Dartmouth's Fire District No. 3 is one of four South Coast communities to receive state funding for fire safety education.

District No. 3 will receive $6,202 under the Student Awareness of Fire Education (S.A.F.E.) and Senior SAFE programs, according to a press release from the office of Senator Mark Montigny.

The student S.A.F.E. program allows the department to education children from preschool through fifth grade, said District No. 3 Fire Chief Richard Arruda. The senior SAFE funding allows it to provide reflective address markers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and general home fire safety education to senior citizens for free, he added.

"As an outreach to these programs, we also provide upon request training to home health care providers within our jurisdiction," said Arruda.

The department applies for the grant annually, and has received funding for many years, said Arruda.

Since the state started implementing the S.A.F.E. program 20 years ago, annual child related deaths have been reduced by 70 percent, according to the press release. Officials expect similar results from the Senior SAFE program, which was created three years ago.

"Ensuring our children and seniors receive basic fire prevention training, including basic home safety and how to respond in case of a fire, is crucial towards preventing fire related deaths," said Montigny via the press release.

Under the same programs, Fairhaven Fire Department/ EMS will receive $7,336; Mattapoisett Fire Department will receive $6,541; and New Bedford Fire Department will receive $14,039.