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BISBEE — The two boys tried to sneak up on Bisbee firefighter Brandon Davy and pull the dump-the-Gatorade-all-over-the-coach trick like they had seen on TV.
Their team had just won the bucket brigade relay and grabbed the barrel of water to celebrate the win. But, Davy turned the tables on them and gave Sammy Barrow and Matt Perez, both 12 years old, a good soaking. The boys yelled with delight while the firefighters there training them in the ways of a firefighter smiled and laughed.
The relay was just one small component of a week-long Kids Fire Camp, the brainchild of Caroline Gonzales, parks and event coordinator, and the first one ever held in Bisbee. Gonzales reasoned that the more you can give a kid to do in the summer, the healthier he or she will be. This camp provided not only a lot of exercise, but the opportunity to experience the profession of firefighting. It also lets them experience teamwork.
“This gives kids the opportunity to explore another type of career. Not everyone is cut out for college and those kids need to know they have other options in different technical careers,” she explained.
 Andy Ray, 11, watches as Danny Barrow, 9, hangs onto the watery fire hose during Kids Fire Camp, conducted by the City of Bisbee’s Parks and Recreation Department and the Bisbee Fire Department. The camp allowed kids to learn about fire fighting and rescue practices. Ed Honda•Herald/Review |
Daly explained Gonzales had asked if the fire department would be interested in participating in the camp.
“We thought it was a good idea. And it’s going pretty good. We have 19 kids in the program from 8 to 15 years old,” said Daly.
He admitted he had missed two days early in the week, but he had a good reason — the birth of his baby girl Kaylee. He wanted to be with his wife, Jennifer as she went through the birthing.
“This is our first year doing this so it’s been a learning experience ... The kids loved going in the smoke house (a training facility that uses a sweet non-harmful smoke) and the C-spine ... But we think that next year we’ll drop the hours a bit. It’s hard coming up with things they can do for four hours a day,” he added.
While many of the activities, like the smoke house and using fire extinguishers were fun, it also gave the kids an opportunity to experience the feel of a fire and how to react, he said. The smoke house simulates a house filled with smoke and the children are taught to crawl along the floor to get out safely. Working with the fire extinguishers taught them what fires can and cannot be put out with one and how quickly one can be emptied.
Sarrah Huges, an 8-year-old from Tucson visiting her grandparents Anna and Bob Kline, said, “I like it. It’s fun. I liked learning how to do CPR and what fires can be put out with a fire extinguisher. You can only use an extinguisher on a small fire.”
For Molly Hottel, an 11-year-old from Bisbee, the smoke house was her favorite.
“The smoke tastes like candy,” she said with a smile. “And I liked the C-spine. You strap someone onto a backboard to keep their spine straight if they’ve been hurt. And we learned what the different fire trucks do and how to use some of the tools. The firefighters cut a car open so we could see how it’s done.”
That exercise, noted Davy, helped the little firefighters experience what it would be like in a car accident.
“They won’t be as scared after seeing all the equipment and how it all works,” added Davy.
Huges stated the steps to go through if her house caught fire.
“First you have to feel the door, if it’s hot then you go out the window and go to your meeting place. And you never go back in for anything. Not a dog or a cat or anything,” she warned. “Then you run to a neighbor and ask them to call 911.”
Hottel said she was going to ask her mother to get a fire extinguisher for her bedroom. She was worried that if a fire occurred, she would lose her American Girl doll collection.
The girls also learned that you don’t use water to out out a fuel fire. Gas is lighter than water and if you spray burning fuel, it will spread.
They were also taught that if there is a fire in a high-rise or a multi-story building, to attract the attention of the firefighters, one should toss out a stuffed animal or something soft that can easily be noticed.
“You don’t want to throw out a piano or anything hard,” cautioned Hottel.
“And don’t hide in a closet or under the bed,” added Huges. “The firefighters may not find you.” Both girls have decided they want to be firefighters.
Nine-year-old Anthony Frosco, from Bisbee, learned a lot, though he plans to be a policeman because they see more action.
“In the old days, firefighters had to pass buckets of water along to put out a fire. The hoses make it a lot easier,” Frosco said. “I learned that tones go off and the different tones mean different emergencies.”
After seeing the Life Net helicopter up close, 11-year-old Andy Ray decided that he wants to be a chopper pilot and help people.
“I want to land a helicopter on the highway,” he said.
Of course, no kids camp would be complete without some hijinx. Davy confessed that the teams strapped Gonzales down to the C-spine and backboard and flipped her upside down. With her head near the ground, the kids really got a kick out of the fun. Gonzales had complete trust in the firefighters and had fun getting hauled around even though she was topsy-turvy.
The goal of the program was to help kids realize what a sense of emergency felt like and that firefighters are the good guys, noted Davy. Apparently, that goal was met and the kids, well, some say they’ll be back next year for more fun and training.
Herald/Review reporter Shar Porier can be reached at 515-4692 or by e-mail at shar.porier@bisbeereview.net.
Caroline Gonzales wrote on Jun 29, 2008 12:39 PM: