“I was crying tears inside,” Johnson, fifth grader at Brook Hill, said. “It just made me feel good accomplishing something like this.”

October was fire prevention month in Smith County. The Smith County Fire Department held a county-wide competition for schools in order to have their students create fire prevention posters. They handed out pamphlets with the rules and regulations to teachers. Two Brook Hill students won awards.

The theme was “Don’t wait, check the date” to teach students to remind their parents to replace their smoke detectors and smoke detector batteries.

Britney Johnson is enjoying her first semester at The Brook Hill School following a move from Virginia. She received her award at a ceremony that her grandfather flew in to watch. Her poster was about how not to start a fire.

Another student that placed was first grader Carley Lowery. Firemen Josh Stillwaugh and Caitlin Roberson came to her class to surprise her with her certificate and award money.

“I had no idea that I won,” Lowery said. “My teacher was so surprised.”

“The theme this year was encouraging parents, and children to remind parents, that their smoke detectors should be completely replaced every ten years and the batteries should be changed every six months,” Roberson, Bullard Fire Department firefighter, said.

“When the time changes, change your batteries,” Stillwaugh added.