Press Release: 11/9/2026
Healey-Driscoll Administration Awards Nearly $2M in Fire Safety Grants for Kids, Seniors
Programs Include School-Based Life Safety Education, Smoke and CO Alarm Installation
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
11/09/2026
STOW — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced nearly $2 million in grants to hundreds of local fire departments that will deliver vital life safety education to Massachusetts’ most vulnerable residents.
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 specially trained 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.
“Our firefighters do incredible work responding to emergencies, but some of their most important work happens before a fire ever starts,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These grants will help local fire departments teach children and older adults how to prevent fires, respond to emergencies and stay safe at home. We're proud to support the firefighters who are doing this important work every day and helping to keep families safe in communities across Massachusetts.”
“Fire safety education saves lives, and Massachusetts has made real progress in reducing fire-related injuries and deaths,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “For decades, our local firefighters have been working with schools, senior centers and families to share the knowledge and tools that help prevent tragedies. These grants will build on that progress and make sure more residents have the information and resources they need to keep themselves and their loved ones safe.”
“As Massachusetts’ senior population continues to grow, we’re committed to supporting their safety, independence, and well-being,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina K. Kwon.“The Senior SAFE grants deliver that support where it’s needed most – with critical fire and fall prevention education, smoke and carbon monoxide alarm installations, and home safety assessments that save lives and make communities safer.”
“The SAFE and Senior SAFE grants are an investment in safety that pays off every single day,” said State Fire Marshal Davine. “In big cities, small towns, and everywhere in between, Massachusetts firefighters are sharing the educational lessons and practical tools that help residents protect themselves and the people they care for.”
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 and a half 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; they have contributed to a significant decline in the Commonwealth’s per-capita rate of senior fire fatalities.
In all, 244 local fire departments will benefit from the grants, including 10 regional grants that will benefit more than one community. Departments in 239 cities and towns will share $1,237,610.84 million in SAFE funding, while 240 departments will share $562,389.16 in Senior SAFE funding. A complete list of recipients and awards is below:
| Department | SAFE Award | Senior SAFE Award |
|---|---|---|
| Town of Abington | $5,037.68 | $0.00 |
| Town of Acton | $8,000.00 | $3,400.00 |
| Town of Acushnet | $3,793.54 | $1,734.19 |
| Town of Agawam | $4,038.57 | $1,685.94 |
| City of Amesbury | $6,005.89 | $2,552.64 |
| Town of Amherst | $6,135.56 | $2,453.58 |
| Town of Andover | $1,500.00 | $2,064.89 |
| Town of Arlington | $5,510.12 | $2,204.05 |
| Town of Ashburnham | $5,362.21 | $2,451.14 |
| Town of Ashfield* | $4,946.92 | $3,957.54 |
| Town of Ashland | $3,863.23 | $1,646.95 |
| Town of Athol** | $12,496.04 | $5,998.72 |
| City of Attleboro | $2,386.28 | $954.51 |
| Town of Auburn | $7,972.63 | $3,390.82 |
| Town of Avon | $2,903.41 | $1,477.64 |
| Town of Ayer | $5,021.65 | $2,295.61 |
| Barnstable Fire District*** | $11,000.00 | $5,600.00 |
| Town of Bedford | $1,500.00 | $1,914.26 |
| Town of Belchertown**** | $10,212.55 | $4,690.45 |
| Town of Belmont | $5,018.61 | $2,132.94 |
| Town of Berkley | $5,275.67 | $2,411.76 |
| City of Beverly | $6,422.93 | $2,569.17 |
| Town of Billerica | $5,374.89 | $2,149.95 |
| Town of Blackstone | $3,823.78 | $1,748.07 |
| City of Boston | $1,483.50 | $3,024.62 |
| Town of Bourne | $7,998.22 | $3,398.28 |
| Town of Boxborough | $4,037.67 | $1,848.07 |
| Town of Boylston | $5,494.97 | $2,791.94 |
| Town of Braintree | $0.00 | $2,676.41 |
| Town of Brewster | $5,594.61 | $2,557.53 |
| Town of Bridgewater | $5,682.09 | $2,414.89 |
| City of Brockton | $9,945.89 | $3,660.09 |
| Town of Brookfield | $3,547.91 | $1,791.38 |
| Town of Brookline | $5,648.11 | $2,156.55 |
| Town of Burlington | $5,335.45 | $2,260.80 |
| City of Cambridge | $8,653.32 | $3,185.17 |
| Town of Canton | $8,000.00 | $3,400.00 |
| Town of Carver | $2,987.83 | $2,248.84 |
| COMM Fire District | $3,831.44 | $1,628.41 |
| Town of Charlton | $4,304.22 | $1,967.64 |
| Town of Chatham | $6,931.35 | $3,186.04 |
| City of Chicopee | $8,791.52 | $3,356.76 |
| Town of Cohasset | $7,000.00 | $3,200.00 |
| Town of Concord | $5,161.08 | $2,192.14 |
| Town of Danvers | $3,847.11 | $1,649.62 |
| Dartmouth Fire District 1 | $4,350.92 | $1,989.58 |
| Dartmouth Fire District 3 | $5,604.02 | $2,412.82 |
| Town of Dighton | $7,000.00 | $3,200.00 |
| Town of Douglas | $1,479.82 | $2,300.54 |
| Town of Dover | $4,265.45 | $2,303.51 |
| Town of Dracut | $6,297.19 | $2,517.04 |
| Town of Dudley | $3,475.80 | $1,589.56 |
| Town of Duxbury | $2,553.75 | $1,791.64 |
| Town of East Bridgewater | $4,956.88 | $2,266.00 |
| Town of East Longmeadow | $4,079.25 | $1,733.68 |
| Town of Eastham | $5,596.55 | $2,557.00 |
| City of Easthampton | $8,000.00 | $3,400.00 |
| Town of Easton | $8,000.00 | $3,400.00 |
| City of Everett | $6,896.24 | $2,758.50 |
| Town of Fairhaven | $5,559.67 | $2,362.86 |
| City of Fall River | $12,500.00 | $4,600.00 |
| Town of Falmouth | $5,382.59 | $2,151.39 |
| City of Fitchburg | $6,092.99 | $2,435.98 |
| Town of Foxborough | $8,000.00 | $3,400.00 |
| City of Framingham | $8,133.01 | $3,108.59 |
| Town of Franklin | $9,498.34 | $3,799.96 |
| Town of Freetown | $4,921.76 | $2,249.68 |
| City of Gardner | $5,246.51 | $2,229.76 |
| Town of Gill | $3,960.79 | $0.00 |
| City of Gloucester | $5,638.90 | $2,379.49 |
| Town of Goshen | $5,500.00 | $2,800.00 |
| Town of Granby | $2,640.16 | $1,206.93 |
| Town of Great Barrington | $0.00 | $1,587.36 |
| City of Greenfield | $6,441.66 | $2,736.80 |
| Town of Groton | $3,837.18 | $1,754.19 |
| Town of Hadley | $1,481.46 | $2,424.96 |
| Town of Halifax | $4,159.53 | $1,900.52 |
| Town of Hamilton | $0.00 | $1,857.37 |
| Town of Hanover | $3,003.48 | $1,373.02 |
| Town of Hanson | $5,171.12 | $2,363.94 |
| Town of Harvard | $4,167.42 | $2,430.21 |
| Town of Harwich | $5,679.30 | $2,596.25 |
| City of Haverhill | $7,358.79 | $2,809.72 |
| Town of Hingham | $3,621.85 | $1,548.05 |
| Town of Holbrook | $4,345.52 | $1,982.42 |
| Town of Holden | $3,472.81 | $1,475.79 |
| Town of Holliston | $5,245.85 | $2,398.10 |
| City of Holyoke | $9,498.26 | $3,799.80 |
| Town of Hopkinton | $4,904.87 | $2,084.57 |
| Town of Hudson | $5,607.90 | $2,382.89 |
| Town of Hull | $3,959.04 | $1,810.49 |
| Hyannis Fire District | $6,921.24 | $3,142.50 |
| Town of Ipswich | $4,739.43 | $2,165.16 |
| Town of Kingston | $4,652.09 | $2,131.97 |
| City of Lawrence | $8,924.35 | $3,403.88 |
| Town of Lee | $4,855.79 | $2,218.16 |
| Town of Leicester | $4,194.19 | $1,907.23 |
| City of Leominster | $7,724.53 | $3,089.81 |
| Town of Leverett***** | $7,554.51 | $3,845.93 |
| Town of Lexington | $3,752.11 | $1,500.84 |
| Town of Lincoln | $4,127.40 | $1,911.88 |
| Town of Littleton | $5,370.41 | $2,455.04 |
| Town of Longmeadow | $6,186.01 | $2,629.05 |
| Town of Ludlow | $5,240.88 | $2,229.02 |
| Town of Lunenburg | $3,793.45 | $1,733.90 |
| Town of Lynnfield | $4,715.25 | $2,155.54 |
| City of Malden | $8,505.76 | $3,247.65 |
| Town of Manchester-by-the-Sea****** | $2,121.79 | $0.00 |
| Town of Mansfield | $7,993.71 | $3,400.00 |
| Town of Marion | $4,902.73 | $2,245.80 |
| City of Marlborough | $5,543.93 | $2,216.99 |
| Town of Marshfield | $7,999.97 | $3,399.09 |
| Town of Mashpee | $6,100.60 | $2,592.51 |
| Town of Maynard | $4,715.25 | $2,155.54 |
| Town of Medfield | $7,000.00 | $3,200.00 |
| Town of Medway | $7,000.00 | $3,199.99 |
| Town of Mendon | $815.91 | $793.94 |
| City of Methuen | $10,998.16 | $4,200.00 |
| Town of Middleborough | $3,913.84 | $1,659.70 |
| Town of Middleton | $6,998.46 | $3,199.57 |
| Town of Milford | $5,192.33 | $2,076.93 |
| Town of Millis | $7,000.00 | $3,200.00 |
| Town of Milton | $3,202.35 | $1,357.18 |
| Town of Monson | $4,850.77 | $2,216.35 |
| Town of Nantucket | $2,157.19 | $2,132.64 |
| Town of Natick | $4,911.72 | $1,964.69 |
| Town of Needham | $9,497.02 | $3,785.40 |
| City of New Bedford | $9,545.53 | $3,512.76 |
| Town of New Salem******* | $5,477.11 | $3,931.36 |
| City of Newburyport | $5,097.68 | $2,180.14 |
| City of Newton | $0.00 | $1,877.80 |
| Town of Norfolk | $4,839.69 | $2,211.87 |
| City of North Adams | $6,971.61 | $3,182.42 |
| Town of North Andover | $3,129.54 | $1,461.85 |
| Town of North Attleborough | $6,476.70 | $2,586.26 |
| Town of North Brookfield | $3,698.86 | $1,882.83 |
| Town of North Reading | $4,913.41 | $2,088.13 |
| City of Northampton | $5,198.11 | $2,209.20 |
| Town of Northborough | $5,653.62 | $2,402.79 |
| Town of Northbridge | $2,595.36 | $472.60 |
| Town of Norton | $3,377.33 | $1,524.62 |
| Town of Norwell | $4,245.94 | $1,937.69 |
| Town of Norwood | $6,283.65 | $2,477.93 |
| Town of Orange | $4,055.09 | $1,853.29 |
| Town of Orleans | $4,866.99 | $2,232.78 |
| Town of Oxford | $6,999.88 | $3,200.00 |
| Palmer Fire District No. 1 | $5,263.29 | $2,406.08 |
| Town of Paxton | $5,056.10 | $2,306.72 |
| City of Peabody | $8,576.54 | $3,284.85 |
| Town of Pembroke | $7,989.78 | $3,398.39 |
| City of Pittsfield | $4,217.88 | $1,687.02 |
| Town of Plainville | $6,999.95 | $3,200.00 |
| Town of Plymouth | $11,000.00 | $4,200.00 |
| Town of Plympton | $4,004.30 | $2,038.55 |
| Town of Princeton | $5,177.20 | $2,786.22 |
| City of Quincy | $9,161.06 | $3,371.00 |
| Town of Randolph | $6,084.85 | $2,433.94 |
| Town of Reading | $4,570.66 | $1,938.32 |
| Town of Rehoboth | $4,697.81 | $2,147.57 |
| City of Revere | $6,866.04 | $2,630.22 |
| Town of Rockland | $6,128.93 | $2,603.78 |
| Town of Rowley | $4,797.28 | $2,192.08 |
| Town of Rutland | $7,000.00 | $3,200.00 |
| City of Salem | $9,500.00 | $3,800.00 |
| Town of Salisbury | $5,222.54 | $2,375.76 |
| Town of Sandwich | $4,258.61 | $1,809.91 |
| Town of Saugus | $5,886.27 | $2,502.96 |
| Town of Scituate | $8,000.00 | $3,400.00 |
| Town of Seekonk | $4,428.56 | $1,882.11 |
| Town of Sharon | $2,954.34 | $1,357.79 |
| Shelburne Fire District******** | $11,836.46 | $8,552.79 |
| Town of Sherborn | $1,236.00 | $224.93 |
| Town of Shrewsbury | $7,152.46 | $2,858.20 |
| Town of Somerset | $4,571.77 | $1,943.00 |
| City of Somerville | $8,153.45 | $3,113.13 |
| South Deerfield Fire District | $3,646.11 | $1,856.21 |
| South Hadley Fire District 1 | $4,690.77 | $2,278.05 |
| South Hadley Fire District 2 | $3,908.69 | $1,783.97 |
| Town of Southborough | $3,807.77 | $2,474.40 |
| Town of Southbridge | $1,921.27 | $1,605.18 |
| Town of Southwick | $4,806.34 | $2,193.25 |
| Town of Spencer | $4,540.87 | $2,075.83 |
| City of Springfield | $4,727.91 | $1,739.87 |
| Town of Sterling | $4,358.97 | $1,992.28 |
| Town of Stoneham | $5,018.60 | $2,132.79 |
| Town of Stoughton | $5,196.64 | $2,252.66 |
| Town of Sturbridge | $5,395.67 | $2,411.01 |
| Town of Sudbury | $6,223.02 | $2,644.78 |
| Town of Sutton | $4,241.94 | $1,939.17 |
| Town of Swampscott | $4,806.63 | $2,371.19 |
| City of Taunton | $7,789.39 | $2,974.13 |
| Town of Tewksbury | $9,500.00 | $3,800.00 |
| Three Rivers Fire District | $1,500.00 | $1,390.83 |
| Town of Topsfield | $5,120.74 | $2,339.09 |
| Town of Townsend | $3,918.09 | $1,791.13 |
| Turners Falls Fire District | $0.00 | $465.76 |
| Town of Tyngsborough | $5,426.60 | $2,262.97 |
| Town of Upton | $3,112.40 | $1,962.11 |
| Town of Uxbridge | $5,029.87 | $2,286.83 |
| Town of Wakefield | $4,042.22 | $1,717.89 |
| Town of Wales | $4,036.29 | $1,977.31 |
| Town of Walpole | $1,724.39 | $679.15 |
| City of Waltham | $11,000.00 | $4,200.00 |
| Town of Ware | $4,243.16 | $1,897.09 |
| Town of Warren********* | $8,150.14 | $4,150.14 |
| City of Watertown | $4,979.34 | $1,991.73 |
| Town of Wayland | $5,437.66 | $2,485.66 |
| Town of Webster | $4,140.41 | $1,760.98 |
| Town of Wellesley | $3,899.40 | $1,657.45 |
| Town of Wellfleet | $3,620.67 | $1,843.25 |
| Town of West Boylston | $1,664.77 | $1,838.38 |
| Town of West Bridgewater | $6,996.87 | $3,195.87 |
| Town of West Springfield | $7,999.96 | $3,399.75 |
| Town of West Tisbury | $4,325.30 | $2,201.97 |
| Town of Westborough | $3,983.16 | $1,947.84 |
| City of Westfield | $7,041.14 | $2,816.65 |
| Town of Westford | $4,981.74 | $2,117.24 |
| Town of Westminster | $2,613.47 | $1,195.52 |
| Town of Weston | $4,191.98 | $1,916.40 |
| Town of Westport | $5,682.09 | $2,414.89 |
| Town of Westwood | $4,648.39 | $1,972.02 |
| Town of Weymouth | $7,734.59 | $2,953.21 |
| Town of Whitman | $6,330.56 | $2,685.23 |
| Town of Wilbraham********** | $9,567.50 | $4,589.17 |
| Town of Williamsburg | $3,939.71 | $2,005.16 |
| Town of Wilmington | $4,990.28 | $2,120.87 |
| Town of Winchendon | $5,586.62 | $2,552.91 |
| City of Woburn | $7,263.76 | $2,913.32 |
| Town of Worthington | $4,155.02 | $2,115.28 |
| Town of Wrentham | $1,521.18 | $704.38 |
| Town of Yarmouth | $5,575.49 | $2,371.33 |
| TOTAL | $1,238,611.99 | $561,388.01 |
| Department | SAFE Award | Senior SAFE Award |
|---|
Regional Awards:
*Regional award with the Town of Plainfield
**Regional award with the Town of Royalston
***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 Essex
*******Regional award with the Town of Wendell
********Regional award with the Shelburne Falls Fire District, Town of Colrain, and Buckland Fire District
*********Regional award with the Town of West Brookfield
**********Regional award with the Town of Hampden
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