Programs
S.A.F.E. - The Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E) Program provides grants to local fire departments to work with classroom teachers to teach fire and life safety to kids.
Senior SAFE - The Senior SAFE Program provides grants to local fire departments to support fire and life safety education to seniors, who are at the highest risk of dying in fire in the Commonwealth.
Annual Public Fire and Life Safety Education Conference - The Massachusetts Public Fire and Life Safety Education Conference brings together fire and life safety educators from across the state and the nation to share best practices, techniques, and innovations in educating the public about fire and life safety.
Fire Prevention Week - Each October, the NFPA sponsors Fire Prevention Week to raise awareness about fire safety and to promote fire safety information. Visit the DFS Fire Prevention Week page for more information and resources.
Arson Watch Reward Program Poster Contest - This annual contest is sponsored by the Property and Casualty Insurance Companies of MA and RI. Each year, students are invited to submit entries based on a fire prevention message.
Fire Station Tours - Fire station tours are great opportunities to teach fire safety to the public. Planning for tours contributes to making them effective tools for teaching. Learn more about how to lead effective fire station tours.
YouTubeTM High School Burn Awareness Video Contest - This annual contest challenges 9 - 12th grade students to create videos that promote burn safety. The contest is co-sponsored by the Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (MPIUA) and the Massachusetts Association of Safety and Fire Educators (MaSAFE) to promote burn safety and more.
DFS Fire Safety Education Flyers - DFS creates and maintains a comprehensive set of fire safety handouts on a wide range of topics. The handouts can be used and shared with seniors, students, and the public. Many of the handouts are available in a variety of languages.
Emergency Shelter Fire Safety - Flyers in 8 languages are on this page. You can also find them on the DFS Fire Safety Education Flyers page.
S.A.F.E. Teaching Tools
FY23 SAFE Grant PowerPoint Tutorial - a PowerPoint presentation on how to apply to both the S.A.F.E and Senior S.A.F.E grant, with helpful tips and strategies.
S.A.F.E. Teaching Tools - The Curriculum Planning Guidebook, S.A.F.E. 3rd, 6th, and 10th grade Student Evaluations, and S.A.F.E. Teacher Evaluations provide all the materials for teaching and evaluating your S.A.F.E. programs.
Educational Resources to Borrow
DFS has equipment that you can borrow to use in your public education offerings. To borrow this equipment, contact the DFS Public Education Coordinator at 978-567-3381, or Vicky Giguere.
- Hazard House - Use this prop to teach how to turn a hazardous house into a safer home.
- Cooking Hazard Prop - Use this prop to teach kitchen fire safety. The prop looks like a real stove. It draws people into conversations about cooking and burn safety. You can also practice using lids to put out stove top fires. Visit the manufacturer's website for a demonstration of the prop.
- Junior Fire Gear - Boots, pants with red suspenders, jackets and air packs in a variety of children's sizes.
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Sparky® the Fire Dog
Includes paws, head with fan, and kool-pak. Each fire department supplies clean bunker gear, boots and a volunteer.
Please help us use the Sparky equipment properly:- Keep the head and paws in the packing box during transport. Do not put food or other items in the box that could spill or leave an odor on the costume.
- Please check out the equipment when you accept it for use. Note if anything is dirty or in need of repair. If there is damage to Sparky, contact the DFS Public Education Coordinator at 978-567-3381.
- If the paws get dirty, please wash them in cold water with Woolite®, either alone or with white clothing. Line dry and use a brush to fluff the nap.
- Always wear clean turnout gear, including boots, for the health and safety of children.
- Even when the fan is functioning properly, Sparky's head can get hot and heavy, even on cool days. Take breaks as needed.
- Please air out the Sparky gear before returning it to the box. If you have a head cold or allergies, use a little Lysol spray as a courtesy to the next volunteer.
- The Kool Vest can be used indoors or out, regardless of season. Freeze the inserts for at least 8 hours prior to use. Keep the insert cool until you are ready to put the vest on. Before packing the inserts in the box, please thaw and dry them completely.
- Combined Sprinkler Demonstration Trailer /Fire Safety House - A burn prop to use for large gatherings to teach about sprinkler use, home escape planning and more.
- Side-By-Side Sprinkler Trailer - A burn prop to use for large gatherings to compare the effectiveness of homes with and without sprinklers in a fire. This is a dramatic demonstration of how sprinklers buy time to escape a fire and minimize damage.
- DFS Library For Public Educators - We have books, DVDs, and curricula for fire and life safety educators to borrow and use to teach all audiences and levels. Contact the DFS Public Education Coordinator at 978-567-3381 to learn more about, and reserve, these resources.
District Fire Safety Houses are available from 15 locations around Massachusetts - Use with large gatherings to teach all aspects of fire safety and prevention. Contact the districts to reserve the prop. Fire Safety Houses by District and contact information for scheduling use.
Public Awareness Campaign Toolkits
The Department of Fire Services has several public awareness campaigns to promote fire and life safety. The campaigns each come with toolkits for local fire departments and fire and life safety educators. The campaigns address important fire safety issues and are designed to help people learn to keep themselves and their families safe from fire. It is important for us to communicate a consistent and accurate message about fire safety.
- Keep Warm, Keep Safe (winter home heating safety)
- Cooking
- Smoke Alarms
- Breathe Easy: Home Oxygen Fire Safety