Wellesley Awarded Fire Safety Education Funds

Boston – Senator Richard Ross (R-Wrentham), Senator Cynthia Stone Creem (D-Newton) and Representative Alice Hanlon Peisch (D-Wellesley) are pleased to announce that Wellesley has been awarded $4,686 and $3,018 in grant funding through the Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) and Senior SAFE Programs, respectively, for the 2014 fiscal year. The funding will support fire safety education programs for students and seniors in Wellesley.

“The S.A.F.E. Program has a longstanding history of success in educating Massachusetts children about fire safety and prevention,” said Senator Ross. “With the creation of the Senior SAFE Program, I hope that we are able to build upon that success and reach new populations with a high risk of fire-related injury and death.”

“This important program has educated children and reduced accidental fires in our community,” said Senator Creem. “By expanding the program and educating vulnerable seniors about fire and safety risks, including from tobacco products (the leading cause of fire deaths), we can reduce dangerous situations.”

“The S.A.F.E. Program is a valuable tool to equip students and now seniors with the skills to recognize the dangers that fire hazards pose. Utilizing firefighters to teach fire safety reinforces a strong sense of community,” said Representative Peisch.

The S.A.F.E. Program provides local fire departments with the resources to lead fire and life safety educations in local schools. Firefighters work closely with classroom teachers to teach age-appropriate fire safety lessons to students. Lessons focus on key behaviors, including Stop, Drop, and Roll; Crawl Low under Smoke; and Kitchen Safety, among others. In FY2014, the program will expand to include senior fire prevention training. The program will focus on educating seniors on fire prevention, general home safety, and how to be better prepared in case of a fire.

Since the S.A.F.E. Program was created in 1995, the average annual number of child fire deaths has been reduced by 70%, falling from an average of 18 deaths per year to 5.5 deaths per year. Also during that time, 259 children have been recognized as ‘Young Heroes’ for utilizing the fire and life safety lessons they learned in the classroom in real life emergencies. The Department of Fire Services is looking forward to seeing similar positive results for the Senior SAFE Program.

Please contact the office of Senator Ross with any questions or concerns at (617) 722-1555 or Richard.Ross@masenate.gov.