Needham Awarded Fire Safety Education Funds

Boston – Senator Richard Ross (R-Wrentham), Senator Michael F. Rush (D-West Roxbury) and Representative Denise C. Garlick (D-Needham) are pleased to announce that Needham has been awarded $4,686 in grant funding through the Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) Program for the 2014 fiscal year. The funding will support fire safety education programs for students in Needham.

“The S.A.F.E. Program has a longstanding history of success in educating Massachusetts children about fire safety and prevention,” said Senator Ross. “Students are able to learn fundamental lessons on how to protect themselves during an emergency.”

“It is extremely important to educate our children on Fire Safety Awareness and Prevention.” said Senator Mike Rush. “Funding for the S.A.F.E program is extremely beneficial both inside and outside of the classroom.”

“I am pleased that the S.A.F.E. Program will provide the Needham Fire Department with resources to lead fire and life safety educations our local schools” said Rep. Garlick.

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.

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.

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