ESFI Receives Fire Prevention And Safety Grant
Funds Will Be Used to Expand Children's Safety Awareness Program
Rosslyn Arlington, VA. - The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) has been awarded an FY 2010 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA). The award, announced June 17, is the third consecutive FP&S grant awarded to ESFI.
FP&S grants are awarded annually to support projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards. The primary goal is to target high-risk populations in order to reduce injuries and prevent deaths.
ESFI will utilize the grant funds to develop a new installment of the popular Investigate with P.I. Plug safety awareness program for children in grades 3 through 5. These new fire and electrical safety materials, which will highlight hazards unique to the winter holiday season, will help children learn to identify and avoid potential hazards, establishing lifelong safe practices.
"Children are one of the most vulnerable demographics in our country, but they can also be incredible advocates for safety," said ESFI President Brett Brenner. "Empowered by the information learned at school, children are highly likely to share the lessons with their families, thereby extending the reach and impact of the program's messages well beyond the classroom."
Distribution of the program materials will focus on the Midwest and South, which experience a greater than average risk of fires, as well as a high incidence of low-income and rural communities. ESFI expects to directly impact more than 3.4 million children and their families through the distribution of 114,000 classroom toolkits. Additional content will be available on the foundation's website to ensure program sustainability and expand the program audience.
FP&S grants, which are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, are under the purview of the Grant Programs Directorate in FEMA. For more information, visit www.fema.gov/firegrants.
The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May to increase public awareness of the electrical hazards around us at home, work, school, and play. ESFI is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety. For more information, visit www.electrical-safety.org .
Founded in as 1994 through a joint effort between Underwriters Laboratories Inc., the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), ESFI is North America's only non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety in the home and workplace.
NEMA is the association of electrical and medical imaging equipment manufacturers. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its approximately 450 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end use of electricity. These products are used in utility, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential applications. The association's Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) Division represents manufacturers of cutting-edge medical diagnostic imaging equipment including MRI, CT, x-ray, and ultrasound products. Worldwide sales of NEMA-scope products exceed $120B. In addition to its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia, NEMA also has offices in Beijing and Mexico City.
SOURCE: NEMA