BROOKLINE — Chief John F. Sullivan is pleased to announce that the Brookline Fire Department has been awarded over $10,000 to support its Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) and Senior SAFE Programs by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.
The Brookline Fire Department will use the money to fund both the department’s fire prevention and education program in the schools and the education program within the senior community. The S.A.F.E. program was awarded $7,860 in state funding, while the Senior S.A.F.E. program received $3,019.
“The ability of our firefighters to work directly with students and seniors to educate them about fire prevention is truly a lifesaving tool,” Chief Sullivan said. “We are grateful for the continued support of the Department of Fire Services for this important work.”
This funding gives fire departments the opportunity to work with students in classrooms and senior residents to give fire and life safety lessons tailored to common issues for each age group. The lessons taught in the school-based program are in line with the standards of both the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Health Curriculum Frameworks and the state Department of Fire Services Curriculum Planning Guidebook.
Twenty-six years after the introduction of the S.A.F.E. program within schools, the rate of annual child fire deaths has decreased by 78%, according to the state’s Department of Fire Services, which created and runs the programs.
The S.A.F.E. and Senior S.A.F.E. Programs give $1.9 million to local fire departments to fund the programs through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
To learn more about the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services’ S.A.F.E. program, click here.
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