ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Juan Hernandez, of Harrington Elementary School, placed 3rd in the elementary school division in the Lynn Fire Poster to Billboard contest. Behind him are Lynn Superintendent of Schools Dr. Catherine Latham, left, and State Fire Marshall Stephen Coan.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — The Lynn Fire Department and Lynn Public Schools, along with the mayor and State Fire Marshal, awarded 10 students with iPads for being the top entries in a poster contest highlighting the importance of working smoke detectors.
Lynn Fire District Chief Stephen Archer said there were nearly 4,000 entries in the second annual “Poster to Billboard” contest. Nine winners were chosen — three students each from the elementary, middle and high school level — with one honorable mention selected.
The presentation was held Wednesday afternoon at the Lynn Fire Headquarters.
“This event is quickly becoming one of the highlights of the calendar year,” Archer said. “It’s helping us to get out the very important message of fire safety, particularly smoke detectors in homes.”
Each student was given an iPad, which was presented to them by School Superintendent Dr. Catherine Latham. Winning students also received a certificate of achievement from Mayor Judith Flanagan Kennedy and recognition from the Fire Department.
The theme of the poster contest was “Hear the beep where you sleep,” with the phrase incorporated into each poster — referring to the importance of smoke detectors in homes.
At the elementary school level, Jeiry Robles, of Harrington Elementary School, Julissa Merida Zacarias of Brickett Elementary School, and Juan Hernandez, also of Harrington, were first-, second- and third-place winners.
At the middle school level, Ashley Christiansen, of Breed Middle School, Aaliyah Alleyne, of Pickering Middle School, and Nuria Perez, also of Breed, were first-, second- and third-place winners.
Christiansen, 11, said she was “so excited” when she found out she was a winner. She said her mother got the phone call and passed along the news.
At the high school level, Anthonie Cruz and Yen-Nhi Chit, of Lynn English High School and Kimberly Cruz, of Lynn Classical High School, were first-, second- and third-place winners. Ismailyn Portillo Mateo, also of Lynn English, received an honorable mention for her poster.
For his poster, Anthonie Cruz, 17, said he originally envisioned a bedroom, as every bedroom needs a fire alarm. He drew a Dalmatian, a signature fire symbol, in the bed.
“I was ecstatic,” he said, when he found out he had won.
In attendance in addition to Archer, Kennedy and Latham, was Fire Chief James McDonald, Deputy Fire Chief Bill Murray, State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan, Lt. Israel Gonzalez of the Fire Prevention Bureau and Cynthia Ouellette, public education manager with the state fire marshal’s office. Principals and teachers from local schools were also in attendance.
“I can’t say enough about the talent we have here,” Kennedy said about the students.
Latham said she was thankful students have showed such enthusiasm for the fire safety project. The contest is part of a partnership between Lynn Fire and the Lynn School Department with the goal of making Lynn families safer. The contest was designed as a fire-prevention campaign aimed at all school children in grades K to 12, according to a fire department release.
“If it weren’t for this program, we wouldn’t have at least one lesson every year on fire safety,” Latham said.
Coan said his duty as fire marshal is to prevent fires and invent strategies to do so as part of remarks commending the poster project. He said more than 50 people died from fire in the state last year, with four last month in Lynn on Bruce Place.
“It’s very tragic to see the depth of destruction that occurs by fire,” Coan said. “The vast majority of these fires are preventable fires.”
Coan said causes are typically from people who undertook risky behaviors or from electrical issues. He said the vast majority of those buildings were lacking working smoke detectors. To know for the sake of a modest investment — a smoke detector and battery — those outcomes could have been different, he said.
Through programs like the poster contest in Lynn and other education, Coan said there could be a decrease of annual fatal fire deaths.
Archer said the contest started around Thanksgiving and winners were selected just before Christmas. He said Latham was instrumental in putting the contest together and also thanked Gonzalez.
“We are just overwhelmed with the quantity of entries received and the quality of work,” Archer said. “It’s something we look forward to doing each and every year.”
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected].