MONROE – Sparky the Fire Dog will soon join Monroe firefighters in their efforts to spread the word about fire safety.

The department recently was awarded $132,000 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to boost education for firefighters and schoolchildren in Monroe.

With the Assistance to Firefighters Grant, the department plans to hire a public fire educator, Chief Jamie Silva said. The grant will pay one year’s salary and benefits.

The hope is that during that year, the department will build the foundation for a program that can be carried on once the grant money runs out, Silva said.

The chief said he eventually would like to see smaller departments share a full-time public fire educator .

“Public education is very important, but having adequate firefighters is our priority,” he said.

The grant also will pay for implementing an education program for schoolchildren called Risk Watch.

The curriculum, created by the National Fire Protection Association, teaches kids about fire prevention, bicycle and water safety, and other areas where children are likely to be injured.

Monroe firefighters will bring the program to public and private schools.

The grant also will pay for a Sparky the Dog costume. The safety-conscious Dalmatian is the mascot for the fire association, Silva said.

He’ll show up at parades and in classrooms.

The grant also will pay for firefighters to receive Spanish language training geared toward emergency workers, Silva said, adding that the city has a growing Hispanic population.

“We muddle through now, but this will allow us to communicate better,” he said.

“We need to be able to ask if the patient is allergic to a medication or where the pain is.”

The Monroe department has received about $600,000 in assistance grants in recent years, Silva said.

The grants have paid for breathing apparatus, radios for a new communication system and technical education equipment.

“We’ve been very fortunate,” he said.

Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.