EAST LONGMEADOW — The town of East Longmeadow was recently awarded $8,100 to support the Fire Department’s safety awareness programs Student Awareness of Fire Education and Senior Awareness of Fire Education, the department said.
The Student Awareness of Fire Education — SAFE — program allows students to receive age-appropriate educational presentations on fire safety in their classrooms each year, Deputy Fire Chief Christopher Beecher told Reminder Publishing.
The presentations are run by educators from the Fire Department in partnership with the School Department. They cover topics such as educating students on firefighters’ equipment to electrical safety, Beecher said. Within the grant, $5,700 will financially support the presentations as well as educational materials needed for the presentations.
While the East Longmeadow SAFE program currently supports presentations in pre-K through grade 5, there are plans to expand this offering to older students, Beecher explained. He stated that young students are the “greatest outreach tool,” as they can share the information with their families.
The remaining $2,400 of the grant will support the Senior SAFE program. Offered to residents 60 and older, this program is organized through work with the Council on Aging and Housing Authority, Beecher stated. Educators from the Fire Department offer presentations that focus on topics such as cooking safety, information on fall hazards and oxygen use safety.
The SAFE and Senior SAFE programs began in 1995 and 2014, respectively, through a state initiative to increase knowledge of fire safety, according to the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. In its initial years, the SAFE program was supported by funds from the tax on tobacco products.
East Longmeadow has been applying and has received funding for the SAFE programs since the programs began, Beecher said. The programs are completely funded through the grants and do not require any matched funds from the town, he explained.
In addition to the student and senior programs, Beecher highlighted that the fire department educators also offers the program by request to private groups and youth organizations. He emphasized that the department looks for any opportunity to share the safety information.
To learn more about the SAFE and Senior SAFE programs or to request a presentation, contact the East Longmeadow Fire Department at 413-525-5430 and ask to speak with Beecher.
