WESTMINSTER, MA (May 10, 2005)-SimplexGrinnell and Tyco Safety Products hosted a special event on Tuesday, May 10 to celebrate the completion of the third year of a highly successful school partnership program that prepares young women for careers in the fields of engineering and technology.

Project WATCH (Women Achieving Technical Career Heights) is a collaborative program that aims to develop a seamless connection between business and industry, secondary schools and post-secondary colleges. This year, 30 students participated in the program, from the following schools: Leominster Center for Technical Education, Leominster Public High School, Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School, Gardner High School, Narragansett Regional High School and Oakmont Regional High School.

Dean Seavers, president of SimplexGrinnell, says: "SimplexGrinnell and Tyco Safety Products are proud to play an integral role in this vitally important program. Throughout all of Tyco, we are committed to supporting our local communities and most certainly our schools. Project WATCH is a model program that benefits all involved and encourages female students to pursue careers in fields where women are strikingly under represented."

At Tuesday's event, the students presented the results of their projects and discussed the lessons they've learned. Since October, Project WATCH students have been working in teams to develop solutions to real-life business challenges. The program requires that they spend five hours every other week at the Westminster office building, working directly with engineers and information technology specialists from SimplexGrinnell and Tyco Safety Products. They put in many additional hours on their own, and must at the same time stay current with all their schoolwork."

"This has been another excellent year for the Project WATCH program," says Mary Leonardo," Chief Information Officer at SimplexGrinnell. "The key to the success has been the students' commitment and participation. The young women began the year as virtual strangers to each other and the realities of the workforce. Seven months later, they've learned the power of teams, experienced real-life work situations, and are not only friends, but co-workers as well. In turn, our staff has been given a unique opportunity to develop mentoring and leaderships skills and give to the community at the same time."

Fitchburg State College, the North Central Tech Prep Consortium, and Mount Wachusett Community College have provided support as the post-secondary connection. Tyco Safety Products, SimplexGrinnell, Verizon EdLink, and the Greater Gardner Chamber of Commerce are the business and industry partners in the program.

SimplexGrinnell, a business unit of Tyco Fire & Security, provides a comprehensive array of fire alarm, fire sprinkler, fire suppression, integrated security and healthcare communications systems and services. With half a million customers, 11,500 employees, 120 local offices, and over 200 years of history in the fire business, SimplexGrinnell is the leader in the fire and life-safety industry. For additional information, visit www.simplexgrinnell.com.

Tyco International Ltd. is a global, diversified company that provides vital products and services to customers in five business segments: Fire & Security, Electronics, Healthcare, Engineered Products & Services, and Plastics & Adhesives. With 2004 revenue of $40 billion, Tyco employs 260,000 people worldwide. More information on Tyco can be found at www.tyco.com.