2024 Poster Contest

2024 Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Poster Contest Rules

This year, Fire Prevention week is October 6th through the 12th. As part of that week, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO) is holding our annual Fire Prevention Poster Contest to celebrate Fire Prevention Week. As in years past, the 2024 contest will be completely virtual!

2024PosterContest

The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) reminds us that this year’s theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” strives to educate everyone about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home. The three key calls to action are: INSTALL, TEST, and REPLACE.

Today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes (or even less time) to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.

The State Fire Marshal's Office poster contest is open to all Tennessee students in kindergarten through 12th grade. 

Before entering the contest, be sure to carefully read all the instructions and rules below.

1. The poster contest is open to all students in kindergarten through 12th Grade.  A total of 14 winners will be chosen.  Students are encouraged to submit their entry through their local fire department but may submit their artwork directly to the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO).   

Posters must be original work of the students and must emphasize the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) annual theme, which is “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!”. You can find information on the theme here.

2. Posters can be submitted as a file upload through the online registration form. Accepted file types include PNG, JPG, BMP, and GIF. Please make sure the picture of the poster being submitted is clear! All entries submitted to the state MUST have a completed registration form accompanying the poster submission. The registration form and submission link can be found here.

3. Registration forms and posters may be submitted beginning October 1, 2024, and must be submitted through the link above by October 31, 2024, to be considered for judging. 

4. State judging will be held in late fall - early winter and winners will be notified soon thereafter. A list of winners and pictures of the winning posters will be posted on the State Fire Marshal’s website. Each winner will receive a Certificate of Achievement from Governor Lee, $50 cash, a prize bag, and an invitation to an awards event that is tentatively scheduled for Nashville in spring of 2025.

If you have questions, please contact Community Risk Reduction Coordinator John Perry at john.perry@tn.gov.


Important Dates to Remember: 

October 1, 2024 Open for Submissions
October 31, 2024 Submission form closes
Late fall / early winter Judging conducted
Spring 2025 Awards ceremony held in Nashville