Ford and Lincoln Mercury are announcing that, for the month of November, they will extend their employee A-Plan pricing discount to California families whose vehicles were lost in the recent Southern California wildfires.

Further, as a way of saying "thank you" to firefighters across the state of California for their tireless efforts in containing the fires, all firefighters and their immediate households statewide will receive the same A-Plan pricing discount.

Discounts both for fire victims and for firefighters apply to any 2007 or 2008 Ford, Mercury or Lincoln car, truck, CUV or SUV (excluding the Mustang Shelby GT 500).

"As a way of expressing our concern to victims and saying to the firefighters, 'Thank you from our family to your family,' we are extending this unique opportunity to those who have been impacted by the fires, both to those who lost vehicles to the fires and to the firefighters who gave so selflessly to contain them," stated Hal Dewsnap, Ford Lincoln Mercury California regional manager. "We recognize that the impact of this disaster will be far-reaching, and we want to extend our support beyond the initial steps announced last week. This will not be an advertised offer. We are simply reaching out to those in need after a loss, and rewarding our firefighters after an exceptionally difficult period."

To claim the discount:

* Those with a vehicle loss are invited to see their Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealer with information concerning their vehicle loss from one of the following sources, indicating that their present vehicle was lost as a result of the fires:

* Insurance or FEMA claim form or
* Copy of police report
* California firefighters can simply show a valid/current badge and/or department ID card from a California-based fire department OR current California State Firefighters Association ID card, and state or Federal ID showing residency in the state of California at the time of purchase.
* Customers eligible for this program also are eligible for other incentive programs offered to the general public in California.

This announcement from Ford follows programs announced on October 25th specifically for those affected by the Southern California wildfires:

* Ford Motor Company donated 20 specially equipped vehicles – 11 Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty trucks and nine Ford Expedition sport utility vehicles – to fire and rescue departments in some of the areas most devastated by the fires.
* Ford Motor Company Fund contributed $100,000 to the San Diego Chapter of the American Red Cross to help with relief efforts.
* Longer term, Ford employees in Southern California will be called upon to volunteer time to assist in community recovery and relief efforts through Ford Volunteer Corps, a corporate-wide program established by Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford after the December 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia.
* Ford Motor Credit announced that it will offer some payment relief to customers impacted by the wildfires through the Ford Credit Disaster Relief Program. The program allows customers to delay one or two monthly payments, resuming their regular payment schedules when their situations improve