SÃO PAULO -- Last week, Ford Brazil donated a Cargo truck cabin for the Tatuí City Fire Department, in São Paulo state, at a ceremony that took place at the company's Tatuí Proving Ground. The event was attended by the municipality mayor, Luiz Gonzaga Vieira de Camargo, and representatives from the São Paulo Fire Department.

The donation is part of the Ford Brazil Social Responsibility program, which promotes activities regarding social and environmental issues, always seeking the economic and social development of regions and communities in which it operates. The donated cabin will equip the auto tank vehicle that serves the Tatuí's community.

"This donation reinforces Ford's commitment to the Tatuí community, collaborating with the continuation of services by the municipality’s Fire Department," said Fabio Lang, manager, Tatuí Proving Ground.

Ford also makes donations of vehicles and engines to educational institutions and universities throughout Brazil. During 2009, Ford donated more than 20 vehicles to equip laboratories in various universities in the country.

Tatuí Proving Ground
Established 32 years ago, Tatuí Proving Ground is the only Ford proving ground in South America. The unit is responsible for supporting the various stages of vehicle development and approval utilizing cutting edge technologies.

Currently, the site has about 840 employees, who perform more than 5 million miles of tests per year to ensure the safety, performance, comfort and quality of Ford vehicles. Its structure includes specific areas for the development of cars and trucks and also an Experimental Engine Engineering department, equipped for the testing of performance and fuel consumption, brakes, impact barrier, water and dust penetration, cold chamber, cooling, noise level, emissions, durability, building of prototypes and vehicle dynamics, among others.