Cassidy fifth-grader is 2009’s junior fire chief
Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Ten-year-old Ben Setlak is sporting a shiny new badge as Lexington’s latest junior fire chief.
The Cassidy Elementary fifth-grader won the fire department’s districtwide poster contest, which focused on the theme “Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned.”
This year, Fire Prevention Week emphasizes burn awareness and home safety. Ben opted for a sports motif to highlight key tips, such as getting a furnace or chimney inspected annually and checking for damaged electrical cords.
“My dad told me to think of stuff people my age would like, so I thought of football,” he said of the inspiration for his artwork. “It has the mascot Sparky as the referee.”
The poster features penalty yards for such infractions as not having working smoke alarms and not having a family escape plan.
Incidentally, Ben’s Fire Fighting Falcons shut out the Careless Colts on the poster’s scoreboard.
Ben also shared a fire-safety speech with classmates Monday after he was named junior fire chief, and he spoke briefly during the school’s morning news show.
“You should always make sure that pot handles on the stove are turned inward so people walking by the stove don’t accidentally bump into the pots and burn themselves,” he wrote among his top five tips.
Ben had a full schedule of honorary duties this week, including a ride in the Fire Prevention Parade downtown, a tour of the Fifth Third bank tower, a meeting with the LFUCG county council, a hands-on tour at Blue Grass Airport and a visit to Galls Inc., which sells firefighter uniforms and equipment.
Previously, the junior fire chief program sponsored an essay contest, but this time switched to posters instead.
“They thought that might get more children involved and more apt to be engaged – through drawing,” said Rhonda Fister, principal at Cassidy Elementary.