Press Release: 4/29/2026
Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Nearly $2M in Fire Safety Grants
Programs Deliver Life-Saving Information to Children and Seniors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
4/28/2026
MEDIA CONTACT
Jake Wark, Public Information Officer
Phone
Call Jake Wark, Public Information Officer at (978) 567-3189
Online
Email Jake Wark, Public Information Officer at jake.wark@mass.gov
STOW — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced $1.9 million in grants that will help 229 local fire departments deliver vital life safety education to school-aged children and older adults.
The grants represent two longstanding fire safety programs coordinated by the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. The Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) program sends firefighter-educators into schools to deliver clear, consistent lessons to young people, while the Senior SAFE program is geared toward older adults and delivered through senior centers, councils on aging, and home visits.
“No family should have to experience the tragedy of a preventable fire,” said Governor Maura Healey. “That’s why we’re making sure kids, families, and older adults across Massachusetts have the knowledge and support they need to stay safe at home — working with the firefighters they know and trust. We’re proud to deliver this support to nearly 230 communities and help protect families across our state.”
“We know that education and prevention save lives,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. The SAFE program has helped drive down child fire deaths for decades, and we’re building on that success by reaching more families and older adults across Massachusetts. This is how we prevent tragedies and keep our communities safe.”
“Older adults face the highest risk of fire-related injury or death in the home,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina K. Kwon. “The Senior SAFE grants help firefighters reach residents with critical fire and fall prevention education, smoke and carbon monoxide alarm installations, and home safety assessments that save lives and help make communities safer across Massachusetts.”
“Any firefighter will tell you that we’d rather prevent a fire than fight one,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “And we’d much rather fight a fire than respond after a tragedy. The SAFE and Senior SAFE grants are geared toward prevention, but they also help kids and seniors recognize the steps to surviving a fire at home.”
The SAFE program was launched in the mid-1990s after child fire fatalities climbed into the dozens each year. Since then, Massachusetts has experienced some of the lowest numbers on record – including two straight years with none at all. In 2014, the Senior SAFE program was developed to reach older adults, who now account for about half of each year’s fire deaths in Massachusetts and across the nation.
This year’s awards exceed last year’s by about $300,000. Fire departments in 215 cities and towns will share nearly $1.3 million in SAFE funding, while 226 departments will share about $610,000 in Senior SAFE funding. A complete list of recipients and awards is below:
| Community | SAFE Award | Senior SAFE Award |
|---|---|---|
| Town of Abington | $7,103.34 | $0.00 |
| Town of Acton | $6,414.68 | $2,726.13 |
| Town of Acushnet | $4,665.58 | $2,224.27 |
| City of Amesbury | $6,727.92 | $2,859.19 |
| Town of Amherst | $7,989.41 | $2,685.76 |
| Town of Arlington | $0.00 | $1,971.97 |
| Town of Ashburnham | $5,785.70 | $2,646.89 |
| Town of Ashby | $0.00 | $2,075.25 |
| Town of Ashfield | $4,723.31 | $2,404.60 |
| Town of Ashland | $5,782.69 | $2,504.05 |
| City of Attleboro | $4,980.51 | $1,992.20 |
| Town of Auburn | $7,381.58 | $3,069.04 |
| Town of Avon | $3,422.98 | $1,747.50 |
| Town of Ayer | $5,737.47 | $2,622.84 |
| Barnstable Fire District* | $11,000.00 | $5,600.00 |
| Town of Barre | $6,858.46 | $3,135.30 |
| Town of Bedford | $5,039.93 | $2,303.92 |
| Town of Belchertown** | $10,440.41 | $4,794.92 |
| Town of Bellingham | $6,571.58 | $2,783.23 |
| Town of Belmont | $5,532.19 | $2,351.07 |
| Town of Berkley | $6,468.73 | $2,956.57 |
| Town of Berlin | $3,830.70 | $2,004.01 |
| City of Beverly | $9,500.00 | $3,063.92 |
| Town of Billerica | $8,428.91 | $3,371.56 |
| Town of Bourne | $6,753.03 | $2,867.96 |
| Town of Boxborough | $5,787.15 | $2,645.62 |
| Town of Boxford | $5,154.87 | $2,364.59 |
| Town of Boylston | $5,095.09 | $2,593.92 |
| Town of Braintree | $0.00 | $3,782.65 |
| Town of Brewster | $5,397.17 | $1,876.36 |
| Town of Bridgewater | $7,069.56 | $3,004.56 |
| City of Brockton | $12,500.00 | $4,600.00 |
| Town of Brookfield | $5,173.49 | $2,633.78 |
| Town of Brookline | $8,037.06 | $3,060.67 |
| Town of Burlington | $5,558.54 | $2,363.28 |
| City of Cambridge | $9,800.60 | $3,606.43 |
| Town of Canton | $7,457.10 | $3,222.36 |
| Town of Carver | $6,795.50 | $3,107.61 |
| COMM Fire District | $5,275.71 | $2,242.22 |
| Town of Charlton | $5,089.78 | $2,326.76 |
| Town of Chatham | $6,745.88 | $3,076.54 |
| Town of Chelsea | $5,386.21 | $2,154.48 |
| City of Chicopee | $9,407.36 | $3,591.95 |
| Town of Cohasset | $7,000.00 | $3,200.00 |
| Town of Concord | $7,126.35 | $3,024.65 |
| Cotuit Fire District | $0.00 | $1,987.87 |
| Dartmouth Fire District 1 | $5,865.90 | $2,671.41 |
| Dartmouth Fire District 3 | $5,685.08 | $2,734.89 |
| Town of Dighton | $6,136.04 | $2,805.05 |
| Town of Dover | $1,500.00 | $2,109.88 |
| Town of Dracut | $7,880.43 | $3,154.52 |
| Town of Dudley | $5,057.38 | $2,307.85 |
| Town of Duxbury | $0.00 | $1,642.12 |
| Town of East Bridgewater | $6,011.49 | $2,748.11 |
| Town of East Longmeadow | $6,044.65 | $2,568.98 |
| Town of Eastham | $6,363.95 | $2,872.59 |
| City of Easthampton | $4,905.86 | $2,084.99 |
| Town of Easton | $7,603.94 | $3,238.12 |
| City of Everett | $9,500.00 | $3,800.00 |
| Town of Fairhaven | $8,000.00 | $3,400.00 |
| City of Fall River | $11,535.51 | $4,245.07 |
| Town of Falmouth | $9,368.65 | $3,793.91 |
| City of Fitchburg | $9,104.33 | $3,641.88 |
| Town of Foxborough | $7,809.77 | $3,319.15 |
| City of Framingham | $9,407.48 | $3,591.95 |
| Town of Franklin | $9,366.77 | $3,750.21 |
| Town of Freetown | $6,519.03 | $2,984.45 |
| City of Gardner | $6,300.88 | $2,558.16 |
| Town of Georgetown | $0.00 | $1,507.85 |
| City of Gloucester | $7,125.20 | $3,028.66 |
| Town of Goshen | $5,500.00 | $2,800.00 |
| Town of Granby | $4,716.11 | $2,155.94 |
| City of Greenfield | $7,637.09 | $3,231.85 |
| Town of Groton | $0.00 | $2,036.68 |
| Town of Hadley | $0.00 | $2,688.35 |
| Town of Halifax | $4,915.07 | $2,460.86 |
| Town of Hamilton | $6,134.64 | $2,802.23 |
| Town of Hanover | $4,477.34 | $2,049.37 |
| Town of Hanson | $6,758.82 | $3,089.75 |
| Town of Harvard | $4,973.37 | $2,547.42 |
| Town of Harwich | $6,385.15 | $2,918.93 |
| City of Haverhill | $9,485.42 | $3,621.61 |
| Town of Hingham | $6,007.00 | $2,134.55 |
| Town of Holbrook | $2,924.20 | $1,754.20 |
| Town of Holden | $4,108.71 | $1,746.20 |
| Town of Holliston | $5,388.71 | $2,463.41 |
| City of Holyoke | $9,500.00 | $3,800.00 |
| Town of Hopkinton | $1,123.77 | $2,052.80 |
| Town of Hudson | $6,414.45 | $2,725.69 |
| Town of Hull | $5,236.63 | $2,357.66 |
| Hyannis Fire District | $6,269.86 | $2,833.86 |
| Town of Ipswich | $6,381.32 | $2,945.11 |
| Town of Kingston | $4,937.98 | $2,234.36 |
| Town of Lakeville | $5,866.86 | $2,689.42 |
| Town of Lancaster | $5,637.15 | $2,576.86 |
| City of Lawrence | $10,933.13 | $4,168.38 |
| Town of Lee | $1,495.33 | $2,890.59 |
| Town of Leicester | $5,381.78 | $2,447.26 |
| City of Leominster | $6,873.75 | $2,749.12 |
| Town of Leverett*** | $0.00 | $3,361.94 |
| Town of Lincoln | $4,350.82 | $2,440.69 |
| Town of Littleton | $4,990.14 | $2,281.20 |
| Town of Longmeadow | $8,000.00 | $3,400.00 |
| City of Lowell | $7,325.36 | $3,294.87 |
| Town of Ludlow | $7,240.38 | $3,077.16 |
| Town of Lunenburg | $5,114.24 | $2,337.82 |
| Town of Lynnfield | $4,965.22 | $2,269.82 |
| City of Malden | $10,542.71 | $4,025.40 |
| Town of Mansfield | $7,523.38 | $3,196.18 |
| Town of Marblehead | $7,634.98 | $3,240.93 |
| Town of Marion | $5,996.31 | $2,815.16 |
| City of Marlborough | $5,920.47 | $2,368.94 |
| Town of Marshfield | $7,866.63 | $3,343.18 |
| Town of Mashpee | $6,443.23 | $2,738.37 |
| Town of Mattapoisett | $6,509.71 | $2,975.87 |
| Town of Medfield | $6,414.43 | $2,919.58 |
| City of Medford | $8,017.10 | $0.00 |
| Town of Medway | $4,342.45 | $1,985.12 |
| Town of Mendon | $1,156.44 | $823.18 |
| City of Methuen | $11,000.00 | $4,200.00 |
| Town of Middleborough | $6,117.62 | $2,579.52 |
| Town of Middleton | $6,924.89 | $3,162.57 |
| Town of Milford | $7,110.27 | $2,844.16 |
| Town of Millis | $7,000.00 | $3,200.00 |
| Town of Millville | $1,443.26 | $0.00 |
| Town of Milton | $4,763.51 | $2,024.49 |
| Town of Monson | $6,403.20 | $2,916.78 |
| Town of Nantucket | $1,504.26 | $371.11 |
| Town of Natick | $8,579.85 | $3,392.03 |
| Town of Needham | $1,500.00 | $3,800.00 |
| City of New Bedford | $11,046.19 | $4,065.00 |
| Town of New Salem**** | $399.28 | $4,330.90 |
| City of Newton | $0.00 | $3,275.15 |
| Town of Norfolk | $4,965.13 | $2,259.28 |
| City of North Adams | $6,824.24 | $3,119.27 |
| Town of North Andover | $6,368.29 | $1,676.30 |
| Town of North Attleborough | $8,766.85 | $3,489.30 |
| Town of North Brookfield | $5,212.36 | $2,653.37 |
| Town of North Reading | $6,367.69 | $2,714.17 |
| City of Northampton | $6,471.69 | $2,713.59 |
| Town of Northbridge | $5,335.81 | $2,036.29 |
| Town of Norton | $4,529.06 | $2,169.33 |
| Town of Norwell | $5,936.30 | $2,713.94 |
| Town of Norwood | $8,709.28 | $3,487.76 |
| Town of Oak Bluffs | $5,687.29 | $2,645.62 |
| Town of Oxford | $7,000.00 | $3,200.00 |
| Palmer Fire District No. 1 | $5,837.11 | $2,668.39 |
| Town of Paxton | $5,879.65 | $2,700.62 |
| City of Peabody | $10,793.13 | $4,129.04 |
| City of Pittsfield | $6,670.90 | $2,668.36 |
| Town of Plainville | $6,036.40 | $2,759.50 |
| Town of Plymouth | $10,999.78 | $4,190.15 |
| Town of Plympton | $4,566.73 | $1,412.75 |
| City of Quincy | $9,884.09 | $3,655.55 |
| Town of Randolph | $7,076.60 | $2,830.64 |
| Town of Raynham | $6,698.26 | $2,842.41 |
| City of Revere | $8,076.46 | $3,083.50 |
| Town of Rockland | $7,490.15 | $3,184.46 |
| Town of Rowley | $7,000.00 | $3,200.00 |
| Town of Rutland | $2,096.61 | $1,578.11 |
| City of Salem | $9,375.53 | $3,750.21 |
| Town of Salisbury | $5,715.09 | $2,819.52 |
| Town of Sandwich | $0.00 | $2,998.47 |
| Town of Saugus | $6,238.87 | $2,639.12 |
| Town of Scituate | $7,183.26 | $3,052.65 |
| Town of Seekonk | $5,304.44 | $2,254.38 |
| Town of Sharon | $4,960.61 | $2,090.65 |
| Shelburne Fire District***** | $6,545.94 | $8,222.34 |
| Town of Sherborn | $1,480.08 | $386.22 |
| Town of Shirley | $4,764.57 | $2,169.86 |
| Town of Somerset | $6,393.23 | $2,738.37 |
| City of Somerville | $11,000.00 | $4,200.00 |
| South Deerfield Fire District | $4,605.87 | $2,344.81 |
| South Hadley Fire District 2 | $6,360.24 | $2,907.54 |
| Town of Southampton | $5,147.65 | $2,624.07 |
| Town of Southborough | $2,163.09 | $2,543.13 |
| Town of Southbridge | $4,744.46 | $2,022.11 |
| Town of Southwick | $6,989.10 | $3,156.89 |
| Town of Spencer | $5,762.38 | $2,634.23 |
| Town of Sterling | $5,954.01 | $2,724.65 |
| Town of Stoneham | $6,158.53 | $2,617.37 |
| Town of Stoughton | $4,127.70 | $2,333.19 |
| Town of Sturbridge | $0.00 | $2,747.97 |
| Town of Sudbury | $6,300.48 | $2,677.87 |
| Town of Sutton | $6,036.40 | $2,759.50 |
| City of Taunton | $9,016.02 | $3,442.48 |
| Town of Templeton | $5,954.25 | $2,704.22 |
| Town of Tewksbury | $8,530.33 | $3,412.13 |
| Town of Topsfield | $6,336.60 | $2,928.67 |
| Town of Townsend | $4,307.51 | $1,973.39 |
| Turners Falls Fire District | $0.00 | $2,087.18 |
| Town of Tyngsborough | $1,688.98 | $610.31 |
| Town of Uxbridge | $5,412.79 | $2,460.32 |
| Town of Wakefield | $4,848.52 | $2,060.66 |
| Town of Walpole | $5,672.79 | $2,347.28 |
| City of Waltham | $0.00 | $4,200.00 |
| Town of Ware | $6,172.22 | $2,821.66 |
| City of Watertown | $7,414.68 | $2,965.87 |
| Town of Wayland | $5,995.22 | $2,746.00 |
| Town of Webster | $5,587.41 | $2,368.79 |
| Town of Wellesley | $6,151.54 | $2,613.93 |
| Town of West Boylston | $4,577.03 | $2,189.58 |
| Town of West Bridgewater | $6,036.40 | $2,759.46 |
| Town of West Springfield | $7,999.45 | $3,399.86 |
| Town of West Tisbury | $1,500.00 | $2,676.73 |
| City of Westfield | $8,529.04 | $3,412.13 |
| Town of Westford | $6,555.46 | $2,753.62 |
| Town of Westhampton | $1,485.75 | $2,072.04 |
| Town of Westminster | $1,459.90 | $1,740.36 |
| Town of Weston | $5,288.69 | $2,417.75 |
| Town of Westport | $6,727.92 | $2,859.37 |
| Town of Weymouth | $9,759.79 | $3,726.47 |
| Town of Whitman | $7,148.88 | $3,029.52 |
| Town of Wilbraham****** | $9,966.42 | $5,363.10 |
| Town of Wilmington | $6,357.82 | $2,702.07 |
| Town of Winchendon | $4,438.89 | $2,030.63 |
| City of Woburn | $8,969.84 | $3,587.93 |
| Town of Worthington | $0.00 | $1,887.24 |
| Town of Wrentham | $2,101.34 | $2,492.78 |
| Town of Yarmouth | $5,476.40 | $2,383.74 |
| TOTAL | $1,289,758.11 | $610,241.89 |
| Community | SAFE Award | Senior SAFE Award |
|---|
*Regional award with the West Barnstable Fire District
**Regional award with the Town of Pelham
***Regional award with the Town of Shutesbury
****Regional award with the Town of Wendell
*****Regional award with the Buckland Fire District, Shelburne Falls Fire District, Town of Colrain, and Town of Heath
******Regional award with the Town of Hampden