Loyalty. Teamwork. Leadership. Pride.
Those four over-arching concepts will be featured during the Redwood Meadows Emergency Services (RMES) Fire Cadet Camp — a five-day-long camp that gives teens a taste of the life of a firefighter.
“We run the cadet camps much like we run recruit training (for RMES),” said Gary Robertson, RMES captain and camp organizer. “This is a unique opportunity for local kids to come and learn what it means to be a firefighter.”
The 2014 camps will run July 14-18 and August 11-15. Cadets will be in action from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day, save for an overnight camp out on the Thursday night.
Over the course of the week, cadets will learn about a number of training topics including vehicle extrication, search and rescue, fire extinguishers, hoses and hydrants, team building and leadership, and First Aid and CPR. Each topic has both a theoretical and practical portion.
Cadets will put their skills to the test under the watchful eyes of three experienced leaders. But Robertson said the week leaves participants with a sense of pride in their newfound knowledge.
“There is a sense of ownership,” said Robertson, noting that cadets will have their own fire truck to work with for the duration of camp.
“The skills cadets learn here are important life skills to have — basic first aid and CPR, and how to properly use fire extinguishers.”
The week’s end will be marked with a graduation ceremony where each cadet will be awarded a certificate and have their class photo taken with the fire truck.
A more advanced curriculum will be offered to cadets that graduated from the 2013 camp. The Level 2 camp will be offered during the August camp.
Only 12 spots are offered for each of the camps and are filled on a first-come-first-served basis. To register, visit rmesfire.org/firecadetcamp/.
