Grants Help Fund Fire Education Programs

NORTH READING, MA - A state grant will help fund fire prevention and education programs for children and seniors in North Reading.

House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) announced this week that North Reading has been awarded $6,953 in grant funding by the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Department of Fire Services for the Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) and Senior SAFE programs for Fiscal Year 2016.

The North Reading Fire Department will receive $4,237 for the S.A.F.E. program, which teaches students in grades K-12 about the dangers of smoking and other fire safety hazards. The department will also receive a $2,716 grant for the Senior SAFE program, which educates seniors on the topics of fire prevention, general home safety and how to be better prepared in the event of a fire.

“The S.A.F.E. program and the Senior SAFE program have proven to be highly effective in promoting the importance of fire safety education among our children and our seniors to help prevent fire-related tragedies,” said Jones. “I am proud to support this important program, and I know that the town of North Reading will put this grant money to good use.”

“The Legislature supports the S.A.F.E. program because it gets results, the kind that saves lives and prevent tragedies,” said Tarr. “I am sure that the funding will help serve the children in North Reading well because the lessons, taught by firefighters, will last a lifetime.”

Since the creation of the S.A.F.E. program 21 years ago, average annual child fire deaths have been reduced by 70 percent. The program was expanded three years ago to include fire prevention training for seniors, who are among the most vulnerable populations at risk of fire-related deaths.

“S.A.F.E. is an example of the many successful and valuable programs that the legislature and the governor support on behalf of the citizens of the Commonwealth,” said State Fire Marshal Stephen D. Coan. “We are thankful to the legislature for their support of these vital programs, and thankful for expanding S.A.F.E. to include older adult fire prevention education. Additionally, we appreciate and applaud the continued efforts of local fire departments to maintain the highest level of service and professionalism to their communities.”