Elementary school drawings on display in Kingsport Fire Stations
Having children of all ages visit their neighborhood fire station and spend time with firefighters is a long-standing tradition in Kingsport. These welcomed visits are fun, educational and help build a sense of community between residents and our first responders.
However, during the COVID-19 pandemic fire stations, like most other places, were shut off to the public and visits became less frequent. Now, with the help of a community art project, Kingsport Fire Chief Scott Boyd is hoping to get folks back in the habit of visiting their neighborhood fire station.
Through a partnership between the Kingsport Fire Department, the Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts and Kingsport City Schools, third grade students from six elementary schools created more than 350 drawings of “Community Heroes.”
The drawings are of fire fighters, police officers, EMS workers, doctors and nurses and other iconic images, such as helicopters, Dalmatians and badges. The artwork has been scanned with the copies hung together in six Kingsport fire stations.
The KFD is inviting the students, their parents and the community to open houses at the six stations to debut the artwork. The artwork will remain up through the end of May.
“We are missing the community connection that the fire department has always had,” said Kingsport Fire Chief Scott Boyd. “We want to see that come back by welcoming folks into the fire houses.”
All of the open houses will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on the following dates, displaying artwork from the noted school.
- April 19
- Fire Station 1 (Island Street) – Jackson Elementary.
- Fire Station 6 (Fort Henry Drive) – Johnson Elementary.
- April 25
- Fire Station 3 (Memorial Boulevard) – Jefferson Elementary.
- Fire Station 5 (Lynn Garden) – Kennedy Elementary.
- April 27
- Fire Station 4 (W. Stone Drive) – Roosevelt Elementary.
- Fire Station 8 (New Beason Well Road) – Washington Elementary.
“This is a great collaboration between the fire department and city schools to highlight third graders artwork while opening the door for the public to meet some true heroes in the community,” said Cultural Arts Coordinator Hannah Powell.