Cohasset Middle School students win art contest, money for Fire Department

Jun. 30—Two Cohasset Middle School students have reason to be fired up.

Earlier this month, CMS students John Naples and Lincoln Pattison were selected as winners in a statewide art contest.

The theme of the contest was fire safety, and students were asked to create posters on the subject.

The Arson Watch Reward Program Fire Safety Poster Contest is sponsored by the Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association. It is open to all Massachusetts students in grades 6, 7 and 8.

Naples took home second place in Norfolk County for his poster. Pattison won first place in the county.

All first place county winners were automatically entered into a statewide contest, where Pattison earned second place overall in the state.

Both Naples and Pattison are students of Cohasset Middle School Visual and Performing Arts teacher Laura Swartz.

The theme of this year's poster contest was "Fire Prevention: Everyone/Everyday." The goal of the contest is to make students and their families aware that preventing fires requires everyone to be alert every day to all acts, omissions and dangers that cause fires.

"Fire safety education is important at any age level, but especially for children," contest officials said. "Many children who play with fire do not realize the dangers and injuries their play can cause. 40% of all set fires involve children; 65% are caused by youths between the ages of 5 and 9 years old who are simply curious about fire. The majority of these fires involves matches or lighters and occurs where there is the most danger to lives and property: your home."

The poster contest has been held annually each year since 2010. Naples and Pattison are Cohasset's first contest winners since 2017. Pattison is just the second Cohasset student to place in the statewide contest.

As part of Pattison's statewide selection, the Cohasset Fire Department will be granted $1,500 to be used for any equipment, materials, education, research and prevention efforts relative to fire prevention/education.

In a statement, the Cohasset Fire Department applauded Naples and Pattison for their efforts.

"John and Lincoln [did] terrific work designing and creating these posters," Cohasset Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief John Dockray said. "It is never too early to start learning about how to prevent fires, and the CFD will continue to work with our younger residents to educate them on proper fire safety."

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