HARWICH – In 2021 there 4,316 fire related deaths in the Untied States. Our children and our seniors have been identified as high risk, and the Commonwealth developed the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) and Senior SAFE grant programs to assist local fire departments with education and assistance for these two demographics.
Under the direction of Captain Leighanne Smith, the Harwich Fire Department has three personnel trained as life safety educators that work with the schools and the Council on Aging to provide these grant funded programs.
The program is performance based, with each years award being based on successful execution of the previous years program. We are grateful for the assistance from the Commonwealth.
From the Department of Fire Services Website:
The Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) program provides grants to local fire departments to teach fire and life safety to children in schools. The program teaches students to recognize the dangers of fire and the fire hazards of tobacco products through 23 key fire safety behaviors taught in developmentally appropriate ways. Fire and life safety is easy to combine with math, science, language arts and health or physical education lessons, making it easy to collaborate with school teachers. Since the S.A.F.E. program began in 1996, child fire deaths have dropped significantly in Massachusetts.
Senior SAFE is a grant program that supports fire and life safety education for seniors. Seniors have a high risk of dying in a fire. Fire and burns risks for seniors include: cooking, smoking, home oxygen use, and electrical and heating dangers.
Education is key to improving the safety of seniors at home. Senior SAFE creates partnerships between agencies that serve seniors and fire departments. Together, these agencies collaborate on local fire and life safety education programs.
Additional Information:
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/student-awareness-of-fire-education-safe
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/senior-safe-program
