North Reading Fire Dept. Earns Grant For Student, Senior Programs

NORTH READING, MA — The North Reading Fire Department was awarded over $6,000 in grants to fund programs for students and seniors about fire safety and education.

The department was awarded $4,692 for the Fiscal Year 2021 Student Awareness of Fire Education, or S.A.F.E. Program, and $2,480 for the Senior SAFE Program by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services.

“We are grateful to receive this funding to continue our work educating our residents on fire safety and prevention practices,” North Reading Fire Chief Don Stats said. “This program is important way to give students and seniors in the community the information and resources they need to protect themselves and their loved ones.”

Funding for the programs allows for specially trained fire educators to work with classroom teachers and seniors to deliver age-appropriate lessons on fire and life safety.

The average number of children who die in fires each year in Massachusetts has dropped 78 percent since the program started compared to a similar time frame before it started, according to the state’s Department of Fire Services, which administers the two programs.