Hose Elementary And Sommer Elementary Win 2023 Fire Drill Contest

Crawfordsville Fire Department Division Chief Brian Bechtel has announced the 2023 winners of the CFD Fire Drill Contest for the Crawfordsville and North Montgomery school districts.

The 2023 Crawfordsville winner was Hose Elementary. Sommer Elementary took the win this year for the North Montgomery school district. Previous winners and trophy holders were Hoover Elementary and Sugar Creek Elementary.

Division Chief Bechtel awarded the two schools their traveling trophies earlier this month. Along with the trophy, each school was awarded a $200 check from the Crawfordsville Professional Firefighters Local Union 4143 to use as they would like.

“We always appreciate working with the fire department to make sure we’re doing the best that we can to prepare our community for any emergency. We would also like to thank the local fire fighters’ organization for their donation made to our school,” said Sommer Elementary School Principal Suzi Gephart. “This donation will be given to our Sommer Student Council to support service projects.”

Each year, for over 10 years, the fire drill contest is conducted during the month of October as an activity for National Fire Prevention Month. The fire drill competition is more than a trophy and funding though; it is meant to be a learning opportunity for the kids.

“The competition is a fun way to get the kids excited about fire safety,” Division Chief Bechtel said. “We hope that they can take what they learn and apply it in any situation. We are proud of the staffs’ hard work and dedication with instilling fire safety in our schools.”