Fire Chief Stephen Kovalcik announced that the Greenville City Fire Department has been awarded a $35,757 Fire Prevention and Safety Grant.
The FP&S grants are part of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants, provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, and support projects that enhance the safety of the public and firefighters from fire and related hazards. The primary goal is to reduce injury and prevent death among high-risk populations. The City is required to provide a 5% match in the amount of $1,881, which will be appropriated by ordinance at tonight’s City Council meeting.
According to Chief Kovalcik, the grant will help support GCFD’s Smoke Alarm and Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) initiative. “The program combines door-to-door installation of smoke alarms with educational information and personalized fire-safety checks designed to reach three target audiences: residents in the City’s special emphasis neighborhoods, deaf/hard-of-hearing residents and residents receiving emergency assistance from GCFD at a residential structure,” said Kovalcik. “The goal is to increase the number of residences with working smoke alarms in order to mitigate fire injuries and property loss.” The project also provides a unique opportunity for GCFD firefighters to teach residents about fire safety in their own homes.
The grant will enable GCFD to install 1,650 10-year smoke alarms. Additionally, GCFD will install strobe/bed shaker alarm kits for residents who are hearing-impaired. To date, GCFD has installed over 400 smoke alarms throughout the city of Greenville through the S.A.F.E. initiative. As part of that effort, GCFD has partnered with agencies such as Parker District Fire Department, Gantt District Fire Department and the American Red Cross to conduct “smoke alarm blitzes” in select neighborhoods. Several were conducted in neighborhoods where structure fires had occurred just days earlier. During a “blitz,” teams of firefighters and volunteers canvass the neighborhood to check each home for working smoke alarms, help residents develop a fire escape plan and provide additional fire safety information. For homes without working smoke alarms, firefighters install 10-year lithium battery smoke alarms for free.