‘Hear the beep where you sleep’ – Southgate student wins state fire poster contest
Published 10:27 am Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Southgate Elementary School fourth-grader Brandon Kuhnke, 9, center, won the 2015 Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association Poster Contest. He’s pictured with Austin Fire Chief Jim McCoy, left, and Fire Inspector Tim Hansen. Jason Schoonover/jason.schoonover@austindailyherald.com
When Southgate Elementary School students gathered in the gym Tuesday morning for an assembly, fourth-grader Brandon Kuhnke had no idea he was going to be front and center.
The 9-year-old learned he is the first Austin student to win the Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association Poster Contest and received a prize and framed a picture of his poster, which appeared on the cover of the March/April edition of Minnesota Fire Chief magazine.
“Congratulations to Brandon,” Austin Fire Chief Jim McCoy said. “We’re extremely proud. You’re our first winner of the overall poster contest from the city of Austin. You did a wonderful job.”
Brandon’s poster features red lettering reading, “Hear the beep where you sleep: every bedroom needs a working smoke detector.”
“I feel excited,” Brandon said. “It’s cool that I won from all those posters.”
Brandon’s mom, Laura, heard about the upcoming honor last week, but she and her husband, Kyle, kept it a secret from their son.
“It’s very exciting,” Laura said. “What an honor.”
Brandon’s poster also features his room’s rules: 1. Have a smoke detector, 2. Test it monthly, 3. Listen for the beep, and 4. Have an escape plan. Laura said her son took inspiration for his poster from rules he keeps on his own bedroom door, like “danger keep out” and “no girls allowed.”
The poster then features the rules pointing to a smoke detector and a house on fire, which has foot steps leading to an emergency meeting area.
Southgate Elementary School fourth-grader Brandon Kuhnke, 9, talks about his winning poster for the 2015 Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association Poster Contest at the school Tuesday. Jason Schoonover/jason.schoonover@austindailyherald.com
Brandon made his poster last October during Fire Prevention Week. The Austin Fire Department has hosted and annual poster contest each year with all Austin fourth-graders for more than 20 years, according to Austin Fire Inspector Tim Hansen. The theme for this last Fire Prevention Week was smoke detectors and “hear the beep where you sleep.”
“It was pretty exciting,” Hansen said. “It just goes to show that the message we’re tying to get out there … the kids are learning that.”
The department hosted a celebration at McDonald’s, 1009 W. Oakland Ave., last October and the department selected Brandon as the winner to compete against kids from around the state.
McCoy, Hansen and the rest of the department didn’t learn Brandon had won until the magazine arrived at their office a few weeks ago.
“This is a huge honor for us and for him, and we’re very excited,” Hansen said.
