Introducing Oshawa’s 2023 Junior Fire Chief

Mary and Fire Chief Clark standing in front of a fire truck.

Oshawa Fire Services is pleased to announce this year’s Junior Fire Chief! Mary is a Grade 6 student from Vincent Massey Public School. Her award-winning video on smoke alarms and home escape planning led to her being named 2023 Junior Fire Chief.

The Junior Fire Chief contest encouraged Oshawa students in Grades 5 and 6 to submit a video outlining the importance of smoke alarms and home escape planning.

Mary’s achievement was announced on Wednesday, May 17 at a school assembly in front of her teachers and fellow students. Mary’s video was played for all in attendance, and she was presented with:

a gift basket from Best Buy;
a bicycle, courtesy of Canadian Tire on Gibb Street;
Oshawa Fire Services clothing; and,
City of Oshawa swag.

Throughout the year, Mary be a part of community activities with Oshawa Fire Services.

For information about Oshawa Fire Services, visit oshawa.ca/Fire and @OshawaFire on Twitter.

For City of Oshawa updates, visit oshawa.ca/NewsCentre to follow us on social media, subscribe to news and alerts, and have your say on Connect Oshawa.

Quotes

"Congratulations to Mary, our 2023 Junior Fire Chief!” said Mayor Dan Carter. “The Junior Fire Chief contest is a great way to get the next generation thinking about fire safety. Fire safety starts with all of us.”

"In the event of an emergency, seconds count," said Councillor Brian Nicholson, Chair of the Safety & Facilities Services Committee. "Mary’s award-winning video identified the important steps that all Oshawa residents should be taking: make sure your smoke alarms work and practise your home escape plan. Thank you, Mary for your hard work on this and congratulations!”

"Thank you to all of the Oshawa students who took the time to submit a video in the Junior Fire Chief contest," said Councillor Rick Kerr, Vice-Chair of the Safety & Facilities Services Committee. "Each student who participated gained insightful knowledge about fire prevention and preparedness; everyone is a winner in this program."