DHS/FEMA recognizes ESFI safety efforts

FEMA FP&S Electrical Safety Grants fund ESFI and Scholastic to deliver fire prevention and electrical safety education to Title I schools, teaching children about smoke alarms, portable space heaters, and home electrical hazards.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International ESFI has been awarded a prestigious Fire Prevention & Safety FP&S Grant from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency DHS/FEMA for the second consecutive year.

DHS/FEMA awards the grants annually to support fire prevention and safety efforts, as highlighted during National Electrical Safety Month each May, giving priority to programs aimed at high-risk populations, like children and firefighters.

According to ESFI President Brett Brenner, thousands of people in the U.S. are injured or killed each year in electrical accidents and fires in and around the home, especially in older homes where outdated wiring and equipment increase risk. Lower income families and children tend to be at highest risk of these types of accidents due in part to a lack of electrical safety education. Home fires are particularly dangerous for children, who often lack the knowledge about what to do when a fire occurs.

With the funding provided to ESFI through last year’s FP&S Grant, ESFI teamed up with Scholastic Corporation to develop and launch a new electrical safety awareness program that aligns with industry efforts like the IEEE/NFPA arc flash initiative to advance safety education for children in grades 3 to 5 in Title I low income schools. This program features dynamic teaching tools and educational resources, including detailed lesson plans and activities, and is currently being used in more than 25,000 classrooms nationwide.

“Teaching children how to stay safe around electricity and prevent electrical and fire hazards will empower them to establish lifelong safety habits,” Brenner said. “With the additional support provided by the 2009 Fire Prevention & Safety Grant, ESFI will continue to deliver important electrical safety and fire prevention messages to schools across the country.”

Additional industry research, including the Arc Flash Research Project conducted with utility and manufacturer partners, reinforces the importance of comprehensive electrical safety education.

ESFI will create a new program using educational resources developed with the help of feedback from students and teachers reached by ESFI’s 2008 FP&S Grant program. The new program targets the same at-risk student population and will provide teachers with materials they can use to incorporate important safety lessons, tips, and maintenance reminders for smoke alarms, with resources like fire alarm training supporting proper testing and maintenance, and portable space heaters into their annual curriculums.

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