Teenager’s logo used to promote awareness (From Dorset Echo)

Teenager’s logo used to promote awareness

2:00pm Tuesday 8th January 2013 in News By Martin Lea

A TEENAGER will see her work used to promote a new safety charity run out of Weymouth Fire Station.

Stephanie Hagan, 14, from Dorchester, won a competition organised by Dorset Fire and Rescue Service to design a logo for SafeWise, the organisation managing the community safety centre at the brigade’s new station in Radipole Lane.

The competition was open to local 13 to 21-year-olds who were asked to design a logo which conveyed the charity’s key message – to educate Dorset residents and make them safer.

SafeWise’s education facilities include FireWise, a real-life fire demonstration area, and HealthWise, a programme run in conjunction with the National Health Service.

It also provides a number of resources for community use including several lecture rooms, a café, a dance studio and an IT suite. And plans are being developed for RoadWise, a life-sized road network to teach road safety awareness.

Stephanie’s winning entry for the competition depicted a heart using a road (representing HealthWise and RoadWise) surrounded by flames (representing FireWise).

As part of her prize, she and her family were invited to spend a day with the fire and rescue service, learning about how the service works, watching crews go out on a ‘shout’ and viewing the SafeWise education facilities. The family also met Chief Fire Officer Darran Gunter and Councillor David Harris, the chairman of SafeWise.

Stephanie said: “I had a great day out with Dorset Fire and Rescue Service.

“I had a chance to see the effect that opening a door can have upon a fire at the FireWise demonstration, and was really surprised by the amount of equipment that a fire engine carries.”

Coun Harris said: “We are delighted to be using Stephanie’s winning logo for SafeWise and also to have her and her family visit us at Weymouth community safety centre.

“The SafeWise logo has enabled us to bring our FireWise, HealthWise and other future education programmes together under one banner, and we are proud to be able to use the logo to fly the SafeWise flag across Dorset and beyond.”

To find out more about SafeWise look out for the new website safewise.org which will go live soon.