OCEANSIDE — Oceanside crowned Alexxa Morgan Miss Fire Prevention in June, just in time for Morgan to represent the Oceanside Fire Department, Firefighters Association and lifeguards in the Freedom Days Parade that same month.
This is the first year Miss Fire Prevention has been crowned since the 1960s.
“It’s a great opportunity to represent the Fire Department,” Morgan said.
Oceanside Firefighters Association president Dave Overton initiated reinstating Miss Fire Prevention when he ran into Genevieve Wunder and the Miss Oceanside court at Oceanside Days of Art in April.
Wunder is a member and former president of the Oceanside Sea Lions Club, which sponsors the Miss Oceanside pageant. When Overton approached her with the idea of a Miss Fire Prevention pageant she said, “it’s done.”
“In the1960s we had the first ever Miss Fire Prevention,” Wunder said. “Since then we have not had another one.”
Within two months a pageant was held and Morgan, 17, was crowned Miss Fire Prevention.
Miss Fire Prevention must be an Oceanside resident, age 17 to 24, earn good grades, display good character and have poise and personality. The pageant competition scores contestants on sportswear, formalwear, and an impromptu interview question.
Morgan also wears the crown of Miss Make a Wish. Her duty for the Make a Wish Foundation is to raise awareness about childhood illnesses and raise funds to grant the wish of a child with a life-threatening illness.
Miss Fire Prevention serves a parallel role as an ambassador for the Oceanside Fire Department, Firefighters Association and lifeguards at community events.
Morgan’s message as Miss Fire Prevention is to inform families on fire prevention and evacuation safety measures. She shares simple tips, which include have working smoke detectors, turn off small appliances such as curling irons and develop a family evacuation plan.
“Teaching fire safety is so important to save a life,” Morgan said. “A fire can blaze a house in 30 seconds.”
At community events and school assemblies people are often more comfortable approaching Miss Fire Prevention than firefighters and lifeguards in uniforms.
“People love her,” Wunder said. “She’s very well spoken and a good representative.”
Morgan said she attends one to two events a week as Miss Fire Prevention. During her reign she has attended the firefighters Harbor Days pancake breakfast, Fire Prevention Week firefighting demonstrations at Fire Station No.1, and the Burn Institute gala in San Diego.
In addition to her duties as Miss Fire Prevention and Miss Make a Wish, Morgan is also second runner up in the Miss Oceanside pageant, takes MiraCosta College honors classes and works part time. She recently became a young ambassador of the Redlight Traffic charity, which works to raise awareness and stop human trafficking and forced prostitution.
Morgan said fulfilling all her obligations is a matter of time management and finding a balance.
“Everything has happened this year,” Morgan said. “It’s the toughest year so far and a lot of fun.”
She said her platforms as Miss Fire Prevent and Miss Make a wish “show the younger generation they can make a difference in the community at any age.”
Her goals for next year are to compete for Miss Teenage California and continue pursuing a degree in business administration. Another commitment she has is to help the next Miss Fire Prevention with her duties.
Wunder, the executive pageant coordinator for Miss Fire Prevention, said the 2014 Miss Fire Prevention pageant would name a new Miss Fire Prevention and two princesses.
1 comment
This is one special young woman! Congrats!
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