Mitchell International and Holmatro Contribute to Fallen Firefighter's Foundation Scholarship Fund

SAN DIEGO--Aug. 2, 2004--Representatives from Mitchell International(R) and Holmatro(R) presented a check in the amount of $14,000 to the Fallen Firefighter's Foundation Scholarship Fund in a ceremony at the offices of US Senator Paul J. Sarbanes (D-MD) on July 22nd, 2004. The donation represents a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the Rescuer's Guide to Vehicle Safety Systems, developed jointly by Mitchell and Holmatro.

The Fallen Firefighter's Foundation provides a wide range of services and support to the families of firefighters fallen in the line of duty such as the scholarship program introduced by Senator Sarbanes. This program offers financial assistance for post-secondary education and training to the spouses, children, and stepchildren of firefighters honored at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

Automakers continue to add more and more safety features to vehicles...head and side-impact air bags, pre-tensioning seat belts, and other items. While these enhancements benefit vehicle occupants during a collision, they can pose a significant safety hazard to rescue workers if they are unaware of their presence and how to work safely around them. Depending on the severity and nature of a collision, some air bags may not deploy at the time of the collision. These air bags remain active and can deploy during rescue efforts, potentially injuring rescuers or those they are attempting to rescue.

"We saw the critical need for rescuers to be able to quickly identify the types and locations of safety systems in a particular vehicle that has been involved in an accident. Working with Mitchell enabled us to develop a comprehensive resource that is being used by rescue personnel throughout North America, and many educational institutions worldwide" said Giff Swayne, President of Holmatro. "We look forward to the continued partnership with Mitchell and long term support to the industry."

"Mitchell has been in the business of providing vehicle data and training information for over 50 years, and we continue to find new ways to provide value to the market. Enabling emergency rescuers with this valuable life saving tool is incredibly rewarding," said Mitchell CEO & Chairman of the Board, Jim Lindner. "Giving back to the Fallen Firefighters Fund is just another added benefit to supporting this great cause."

The Rescuer's Guide to Vehicle Safety Systems enables rescue workers to accurately identify the locations of a vehicle's safety system components and deactivate or avoid them during the extrication, thus keeping themselves and vehicle occupants safe from further harm. Now in its third edition, the Rescuer's Guide is also available on CD-ROM for even faster safety system lookup, and includes a VIN-decode feature to ensure a more accurate identification of collision-damaged vehicles.

About Mitchell International

Mitchell International is a leading provider of information and workflow solutions to the automotive insurance claims industry, serving carriers, collision repair facilities, and other commercial participants in the physical damage and auto-related medical claims processes. Mitchell facilitates millions of electronic transactions between more than 16,000 business partners each month to enhance their productivity, profitability, and customer satisfaction levels. For more information on Mitchell International, visit our website at www.mitchell.com.

About Holmatro

Holmatro Incorporated has been manufacturing high performance rescue tools in Maryland for more than 17 years. Founded in the Netherlands in 1967, our sister company, BV Holmatro, has over 35 years of experience manufacturing high pressure hydraulic equipment. Holmatro is the only rescue tool manufacturer to operate three manufacturing facilities, with two in Europe and one in the United States. Through our dealer network Holmatro offers product, training, service and support to our customers in more than 120 countries. Rescue and emergency services personnel around the world depend on Holmatro's technology to make their critical tasks easier, safer and more reliable.