LESSONS IN SAFETY

Children learn about fire safety, rescues at youth fire camp

LIMERICK » There was a whole lot of activity going on last week in the township involving undersized firefighters.

Behind Limerick Fire Company, sirens wailed and helicopters could be heard making a landing as Limerick’s annual Youth Fire Camp, a week-long program now in its fifth year, taught kids about fire safety, rescue operations and the ins and outs of being a firefighter.

“Today they’re learning about all the different rescue tools that we would use so there’s putters and spreaders and rams and airbags,” said Limerick Fire Chief Ken Shuler. “They’re learning all the pieces of the puzzle and also learning about patient care.”

The week features a variety of different activities that allow kids ages 6 to 13 to get hands-on experience with real-life emergency situations including vehicle rescues, kitchen fires and medical emergencies. During a mock rescue, campers, all donning their own Limerick firefighting attire, got to learn how to evacuate a trapped person from a vehicle, how to transport a victim from an ambulance to a Med Evac helicopter and about the staging of tools at the scene.

New this year, campers got to see the Phoenixville Dive Unit, the Forestry Division, a bomb squad, the National Fire

Sprinkler Association and a demonstration on a confined space rescue.

The camp wrapped up on

Friday with demonstrations on how to fight kitchen fires as well as a course that will allow campers to show off what they’ve learned over the course of the week.

This year, campers totaled 135, the largest the camp program has ever had, and over

the last few years, the interest in the camp has even encouraged some kids to go on to join a volunteer fire company, Shuler said.

“The applications were overwhelming this year. We probably have another 100 kids on a wait list,” said

MARIAN DENNIS – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Campers at Limerick Youth Firefighting Camp help transport a “patient” from the scene to a medical helicopter. The demonstration was part of the week-long camp aimed at teaching kids about fire fighting, rescues and safety.

MARIAN DENNIS – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Campers listened attentively as they learned all about fire fighters and first responders. The week-long camp help at Limerick Fire Company welcomed 135 kids into the program this year.

MARIAN DENNIS – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Shuler. “Kids come from all over for the camp. We’ve had kids come from as far as Florida. We know that many of the kids who have gone through our camp have joined fire companies. We’ve picked up several junior members from it and I know other fire companies in the area have as well.”While the camp is open to children ages 6 to 13, interested teens can start training to be a volunteer firefighter in Limerick as early as age 14. The fire company offers a cadet program for volunteers ages 14 to 15 and a junior program for volunteers ages 16 and 17. At 18, volunteers can legally begin to go to fire school.To learn more about Youth Firefighter Camp or becoming a volunteer firefighter, visit www.limerickfirerescue.org. Campers learned about stabilizing vehicles, rescuing victims from a crash and much more during a youth fire fighting camp at Limerick Fire Company.

MARIAN DENNIS – DIGITAL FIRST MEDIA Campers were shown the ropes during events at youth fire fighting camp in Limerick. Kids got to learn about the tools used at the scene of an accident as well as how to transport a victim.