Dilynn Turner and Alivia Sanford hold certificates they received for winning a fire prevention poster contest. Contributed photo.

Dilynn Turner and Alivia Sanford hold certificates they received for winning a fire prevention poster contest. Contributed photo.

Two Brookfield school students have been named winners of an Ohio State Fire Marshal’s poster contest, a contest that Brookfield Fire Department latched onto as a way to observe Fire Prevention Month in October without the firefighters actually visiting the school.

Alivia Sanford was an award winner in the kindergarten through third-grade age bracket, and Dilynn Turner won in grades four through six.

“The State Fire Marshal’s office will present each winner with a letter of recognition from Marshal (Kevin S.) Reardon, a 2020-2021 fire safety poster contest ribbon award and a smoke alarm to continue to help promote fire safety,” said Brian Bohnert, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Commerce, which oversees the fire marshal’s office, on Jan. 12.

They will have their art work posted on the Division of State Fire Marshal web site, and in the lobby of the state fire marshal building,” said Brookfield Elementary Secretary Barb Simon.

On Jan. 8 at Brookfield schools, Alivia and Dilynn received Chromebook computers for being named grand prize winners.

The posters show the students’ understanding of a fire-prevention theme, the Department of Commerce said.

promoBrookfield Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Month activities usually conclude with an elementary school assembly in which firefighters show off their suits, warn the students against touching matches or lighters, and show them how to move when they are in a burning building.

It’s usually a loud, raucous affair, with the firefighters giving away promotional items and high-fiving the students.

The COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible to hold assemblies, but the firefighters still wanted to get the message out. Instead, they provided Brookfield teachers with suggested lessons plans and giveaway items such as helmets, frisbees and wrist bands for classroom use.

“Fire prevention didn’t take a back seat this year,” Fire Chief David Masirovits told the township trustees. “We did everything that we could.”

To help the kids focus on the message, a coloring contest offered prizes to the top two student artists in each grade, each of whom received $50 and $25 gift cards respectively.

The Brookfield Fallen Firefighters Foundation paid for the prizes.

Contest winners were:

Kindergarten – Charlie Lancey, first place; and Mackenzie Blackshear, second place.

First Grade – Sadie Osberg, first place; and River Johnson, second place.

Second Grade – Korie Samios, first place; and Elah Lopeno, second place.

Fourth Grade – Maci Phillips, first place; and Aina Malufau, second place.

Fifth Grade – Ava Hitt, first place; and Jayden Caldwell, second place.

Sixth Grade – Kaylin Poggi, first place.

There were no entries in third grade, and only one prize was awarded in sixth grade.