Kids learn basics from firemen at annual camp

By Jessica Coleman    
Staff Writer
    A group of Jackson County kids got a taste of what it is like to be a first responder during Edna’s second annual Fire Camp, hosted by Emergency Services District 3 from June 13 through June 17.
    The all-day camp included lessons on everything from putting out a fire, to how to escape your home in a fire, to a CPR course that ended with every camper receiving their CPR certification. They even visited the Jackson County Jail and heard from inmates and law enforcement personnel about the dangers and consequences  of drug abuse and crime.
    Paden Bradley, a first-year camper, said he learned CPR at camp and thinks it is a useful skill to have that could come in handy for him.
    “My favorite part of Fire Camp was learning to do CPR,” he said, “Learning how many compressions to do, and how many breaths to do, and all that.”
    12-year-old Hailey Stone of Edna attended last year’s camp. She said she enjoyed this year just as much.
    “We rode go-karts,” she said, “We had to drive around cones. I don’t know how many I hit. I lost count. It was a lot.”
    Stone also said that although she visited the jail during the 2015 Fire Camp, it had just as much impact the second time.
    “The inmates told us about their lives and how they got there,” she said, “It was sad.”
    The five-day camp encompassed many of the responsibilities of first responders and the kids all learned something. They explored the PHI Air Med Helicopter, went swimming, learned how to use a fire hose, and how to crawl under the smoke to escape a burning home.
    Captain Nick Strauss of ESD 3 said the goal is to educate while having fun, and the benefits may not be seen immediately, but can be great.
    “If one day we see a headline that says ‘Fire camper saves life,’ that is the benefit,” he said. “If we can save one life, that’s what it’s about.”