The Pepperell Fire Department runs two Fire Education Programs:
Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E)
Juvenile Firesetters Intervention Program

Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.)

The S.A.F.E program is a state initiative designed to put trained fire and life safety educators in classrooms to conduct fire safety education programs in grades K-12. Their primary mission is to enable students to recognize the dangers of fire and more specifically, the fire hazards that tobacco products pose.

Firefighter/Paramedic Kurtis Triehy is S.A.F.E Program Coordinator for the Pepperell Fire Department. For more information, or to schedule a fire safety program, please call or email the Fire Department.

The primary S.A.F.E. educators are:

Chief Toby Tyler
Chief Tyler has twenty years of experience as a firefighter, nine years of experience as an officer and six years of experience as the lead instructor of the S.A.F.E. program.
Captain John Rose
Captain Rose has eighteen years of experience as a firefighter, and four years of experience as an officer.
Firefighter Tim Morine
Firefighter Morine has six years of experience as a firefighter and three years of experience with the S.A.F.E. program.

Modeled after the National Fire Protection Association's "Learn Not to Burn" program, Pepperell Fire Department educators work in conjunction with Pepperell schools and the Pepperell Health Department, as well as the Department of Fire Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Pepperell S.A.F.E Education Team visits Pepperell schools every year. Each lesson plan is age appropriate, with special consideration given to special needs children within each grade level.

Pepperell also owns a S.A.F.E. trailer, where children can practice their skills as the trailer fills nontoxic "smoke".

Educators discuss:

  • fire drills and what to do in case of a fire or other emergency
  • fire safety equipment, including the proper use of fire extinguishers and escape ladders
  • fire alarm boxes in school and around your neighborhood and the dangers of false alarms
  • the dangers of smoking related materials
  • first aid practices for burns

Children engage in fire safety activities in a friendly classroom setting. Younger students get to experience the equipment that firefighters wear in order to protect themselves in a fire and practice how to stop-listen-and-go during a school fire drill, how to crawl low in smoke in the event of a fire, and how to use a phone to dial 9-1-1 from a neighbor's house or other safe place.

Older students practice the proper placement of smoke detectors and discuss and demonstrate two safe ways in which to exit their home in the event of a fire. Students design a fire escape plan and a safe meeting place outside of the home for all family members to meet, practice the proper method to activate a fire alarm box, and proper first aid practices for burns.

Students of all ages learn acronyms and phrases such as E.D.I.T.H., P.A.S.S., “Get-out, Stay-out”, &ldquoStay low and go.&rdquo

Juvenile Firesetters Intervention Program

The Juvenile Firesetters Intervention Program is a national program aimed at reducing fires set by youth ages 3 to 17 through a coordinated, consistent and appropriate response using treatment, education, deterrence, and prevention.

The National Fire Academy and several state and county agencies provide courses, course materials and other references to assist fire departments in creating and coordinating programs.

Fire Chief Toby Tyler and Deputy Chief Jonathan Kinney developed Pepperell's program several years ago and are trained Juvenile Firefighter Intervention Specialists.

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