Chief Michael Feinberg is pleased to announce that the Nahant Fire Department has earned two grants that will help support the department’s ongoing Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) programs.
The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services awarded the Nahant Fire Department grants of $2,854 for its S.A.F.E. Program and an additional $2,100 for its Senior S.A.F.E. Program.
The grants will help fund the purchase of fire prevention education materials, including dvds and evacuation route maps, fire safety and home hazard checklists, as well as classroom visits to children. The department will also be able to provide smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, night lights, stove top fire extinguishers and other equipment for seniors.
“These programs and materials are an essential part of the work we do to keep our community safe,” Chief Feinberg said. “I’m looking forward to continuing to ensure that Nahant residents of all ages are taking steps to prevent fires in their homes, and that they know what to do to stay safe if a fire ever were to start.”
The S.A.F.E. Program is a state initiative designed to provide resources to local fire departments to conduct fire and life safety education programs for children in kindergarten through 12th grade. The program aims to enable students to recognize fire hazards and teach key safety behaviors that should be used anytime a child comes into contact with a fire. Since the S.A.F.E. program’s inception in 1995, the average annual number of child deaths caused by a fire has fallen by 72 percent in Massachusetts.
Senior S.A.F.E. is a similar program that was created to support fire safety education specifically for older adults, who are most at risk of dying in a fire in Massachusetts. The program builds on the success of the original S.A.F.E. program and helps forge a connection between fire departments and a variety of senior support agencies working in their communities.