MIDDLEBORO — The Middleboro Fire Department has received grant funding totaling more than $8,000 from the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services to support fire safety education programs for students and seniors, State Sen. Marc Pacheco has announced.

The department received $5,698.10 through Student Awareness of Fire Education grant funding. These grants help local fire departments to teach fire and life safety to children in schools, including programs created in collaboration with teachers.

Since the Student Awareness of Fire Education  program began in 1996, child fire deaths have dropped significantly in Massachusetts, Pacheco said. 

The department also received 2397.59 in funding for the Senior SAFE grant program. This program helps fire departments to teach fire safety to seniors who face fire and burn risks, including cooking, smoking, home oxygen use, and electrical and heating dangers.

Senior SAFE creates partnerships between agencies that serve seniors and fire departments to collaborate on programs and provide services, which can include assisting in the replacement and testing of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, along with installing important safety measures like house numbers, heat-limiting devices on stoves, in-hood stove fire extinguishers, and nightlights, Pacheco reported.