STUDENT AWARENESS OF FIRE EDUCATION
COORDINATOR- LIEUTENANT RICK PHILLIPS
What is S.A.F.E.?
The Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) Program is a grant program to local fire departments designed to put trained firefighter-educators in the classroom to conduct fire safety education programs in grades Pre-K through 12. The primary mission is to enable students to recognize the dangers of fire and more specifically, the fire hazards that tobacco products pose. Through the S.A.F.E. program, firefighters are trained as public educators to deliver age-appropriate fire and life safety lessons in close coordination with classroom teachers and health educators.
How is S.A.F.E. Funded?
The S.A.F.E. Program has been in existence since FY'96. During the first seven years, S.A.F.E. was funded by the tobacco tax, better known as the Health Protection Fund, because smoking is the leading cause of fire deaths. It is currently funded by a state appropriation from general revenue funds distributed by the Executive Office of Public Safety, and all program grants are awarded using a tier system based on a community's population in the 2000 U.S. Census. In FY'06, 225 fire department shared $1,078,666 in funding.
The Brookfield Fire Department is entering it's 8th year as a grant community and received $2,706.19 in funding for FY-07. While there are specific guidelines regulating how these funds can be expended, (for example: training, overtime, personnel, etc...) all of our funding goes into purchasing age appropriate supplies and materials. All of our training and teaching is continually done on a volunteer basis by our members.
Department of Fire Services Training
The credibility of the S.A.F.E. Program rests on properly training firefighters. The high quality of the fire and life safety education specialist is the foundation of the S.A.F.E. Program. The Massachusetts Firefighting Academy offers a variety of training programs for fire educators, including a weeklong class, Public Fire and Life Safety Educator that is based on the standard set out in the National Fire Protection Association's Standard 1035 Professional Qualifications for Public Fire and Life Safety Educator. In addition, the Public Education Unit in the Office of the State Fire Marshal provides programmatic support to local S.A.F.E. Programs through in-service training, site visits, and technical assistance.
In order to be eligible for grant funding each year, every department must have a Lead S.A.F.E. Educator who has successfully completed the MFA Public Fire and Life Safety Educator class. Because the Brookfield Fire Department meets all of the applicable state requirements, we have received maximum funding in each year.
Partnerships in the Classroom
The S.A.F.E. Program also provides a working partnership among firefighters, classroom teachers, and health educators. Key fire safety behaviors are easily combined with a math, science, language arts, health, or physical education lesson to complement the teacher's classroom curriculum.
Being a small town, fire prevention is taught not only in our schools, but also in our community. Our goal is to build on our efforts of previous. When working with young children in our town, they are exposed to our program at a very young age, and as they grow, their knowledge is used as stepping-stone for further education.
Benefits
*Training children reduces anxiety levels so they are able to react to stressful situations; People fall back on what they have practiced.
*Fire, school, health, and police departments working together to help children survive.
*Firefighter as a role model
*Objectives of the state's Common Core of Learning and Health and Safety Learning Strands of the Department of Education's Health Curriculum Framework are met.
*Fires, burns, and deaths are reduced.
*Reduced medical and health care costs. (It can cost more than $160,000 to treat a burn survivor)
In order to achieve our goals and objectives, all of our meetings within the community will continue to be interactive. We will again conduct workshops at our elementary school, fire station, and community based events; in which appropriate lectures will be given in conjunction with topic specific videos and "hands-on" participation.
Proven Success
The average number of child fire deaths annually in Massachusetts has been cut nearly 60% since the S.A.F.E. Program started, from 16.7 deaths per year to 6.8.
As you can see, this program really does work, and as educators, we looking forward to continue enhancing this program within the Town of Brookfield.
Fire Prevention Week
Fire Prevention Week programs this year were a huge success. Brookfield firefighters spent a day at the Elementary School speaking to students and teachers about fire safety and what they can do to keep themselves and their families safe. Age-appropriate fire prevention literature was distributed and the day was capped off with the fifth graders taking part in the annual kids' muster. Open houses were also held at the station to promote fire safety and to allow the general public to meet their firefighters, ask questions, and see their equipment. Over 400 people visited the station during our Open houses.
STATEWIDE BICYCLE HELMET DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM
The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS), through its Highway Safety Division (HSD), is once again announcing the availability of bicycle helmets for distribution to units of government or not for profit organizations with a public purpose in 2008. The helmet distribution program aims to help reduce bicycle, skateboard, roller-blade, and scooter-related fatalities and injuries. Selection will be based upon grant requirements and distribution will be awarded using a tier system based upon community or service population, estimated 2006 or earlier U.S. census data.
The Brookfield Fire Department it entering it's 7th year as a grant community involving the HSD. We have been awarded the maximum distribution level every year and have outfitted over 300 children at various age levels.
GRANT UPDATE:
Good news, we received confirmation from the HSD, that our grant application was accepted and we will be getting 75 helmets this year! We will be receiving shipment of them starting in late June, so watch for articles in the Brookfield Citizen and the Tantasqua Town Common for distribution dates.
All 75 helmets have been distributed. Thank you for making this program a success!
Watch this site for updates announcing next year's bicycle helmet distribution.
Helmets are free, and are for Brookfield Residents Only.
Helmets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis.
For more information please contact the fire station @ 508-867-7306
or
14c6@charter.net