Communities develop fire prevention programs through grants
The fire safety efforts of 33 communities throughout the country have been bolstered through the support of federal grants.
The recipients are members of the United States Fire Administration’s National Community Volunteer Fire Prevention Program. This program supports new and existing community action projects for fire awareness, safety, protection, and survival. The projects focus on high-risk populations such as children, the elderly and handicapped, and those living in low-income neighborhoods.
The Browns Plead Repertory Theatre in Dexter, Maine, for example, will videotape a play on fire prevention. List vear, the group presented the play for free at schools throughout the state.
In Tulsa. Oklahoma, the Tulsa Area Chapter of the American Red Cross is in the midst of a fire prevention program geared toward those living in the city’s low-income housing, both children and adults. Efforts to educate children about fire safety include a 14-millimeter videotape, “Captain Casey’s Game Flan for Fire Safety” and a puzzle/coloring book that complements the tape.
Since 1984, about S4 million in federal grants have been distributed through this program, supporting 99 local projects in 29 states and the District of Columbia, according to the USFA.
The Factory Mutual Engineering Committee Against Incendiarism has also recently awarded grants. The eight grants, which total SI3.228, were distributed to public fire services throughout the country.
The Marion County (Fla.) Fire Service will use its S 1,500 grant toward training a dog in accelerent detection. Another recipient, the Noblesville, Indiana Fire Department, received $1,4⅜5 towards the purchase of computer equipment and software that provides direct access to police and state fire marshal records.
The committee considers requests from arson coordinators based at Factory Mutual Engineering district offices.
