Posted by Brad Korb
Most parents know that seventh graders can be way too “cool” to be impressed by much. So when Luther Burbank Middle School counselor Stacy Cashman signed up 27 kids for an overnight “fire camp” at the Burbank Fire Department, she wasn’t surprised when a lot of them were pretty blasé.
But from almost the moment they arrived at 5 p.m. Friday, April 18, they were met with the unexpected. After being introduced to an engine company and listening to a talk about firefighting as a profession, they found themselves rushing outside to witness a surprise car fire, which firemen quickly extinguished and then used the Jaws of Life to turn the car into a convertible!
That was just the beginning. Throughout the camp, which continued until noon the next day, the excitement was nearly non-stop. Kids went into a faux-smoke-filled building and had to follow the fire hose line to escape. They competed against each other in relays involving hose-coupling and hitting targets with blasts of water. They navigated barricades in darkened, smoky environments.
They climbed ladders and toured simulated attics like the real ones firefighters often deal with in actual fires. They learned hands-on the importance of safety, discipline, and camaraderie. In short, they learned not only what it’s like to be a firefighter, but what it’s like to be an adult on a team with a serious job to do.
“Afterward, they were all coming up to me and saying, ‘Thanks for bugging me to go,’” Cashman said. “We asked the kids, ‘What did you like about it?’ and they said, ‘Everything.’ We asked, ‘What didn’t you like about it? And they said, ‘Nothing.’”
The fire camp was the brainchild of Burbank Fire Chief Tracy Pansini, and organized by fire captains Greg Rhoads and Ron Bell. As important as learning basic firefighting skills were the real-life experiences of teamwork, getting along with others, and the rewards of pushing themselves into new territory.
“We talked a lot about choices and how they can affect your life forever,” said Bell. “We’re lucky in that we can approach these kids a little differently than teachers and counselors. We can present things they way they are and treat them like adults.”
Bell wants anyone interested in fire camps for kids to call him at (818) 238-3473.
As for me, I hope he gets a lot of calls. My hat’s off to Tracy Pansini, Captains Bell and Rhoads, and everyone at the Burbank Fire Department. To have a fire camp sleep-over – how cool is that? What a great thing for kids!
