Mattapoisett's Fire Department has been awarded the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) and Senior SAFE Grant by the state.

According to the Fire Department, the grant makes it possible for firefighters to offer fire prevention training to Mattapoisett elementary school students, as well as offering similar training to senior citizens through Mattapoisett's Council on Aging.

Mattapoisett firefighters will attend special training to create lesson plans for  fire safety education before offering the training courses to the community.

To test out the program's effectiveness, firefighters tested Center School's third grade class during the 2015-2016 school year. Before the program began, students scored an overall grade of 58.6 percent on a sample quiz; after completing training through the SAFE program, the average score on the test increased to 82.9 percent.

Those curious to learn more about the SAFE program or Senior SAFE program can contact Mattapoisett Fire Prevention Officer, Lt. Justin Dubois, at jdubois@mattapoisett.net.