THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, February 7, 2020 Page 9 State awards two public fire education grants to Saugus Fire Department S augus is among 248 municipal fire departments that will receive nearly $2 million in grants to fund fire safety programs geared toward children and older adults across Massachusetts. Saugus will receive $4,565 for Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) and $2,552 in Senior SAFE grants. “Since 1995, the SAFE program has brought fire educaASKS | from page 7 have to go over any hostile terrain. Q: What did it cost? A: It was expensive. It was in the thousands, but it was worth it. Q: What’s so special about the conference? A: This was the first technical conference in Antarctica. One of the speakers was eight years old. One of the speakers was one of the developers of GPS. Q: Were there any harrowing moments in the journey? A: The storm that drove us off the deck was pretty rough, and there were 30-foot waves. I run 5K a day. I planned on running tion to hundreds of thousands of students in the Commonwealth,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “This program allows firefighters and teachers to work together to provide fire and life safety education to young people.” The average number of children dying in fires annually has dropped by 76 percent since the SAFE program began. The Senior SAFE program is in its on the ship deck. I ran a couple of times. And a lot of times I did not because I didn’t want to be swept off the ship by a big wave. Q: Were there concerns about icebergs or floating ice? A: They picked up ice pilots in Chile who are familiar with the area. There were some areas that were tight; some of the passages were very narrow. They don’t do these cruises in the area very often. They had stopped doing them about 10 years ago, and as far as I know, this is the second one since they have restarted. It’s not clear how long they will continue doing them, as they are ASKS | SEE PAGE 11 sixth year, providing firefighters with the funding to deliver fire safety education to another vulnerable population – seniors. “Home visits, smoke and CO alarm installations, and fire safety presentations at senior centers by firefighters with senior agencies help older adults develop strategies to stay safe at home for longer,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said, “The SAFE and Senior SAFE programs are successful because we have trained firefighters who deliver education to children and older adults. The fire departments being supported in these public education efforts are increasing the safety of the people in their communities.” The SAFE program provides $1.2 million through the Executive Office of the Public Safety and Security to local fire departments. The Senior SAFE program provides $600,000 in grant funds from fees paid by tobacco companies to the Fire Standard Compliant Cigarette Program to ensure their products meet the fire safety requirements to be sold in Massachusetts. The programs are administered by the state’s Department of Fire Services. HAZARDOUS WATER CONDITIONS: Navigators through the waters of Antarctica always have to keep an eye out for icebergs and floating ice. (Courtesy Photo by Eric W. Brown to The Saugus Advocate)
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