ESFI Receives Fire Prevention and Safety Grant

Funds Will Be Used to Expand Children’s Safety Awareness Program

June 21, 2011, Arlington, VA —The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) has been awarded a FY 2010 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA). The award, announced June 17, is the third consecutive FP&S grant awarded to ESFI.

FP&S grants are awarded annually to support projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards. The primary goal is to target high-risk populations in order to reduce injuries and prevent deaths. 

ESFI will utilize the grant funds to develop a new installment of the popular “Investigate with P.I. Plug” safety awareness program for children in grades 3 through 5. These new fire and electrical safety materials, which will highlight hazards unique to the winter holiday season, will help children learn to identify and avoid potential hazards, establishing life-long safe practices.

“Children are one of the most vulnerable demographics in our country, but they can also be incredible advocates for safety,” states ESFI president Brett Brenner. “Empowered by the information learned at school, children are highly likely to share the lessons with their families, thereby extending the reach and impact of the program’s messages well beyond the classroom.”

Distribution of the program materials will focus on the Midwestern and Southern regions of the United States, which experience a greater than average risk of fires, as well as low-income and rural communities throughout the country. ESFI expects to directly impact more than 3.4 million children and their families through the distribution of 114,000 classroom toolkits. Additional content will be available on the ESFI website to ensure program sustainability and expand the potential program audience.

FP&S grants, which are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, 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 FP&S grants, visit www.fema.gov/firegrants.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May to increase public awareness of the electrical hazards around us at home, work, school, and play. ESFI is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety. For more information about ESFI and National Electrical Safety Month, visit www.electrical-safety.org.
 

# # #