Poster Contest Winners & Public Fire Educator of the Year Winner Announced
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) proudly recognizes the winning entrants in the 2015 Fire Prevention Poster Contest, as well as the recipient of the 2015 Public Fire Educator of the Year award. Winners will be honored at an awards event on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016 at the Tennessee Fire and Codes Academy in Bell Buckle, Tenn.
The poster contest is a longstanding annual event used by the SFMO to highlight and promote fire safety awareness throughout Tennessee schools. This year’s contest theme corresponded with the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Prevention Week campaign: “Hear the Beep Where You Sleep: Every Bedroom Needs a Working Smoke Alarm.”
“We look forward to this contest every year,” said Tennessee Commerce & Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak. “It’s a fun outlet for students to express their creativity, but also an effective way to teach them about crucial fire prevention messages.”
Starting in August, Tennessee students in grades ranging from kindergarten through high school begin creating art posters to illustrate the importance of working smoke alarms. Local fire departments sponsored the contest in schools from their districts and judged a winner from each grade. The local winners were then sent to the SFMO for final judging in Nashville. Over 200 poster entries were received this year. The winners were selected by a panel of experts who generously volunteered their time: Michael Cooper with Murals & More; Shaun Giles of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts; and Dani Brown of the Tennessee Arts Commission.
The poster contest winners will each receive a $50 prize check and a certificate of achievement signed by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. A list of all statewide student winners can be found on the State Fire Marshal’s website.
In addition, the SFMO is pleased to announce that Jamie Melton of the City of Franklin Fire Department has been selected as the 2015 Tennessee Public Fire Educator of the Year.
Melton has been the Fire and Life Safety Educator for the Franklin Fire Department since 2007. As a safety educator, she routinely works with diverse target audiences, including
children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Melton instituted the Franklin Fire Department’s “Family Safety House Program” – an interactive, educational exhibit designed to teach children and families how to prevent fires and burns, and what to do when they happen. This 39-foot mobile classroom has helped educate more than 12,000 children and adults in home fire safety.
“Being a fire educator is often a thankless job which requires a positive attitude, excellent time management and patience,” said Franklin Fire Chief Rocky Garzareck who nominated Melton for the award. “Jamie exudes all of these qualities and is a true asset to the Franklin Fire Department and the City of Franklin.”
Melton will be honored at the Jan. 30. awards event with a plaque and certificate signed by Gov. Haslam.