The Westport Fire Department has been awarded more than $8,000 in grants to help elderly and disabled citizens, as well as educate the town’s youth on fire safety.

The grants, including $5,700 through the Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) program, and $2,400 through the Senior SAFE program, came from the Commonwealth.

Fire fighter Ann Marie Peckham said Monday that the funds will be put to work purchasing supplies and paying expenses incurred in the department’s outreach to town schools, and will also benefit residents who need help at home but might not have the means.

The smaller grant specifically benefits the Westport CARES outreach program, established to help seniors, the disabled and other residents who may be isolated and without the means to purchase or maintain fire prevention equipment. The program also offers in-home fire safety visits and other services.

“We also serve as an outreach platform,” Peckham said. “If they need help with elder services, or the Council on Aging, we can help facilitate that as well. We work closely with the police department, board of health, the town nurse and the veterans’ service agent to help make sure that these folks get what they need.”

The larger grant will help with outreach to schools, as a major initiative of the fire department is to educate youngsters, early, on fire prevention and safety topics.

“There’s a big push to work on the fire safety curriculum and bring it to the next level,” she said. “We try to get out into the schools to do safety presentations and demonstrations ... We really get a great response from the kids.”

NOTE: For more information on the Westport Fire Department’s CARES program, send an e-mail to wfdcares@gmail.com. Or you can call 508-636-1110, and select the CARES extension.

— By Ted Hayes