KNIGHTDALE - Three Knightdale girls beat out more than 35 other contestants to win the Knightdale Chamber of Commerce essay contest this month.

Gabriela Meza-Carrillo, Melanie Bautista, and Breanna Senter earned praise at the Knightdale Public Safety appreciation event at the station on Jan. 17 for their essays on the importance of firefighters, police officers and emergency medical responders.

The essay contest was sponsored by the Knightdale Chamber of Commerce.

Meza-Carrillo, a 5th grader at Hodge Road Elementary, won first place.

Bautista, a 3rd grader at Lockhart Elementary, won second place.

Senter, a 4th grader at Lockhart, won third place.

Each received and certificate after reading their essays in front of nearly 50 public safety officers.

Here are the three winning essays:

Gabriela Meza-Carrillo

Have you ever thought of how our community has helped us? We never really think of who and how they help us. How about the ambulance? Our firefighters or the police perhaps. Together they make our community a safer place.

Our ambulance helps in a huge way. When we have an emergency they come to the rescue in a short time. Think of a time that you had to call 911 and when they came you felt so relieved. That is why they help us in many different ways, whether it’s a big problem or small problem they’ll always be there.

Also, community firefighters are really cool. They are willing to risk their lives for us everyday. All of their effort and support is really kind. I look up to them. They are like my role models. Many of them have died trying to help us, but knowing that there was a chance in that happening they never quit.

Police officers are crime fighters. They solve our problems and help us by making justice count. They always try. All of their hard work and dedication is what makes our community a safer place. To me it is one of the best things you can get.

Together they help our community and even better our nation. Some people say that singers are okay, but I think you guys are my heroes because you help us in every way you can. Then I sit there and think what would happen if you guys weren’t there? America would fall apart and would be an unsafe place.

Melanie Bautista

The police are people who keep us safe always. They keep us safe by stopping us and giving us a ticket to slow down so we won’t end up in a car crash and also by blowing the whistle to tell us to go slow so we won’t hit someone’s car.

They go in the road to see if there’s any traffic so kids can cross safely without getting hurt. They also keep us safe by watching if there’s any danger.

The firefighters are people who keep us safe from fire. They keep us safe by putting out fires all over the city and world. They also keep us safe from burning fires with a lot of water on cars or houses or stores. They can also keep us safe when our door in the car gets jammed. They can get an ax or another tool to open the door. And when there is a car crash they come along and see if there was a fire or door jammed.

The EMS is someone who comes to your house if your are sick and you can’t drive a car. They keep us safe by coming to our house quickly if we have a terrible emergency and you need some doctor to attend to you or if you need medical service quick you call the EMS to come get you if you’re really, really hurt. EMS is really important to me. They save a lot of lives around the entire world.

Breanna Senter

Thank you EMS for coming to my house every time I have an asthma attack. Whenever you come you always make sure I’m okay and that I get to the hospital safely. Thank you EMS for all you do.

Thank you firefighters for all you do. Thank you for when you came to my cousin’s house to put out the fire, so they wouldn’t get hurt. Thank you firefighters.

Thank you police for treating use right and if there is something bad happening you make it stop, or not happen anymore. Thank you for making sure our environment is clean.