Press Releases

Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey announced today that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded $173,131 to the Worcester Fire Department through the Fire Prevention & Safety (FP&S) programs. FP&S grants are awarded to support projects that enhance the safety of the public and of firefighters. The federal funding will support Worcester Fire Department’s safe cooking fire prevention program.

"Our community in Worcester is safer thanks to Chief Gardell and our local firefighters. The Safe Cooking Program is a great community partnership that helps the Worcester Fire Department educate local residents about fire safety in the kitchen," Congressman Jim McGovern said. I am grateful to FEMA for providing this funding that will help to continue this important program and keep Worcester seniors and other local residents safe at home."

"Massachusetts firefighters put their lives on the line to keep our families safe, and they deserve our thanks and our support," Senator Elizabeth Warren said. "I'm very glad that these federal grants will help ensure that our fire departments have the staff and resources they need to serve our communities safely and effectively."

"Massachusetts firefighters are committed to ensuring the safety and security of their communities and these new grants will enhance their ability to do so. Our first responders are our hometown heroes, but heroes need help too. These important federal grants will help us recruit and hire more firefighters and ensure they can efficiently and effectively protect the citizens of our cities and towns," said Senator Edward J. Markey.

Worcester Safe Cooking Program

The $173,131 FEMA grant will support the Worcester Fire Department’s partnership with the Worcester Housing Authority (WHA) to implement a Cooking Fire Education & Prevention Campaign targeted to four WHA towers with 759 units housing 862 elderly residents, of whom 86 percent are disabled.

The fund will help the Worcester Fire Department (WFD) purchase 759 fire-safe electric stove burners. WFD Fire Educators will offer train-the-trainer sessions and post-training oversight to WHA installers to enable them to teach residents on the new burners, safe cooking methods, and fire and fall prevention based on NFPA's Remembering When curriculum. Trained WHA staff will assess units for mobility, housekeeping and unsafe practices. WFD Educators will make related group presentations to residents.

Goals are (1) to educate residents on cooking and other fire risks and (2) to prevent stovetop fires via adoption of safe burners. Objectives are to train WHA installers, produce outreach materials, educate residents, purchase burners, and install burners.

More information about FEMA's fire grant programs is available here.

###