Funded by The RJA Group, Inc.
The Rolf H. Jensen Memorial Public Education Grant is presented annually to a local fire department to support a fire and life safety education community-wide program or campaign.
Deadline is February 7, 2014. Download the application. (PDF, 341 KB)
Eligibility
The Rolf H. Jensen Memorial Public Education Grant provides a $5,000 grant to one local fire department to support a community-wide fire and life safety education program or campaign. Funded by the RJA Group, the grant is open to any fire department (career or volunteer) located in the United States or Canada.
Criteria
Recipients must meet the following:
- Demonstration of a plan to implement a community-wide fire and life safety program/campaign.
- Clearly stated goals and objectives.
- Staffing assigned to implement the program/campaign.
- A 1-page final report, including an overview of the project, number of people reached, media coverage, life saves, etc., must be received at NFPA by December 19, 2014.
Grant
- $5,000 to support the implementation and evaluation of the fire and life safety education program/campaign.
- Commemorative plaque.
- Recipient’s name inscribed on the Rolf H. Jensen Memorial Public Education Grant winners’ plaque displayed at NFPA headquarters.
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Rolf H. Jensen, P.E.
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Biography
Rolf H. Jensen, P.E., was a leading authority on fire protection engineering and participated and supported the NFPA consensus standards process throughout his distinguished career. A former teacher, Mr. Jensen was a staunch proponent of fire and life safety education. On the 25th anniversary of the RJA Group, Inc., the founder and Chairman of the Board was honored by his colleagues by establishing an NFPA award in Rolf Jensen's name.
Mr. Jensen dedicated his life to advancing the art and science of fire protection. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He began his career as an engineer and researcher at Underwriters Laboratories. Mr. Jensen had an extensive association with NFPA, having served on the board of directors, Standards Council, and on more than a dozen technical committees. In 1988, NFPA's Standards Council awarded Mr. Jensen the Standards Medal; the highest award bestowed by the Council for contributions in the development of NFPA's codes and standards. He died in 2002, leaving a legacy in the fire protection field.
Recipients
2013 recipient
Springfield Fire Department, Springfield, Massachusetts, is the winner of the 2013 Rolf H. Jensen Memorial Public Education Grant. The $5,000 grant will support the department’s “Multi-Language Public Education Fire Safety Initiative” concentrating on Springfield’s growing population of Somali, Russian, Nepali, Vietnamese, and Latino immigrants. The initiative will also reach out to residents over the age of 65.
Springfield has experienced a sharp decline in industry, jobs, and population over the past few decades. It has one of the highest rates of concentrated poverty in the United States. In 2010, 88 percent of building fires took place in residential properties with unattended cooking or unsafe cooking practices accounting for 61 percent. English is spoken as a second language in 34 percent of households compared with 21 percent statewide.
Fire safety programs will be conducted primarily at cultural and community centers. The program will be evaluated using a three-part approach: a before and after comparison of volume of emergency responses, instructor evaluations, and a 10-question survey completed by residents.
2012 - Brockton, MA, Brockton Fire Department
2011 - College Station, TX, College Station Fire Department
2010 - Grand Traverse, MI, Metro Fire Department
2009 - Montgomery County, MD, Fire and Rescue Service
2008 - Sacramento, CA, Metropolitan Fire District
2007 - North Charleston, SC, Fire Department
2006 - Tuscaloosa, AL, Fire & Rescue Service
2005 - Rochester, NY, Fire Department
2004 - Suffolk, VA, Department of Fire & Rescue
2003 - Lacey Fire District Three and the Lacey Sunsetters Kiwanis Club of Lacey, WA
2002 - Snohomish County (WA) Fire District #8 and the privately-operated Sunnyside Preschool in Lake Stevens, WA
2001 - Glenwood, IL, Fire Department and Rhodia Chemical Heights Plant
1999 - Redlands Fire Department and Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, CA
1998 - Winnipeg Fire Department and Kiwanis Club of Winnipeg
1997 - Rochester, NY, Fire Department, National Fire Service Support Systems, Inc., and BIC Corporation
1996 - Oregon Fire Education Association, and National Association of Insurance Women, Oregon Chapter
1995 - Saint Paul Fire Department and American Red Cross, St. Paul Area Chapter
1994 - Canadian Tire Child Prevention Foundation and Fire Prevention Canada.