ADVISORY/Not for Publication - SAFECO, DOGAMI and Local Insurance Agency Work for Child Care Center Safety.

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 13, 1998--

On Monday, October 19, volunteers from SAFECO, the Oregon State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) and Jeff Hurliman Insurance Services will make the Tillamook Early Childhood Education Center safer by securing the center's shelves, pictures, cabinets, bulletin boards against the threat of natural hazards like earthquakes and windstorms.

The concept behind this is called "non-structural retrofit" and it is the brainchild of the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), an initiative of the insurance industry. Monday's work will help establish a national model so that IBHS, SAFECO and other insurance companies can undertake a national program to retrofit as many of the nation's child care centers against hazards as possible over the next few years through this volunteer public-private partnership. -0-

The itinerary for October 19th event is as follows:

Place:          Tillamook Early Childhood Education Center
                1100 Miller Avenue        Tillamook, Oregon
                Call the center at 503/842-5180 for directions

9AM - 9:30AM    Press Briefing
                Jim Perucca, SAFECO Portland Region Vice President
                Don Hull, Director of DOGAMI
                Monica Pile, Director of Head Start
                Danielle Bogs, Director of Day Care

9:30AM - 12N    Retrofit work done in classroom
                Volunteers will be doing retrofit work in
                the center's classroom and explain
                "non-structural retrofit" safety ideas --
                available till 3:30PM to show the results.

4PM - 6PM       Open House
                Parents, public officials and community
                leaders will look at the work and will be
                available for interviews.