Oak Park student winners in fire prevention poster contest

Sixteen elementary school students received prizes and certificates of merit after their entries were chosen the best of the more than 600 submitted to the Oak Park Fire Department for the 35th annual fire safety poster and essay contest held in recognition of National Fire Prevention Week.

This year’s contest theme was Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With! The winning entries, submitted by students in grades kindergarten through eighth grade, are posted on the Village's facebook page at www.facebook.com/vopnews.

The winners are Marcus Curtis, Maggie Black, Lillian Boockmeier, William Dooley, Lucas Garcia, Camille Grant, Dana Hay, Rachel Kelly, Yuguang Lee, Mariah McBride, Lauren Maldonado, Larry Moore, George Morisaki, Charlotte Pope, Frances Sherry-Savage and Ella Weatherington.

"The Oak Park Fire Department appreciates the support of the schools and teachers in promoting fire safety in our community," said Fire Chief Tom Ebsen. "Learning the importance of prevention early can make fire safety a lifelong practice."

The winners and their families also enjoyed a pizza dinner with firefighters at Oak Park's Main Fire Station in appreciation for their efforts to help spread the word about the importance of smoke alarms.

For more information about fire prevention, call 708.445.3300 or e-mail fire@oak-park.us.