Starting hands-on fire safety early
The future of public safety is bright in Fort Erie.
This summer, the local fire department offered its sixth annual junior firefighters camp.
It gives 25 young people, between the ages of 10 and 12, the opportunity to learn about fire, rescue and emergency medical service response teams and what they do to protect their communities.
Divided into two components, last year’s graduates were invited back for a three-day course in July to pick five participants to become junior leaders to assist with August’s training camp, which is taking place this week.
On Wednesday, members of the Fort Erie Fire Department provided hands-on experiences for the camp participants at Waterfront Park in Crystal Beach.
A ride in a rescue boat on Lake Erie, lessons about decontamination and aiming a fire hose were just a few of the activities on the agenda.
Fire Chief Ed Melanson said the public education portion of the camp is vitally important because the children end up taking their knowledge home with them.
“Kids are a straight conduit to their parents on what we need to do and how we need to do it,” he said.
Getting an up-close glimpse of the many responsibilities firefighters have can result in the youngsters educating their friends, but also pique their interest in emergency services at a young age.
“Hopefully, they might want to become volunteer firefighters in the future,” said Melanson.