ESFI awarded FEMA grant to develop fire safety campaign for older adults

ARLINGTON, Va., May 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) was awarded a Fire Prevention & Safety Grant (FP&S) from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA). The organization will use the funding to develop a multi-faceted home fire safety awareness campaign that targets older adults.

This program will focus on the leading causes of home fires: cooking equipment, heating equipment, and electrical equipment. Program components will include PSAs, informational brochures, and more.

According to the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) study "Characteristics of Home Fire Victims," older adults have the greatest risk of fire death.  While only 13 percent of the U.S. population is 65 or older, a disparate 30 percent of fatal home fire victims were in this age range. ESFI's goal is to reach older adults in the top ten states with the highest rates of fire deaths.

"Raising awareness among the most at-risk populations is crucial to preventing home fires, fire deaths, and related injuries," said ESFI President Brett Brenner. "This year, we're working with Community Action Agencies (CAA) who work directly with these populations to ensure that we educate even the hardest to reach groups and decrease their vulnerability to home fires."

ESFI also will promote this campaign with local Rebuilding Together Affiliates.

This is the sixth time that ESFI has received a FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety Grant. Funding from previous grants allowed the organization to develop and implement a comprehensive home fire safety awareness campaign to educate at-risk children, senior citizens, and their families nationwide about home fire hazards. As a result, ESFI directly impacted more than 3.4 million children and their families through the distribution of classroom toolkits that were direct-mailed to schools and distributed to ESFI's nationwide network of safety advocates.

About ESFI:
The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated exclusively to promoting the importance of electrical safety. ESFI proudly sponsors National Electrical Safety Month each May and engages in public education campaigns throughout the year to increase awareness of the steps that can be taken to prevent electrical fires, injuries, and fatalities in the home, school, and workplace. Visit www.esfi.org to learn more about ESFI and electrical safety.

SOURCE The Electrical Safety Foundation International