Safe Programs

The Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) Program is a state initiative to provide resources to local Fire Departments to conduct fire and life safety education programs in grades Pre-K-12. The mission is to enable students to recognize the dangers of fire and more specifically the fire hazards tobacco products pose.

Key Fire Safety Behaviors
There are 23 Key Fire Safety Behaviors that should be taught in age and developmentally appropriate ways, such as:

• Crawl Low Under Smoke
• Kitchen Fire and Burn Safety
• Making and Practicing Home Escape Plans
• Match and Lighter Safety
• Reporting Fires and Emergencies
• Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Maintenance
• Stop, Drop, and Roll
• And more

Fire and life safety is easily combined with math, science, language arts, health, and physical education lessons. Integration into the existing curriculum topics is essential.

Benefits

• Training children reduces anxiety levels so they are able to react to stressful situations
• Fire, School, Health and Police Departments working together to help children survive
• Family medical and health care cost reductions
• Firefighter as a role model
• Fires, burns, and deaths reduced.

S.A.F.E. Funding

• The careless use and disposal of smoking materials is the single leading cause of fire deaths in the state and in the country.
• Due to the tremendous risk of injury and death in fires started by tobacco products, the legislature appropriated funding from money raised through the cigarette sales tax.
• Voters approved this tax to fund programs aimed at combating tobacco use.