteer with the Red Cross. AVANGRID will also share safety information and tips from the Red Cross during the campaign. AVANGRID was an active participant in the Red Cross Install-A-Thon last month and participated in the New Britain Install-A-Thon event.

About Ready 365:

Ready 365 Giving Program members are businesses that value the local impact and global reach of the Red Cross; they want to deepen their commitment to our mission; and they are ready to help save lives every day of the year. To learn more visit: http://www.redcross.org/local/connecticut/donate/ready-365

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/ct or visit us on Twitter at @CTRedCross.

About Avangrid:

AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a diversified energy and utility company with more than $31 billion in assets and operations in 27 U.S. states. The company owns regulated utilities and electricity generation assets through two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks comprises eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving approximately 3.2 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables operates 6.5 gigawatts of electricity capacity, primarily through wind power, across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 7,000 people. Iberdrola S.A. (Madrid: IBE), a worldwide leader in the energy industry, owns 81.5% of the outstanding shares of AVANGRID common stock. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com.

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