State Fire Marshal Honors 2017 Fire Prevention Poster & Video Contest Winners
NASHVILLE – The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) proudly recognized the winning entrants in its 2017 Fire Prevention Poster Contest and Fire Prevention Video Contest with an awards event on Saturday, February 10, 2018 at Conservation Hall at the Tennessee Governor’s Residence in Nashville.
Both statewide contests, which kicked off this fall, were designed to harness Tennesseans’ talent and creativity to help spread awareness of key fire prevention topics and messages.
“We challenged Tennesseans to use their artistic skills to help save lives and we were not disappointed,” said State Fire Marshal and Commerce & Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “The entries we received for both contests not only showcase the talent of our citizens, but also help illustrate and spread crucial fire prevention messages. We thank all of the participating individuals, schools, and fire departments for supporting these annual safety initiatives.”
The poster contest is a longstanding 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 focused on home fire escape planning: “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!”
Local fire departments sponsored the poster 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 100 poster entries were received this year. The winners were selected by a panel of experts who generously volunteered their time: Judith Sweeney O’Bryan (Watkins College of Art); Robert Hughes (Murals and More); and Kevin Walters (Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance).
Each statewide poster contest winner received a $50 prize check and a certificate of achievement signed by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Pictures of the winning posters can be found here.
Division I (K- 5th grade) Poster Winner
Riley Robinson
Howard Elementary School
Supported by Gallatin Fire Department
Division II (6th – 12th grade) Poster Winner
Jon Williamson
Jackson Career Technology School
Supported by Jackson Fire Department
Kindergarten Poster Winner
Staniya Harris
Sycamore Elementary School
Supported by Collierville Fire and Rescue
First Grade Poster Winner
Bryant Dai
Tara Oaks Elementary School
Supported by Collierville Fire and Rescue
Second Grade Poster Winner
Vyomdev Visveswar
Sycamore Elementary School
Supported by Collierville Fire and Rescue
Third Grade Poster Winner
Kerrington Land
Rivercrest Elementary School
Supported by Bartlett Fire Department
Fourth Grade Poster Winner
Heidi Melton
Christian Academy of the Cumberlands
Supported by Cumberland Co. Fire Department
Fifth Grade Poster Winner
Jordan Lewin
Crosswind Elementary School
Supported by Collierville Fire and Rescue
Sixth Grade Poster Winner
Reagan Moss
Arlington Elementary School
Supported by Arlington Fire Department
Seventh Grade Poster Winner
Emilia Shoror
Appling Middle School
Supported by Bartlett Fire Department
Eighth Grade Poster Winner
MacKenzie Smith
Frank Brown Elementary
Supported by Cumberland Co. Fire Department
Ninth Grade Poster Winner
Amber Kowen
North Side High School
Supported by Jackson Fire Department
Tenth Grade Poster Winner
Emily McCutcheon
Boyd Buchanan School
Supported by Chattanooga Fire Department
Eleventh Grade Poster Winner
Hailey Nichols
Boyd Buchanan School
Supported by Chattanooga Fire Department
Twelfth Grade Poster Winner
Elizabeth Hoilman
Boyd Buchanan School
Supported by Chattanooga Fire Department
Commissioner’s Choice Poster Winner
Mackenna Hood
Boyd Buchanan School
Supported by Chattanooga Fire Department
The video contest, which is in its second year, was open to Tennessee residents of all ages. Both individuals and groups (including families, classes, senior groups, fire departments and more) were eligible to submit entries. Entrants were given a choice of eight important fire safety topics and were challenged to make videos that were both educational and entertaining.
The first place video contest winner received a $500 prize check and the second place video contest winner received a $250 prize check. Both video contest prizes were generously donated by Kidde. The winning videos can be viewed here.
First Place Video Contest Winner
Franklin Fire Department
Franklin, TN
Second Place Video Contest Winner
Owen Kieffer
11th grade, Bulls Gap, TN
Photos and video from the awards event can be found on the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s YouTube channel and Flickr page.
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