 |
|
| Department: | ESFI | |
|---|---|---|
| Type: | News | |
Arlington, VA - The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) has been awarded a prestigious Fire Prevention & Safety Grant (FP&S) from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA) for the second consecutive year. DHS/FEMA yesterday announced the 2009 recipients of the FP&S Grants, which are awarded annually to support fire prevention and safety efforts, prioritizing programs aimed at high-risk populations, such as children and firefighters. Each year, thousands of people in the United States are injured and killed in electrical accidents and fires in and around the home. Lower income families and children tend to be at the highest risk of theses types of accidents due to a lack of electrical safety education. Home fires are a particular concern with children who are often home without proper supervision and the knowledge about what to do when a fire occurs. With the funding provided to ESFI through last year’s FP&S Grant, ESFI teamed up with Scholastic to develop and launch a new electrical safety awareness program delivering critical electrical and fire safety information to children in grades 3–5 of Title I schools . This program features dynamic teaching tools and educational resources, including detailed lesson plans and activities, and is currently being used in more than 15,000 classrooms nationwide. “Teaching children how to stay safe around electricity and prevent electrical and fire hazards will empower them to establish lifelong safety habits,” says ESFI President Brett Brenner. “With the additional support provided by the 2009 Fire Prevention & Safety Grant, ESFI will continue to deliver important electrical safety and fire prevention messaging to schools across the country.” ESFI will launch a new program utilizing educational resources developed with the help of feedback from students and teachers impacted by ESFI’s 2008 Fire Prevention & Safety Grant program. The program will provide teachers with materials they can use each year to incorporate important safety lessons, tips and maintenance reminders for smoke alarms and portable space heaters into their curriculums for students (grades 3-5) of Title I schools. The Fire Prevention and Safety Grants (FP&S) are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG), and are under the purview of the Grant Programs Directorate in the Federal Emergency Management Agency. For more information about the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program and the Fire Prevention & Safety Grants, visit www.firegrantsupport.com. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated exclusively to promoting the importance of electrical safety. ESFI proudly sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May, and engages in public education campaigns throughout the year to increase awareness of the steps that can be taken to prevent electrical fires, injuries, and fatalities in the home, school, and workplace. Visit www.electrical-safety.org to learn more about ESFI and electrical safety. | ||