Skidmore receives $960K for firefighter safety research

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Skidmore College is receiving federal funding for its fire prevention program. The school has received a $960,000 grant for firefighter safety research.

The project will focus on the health challenges firefighters face and develop tools and strategies to help them. Dr. Denise Smith is the Director of the First Responder Health and Safety Laboratory and Professor of Health and Exercise Sciences at Skidmore College.  She said, “I am grateful for the ongoing support of the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program. This award will allow us to leverage past funding and ongoing relationships with the Fire Service and occupational health providers to effectively translate research into better firefighter health. By empowering firefighters to understand how to act upon research to mitigate occupational risks, we will help them effectively serve their communities.”

The $960,956.46 grant was administered by the Department of Homeland Security's Fiscal Year 2021 Fire Prevention & Safety Grant Awards program, which is funded by the DHS Appropriations Act and American Rescue Plan Act.