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Date: 3/2/2021
EASTHAMPTON – The Easthampton Fire Department was recently awarded fire safety grants to assist students and seniors in the community.
The city received $5,281 in Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) and $2,680 in Senior SAFE grant money through the Executive Office of Public Safety.
Fire Chief Christopher Norris explained that each year, these grants are awarded and every interested department with an established public education program can apply. Awards are typically based on the population that they serve.
“Those are great grants that all the fire departments in my district received to be able to work with the community and make sure folks are educated and aware of the dangers of fire,” added state Rep. Daniel Carey, who also represents South Hadley and Granby’s Precinct 2.
The student and senior SAFE programs allow trained firefighters to teach fire safety to students and senior citizens. Norris said the Easthampton Fire Department has five firefighters that are trained to go out and do these public education programs.
Norris told Reminder Publishing that firefighters become eligible after taking a 40-hour program called public and life safety educator program delivered by the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy.
“This certainly allows us to enhance and expand our public outreach and education in the community. If it was not for these grants it would be really challenging, particularly dealing with some of the financial challenges communities are facing with COVID. These grants really help offset that financial burden that the community otherwise would have had to assume,” said Norris.
Norris shared that they try to go into the schools three to four times a year and teach a new module every time.
Modules range from the stop, drop, cover, and roll technique, the importance of crawl and low under smoke, and teaching the children how important it is that once they get out to stay out and talk about a special meeting place to meet with family and loved ones.
“Each time we go into these classrooms or assembly-style format, we typically won’t do more than a half-hour at a time. It is always different depending on the age group. Usually the younger age groups, it is a shorter module because of their attention span, you need to keep on changing what they are being taught whereas with the older students, we can capture them a little longer,” Norris said.
Norris explained they are currently in a holding pattern in terms of how they will administer their outreach to students.
He stated that they may be able to teach their modules outside in smaller groups leading a show-and-tell type of teaching. He gave an example of them being able to bring their fire truck with them into the parking lot of the school. Norris also mentioned that there are ways they could move to an online, remote format to teach the students.
Norris has reached out to the Easthampton Council on Aging (ECOA) director and Norris’s vision is to start off coordinating the program with ECOA.
He noted that the firefighters could host some classes at the center in a small group format or outside if the weather is nice enough.
“We could also embed our teachings and other programs that are already being delivered by the Council on Aging. For example, if we wanted to get the message out about the importance of slips and fall hazards, we might be able to collaborate with the Council on Aging to deliver it with other activities they already have scheduled,” Norris said.