North Reading Fire Department Awarded $9,081 in State Fire Safety Grants

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) joined with North Reading Fire Chief Donald W. Stats, Jr. this week to announce the North Reading Fire Department has been awarded $9,081.86 in state fire safety grants through the Executive Office of Public Safety & Security’s Department of Fire Services (DFS).

The North Reading Fire Department is receiving $6,367.69 as part of the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) grant program, which focuses on educating school-age children about fire safety, prevention and protection. An additional $2,714.17 in funding is being provided to North Reading under the Senior SAFE program, which supports safety education programs for older adults.

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Created in 1995, the SAFE program is credited as being responsible for an approximately 80% decline in child fire fatalities over the last 31 years. The Senior SAFE program was established in 2014 with a focus on older adults, who are disproportionately at a higher risk of suffering injuries or death due to a home fire.

“The Student Awareness of Fire Educations (SAFE) grants provide the Department crucial funding in the education of elementary-age children in the school system with our school department partners and stakeholders,” said Chief Stats. “The program teaches students to recognize fire dangers and hazards through 23 key fire safety behaviors taught in grade-level appropriate ways. The Senior SAFE program allows the Department to teach fire safety to seniors including hazards from cooking, smoking, home oxygen use and electrical and heating dangers. The program also allows the North Reading Fire Department to test, replace, and/or install new smoke detectors for seniors.”

“The SAFE and Senior SAFE programs have proven to be highly effective in reducing fire-related deaths and injuries across the Commonwealth,” said Representative Jones. “With this grant funding, the North Reading Fire Department will be able to continue delivering critical fire safety messaging and training directly to North Reading’s students and seniors.”

“Education and prevention are powerful tools to prevent fires from starting in the first place, and from causing serious injury or the tragic loss of life if they do,” said Senator Tarr. “The dedicated members of our local fire departments are skilled not only in responding to emergencies, but also in teaching the community how to be safe while raising awareness of specific threats that could cause harm. This grant funding is a significant investment in their efforts, and one that delivers strong dividends of public safety.”

The North Reading Fire Department is one of 229 fire departments across Massachusetts receiving funding for Fiscal Year 2026, with approximately $1.3 million being distributed statewide to 215 cities and towns under the SAFE program and $610,000 to 226 fire departments under the Senior SAFE program.