District fire departments awarded $78,000 in grant funding from Department of Fire Services

Funding will go toward SAFE and Senior SAFE programs to teach fire safety

Boston—Dean of the Massachusetts Senate Marc R. Pacheco (D-Taunton) announces that fire departments in the Third Bristol and Plymouth District have been awarded a combined $77,963 in FY24 Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) and Senior SAFE grant funding from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.

The SAFE program provides grants to local fire departments to teach fire and life safety to children in schools, including programs created in collaboration with schoolteachers.

Since the SAFE program began in 1996, child fire deaths have dropped significantly in Massachusetts.

“This grant funding is crucial to educating children on the dangers of fire and providing them with lifesaving safety training they will remember for the rest of their lives,” said Senator Pacheco. “For nearly three decades now, the SAFE program has been proven to save lives and keep children safe.”

The Senior SAFE grant program is for fire departments to teach fire safety to seniors who face fire and burn risks, including cooking, smoking, home oxygen use, and electrical and heating dangers.

Senior SAFE creates partnerships between agencies that serve seniors and fire departments to collaborate on programs and provide services, which can include assisting in the replacement and testing of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, along with installing important safety measures like house numbers, heat-limiting devices on stoves, in-hood stove fire extinguishers, and nightlights.

“Our seniors are among the most at risk of suffering serious or even deadly harm as a result of fire,” said Senator Pacheco. “Senior SAFE not only provides the important fire safety information that our seniors need but also connects them with resources that can ensure their homes are also safe from fire danger.”

Each of the 10 cities and towns in the Third Bristol Plymouth District received funding for both SAFE and Senior SAFE programming, with $54,513 distributed for SAFE and $23,470 for senior SAFE.

Funding amounts by department:
• Department SAFE Senior SAFE
• Town of Berkley $4,700.00 $2,200.00
• Town of Carver $4,447.40 $2,199.98
• Town of Dighton $4,693.31 $2,185.00
• Town of Marion $4,693.49 $2,199.73
• Town of Middleborough $5,698.10 $2,392.59
• Town of Raynham $5,681.64 $2,393.10
• Town of Rehoboth $4,700.00 $2,200.00
• Town of Seekonk $5,700.00 $2,400.00
• City of Taunton $8,500.00 $2,900.00
• Wareham Fire District $5,700.00 $2,400.00
• Total $54,513.94 $23,470.40