TERRE HAUTE —
Attending Vigo County Junior Fire Camp last year certainly came in handy for one of the youth attending camp again this year.
Gunner Smith, a sixth-grader at West Vigo Middle School, said he woke up recently to his father having a seizure.
“I saw him shaking in bed and I sat up and yelled to my grandma,” Gunner said Friday during a brief break at fire camp. While his grandmother called 911 to request an ambulance, Gunner went into action.
“He couldn’t breath because he was curled up,” the 11-year-old said, “so I took the pillow out from under his head and took the covers off him and got him straightened out.”
And Gunner stayed calm throughout the ordeal.
Where did he learn what to do in such an emergency?
“I learned it here, last year,” said the boy who hopes to one day be a firefighter or a policeman.
While not all of the youths — boys and girls ages 11 and 12 — at this year’s camp plan to have a future career as an emergency responder, they certainly enjoyed learning about the careers during the fifth annual Junior Fire Camp.
Honey Creek firefighter Bill Benke said one goal of camp is to make it fun for the kids. On Friday, a zip line was suspended from a ladder truck to another vehicle so the youths could get the feel of wearing a harness, and trusting someone to get them safely from a height back to the ground.
“I thought it was fun,” said Luka Popoff after her turn on the zip line. “I was just a little nervous, but not scared.”
“I like playing water ball and water soccer,” said Garrett Hart, a sixth-grader attending Honey Creek Middle School. And, he said he has learned a lot about fire safety.
Stevie Johnson has already attended Junior Fire Camp for three years, and this year he returned as a junior leader.
“I’m helping out and having fun,” said Johnson, who is the son of a firefighter.
About 40 youth graduated from the camp on Friday afternoon. During their experience, they have learned about extrication tools — with scaled down examples of how to smash a tin can and how not to crush an egg — as well as first aid, storm and disaster preparations, how to force entry on a door, and how to load and unload water hoses.
Benke said the fire camp benefits from the support of several area businesses who provide meals and supplies for the campers and the firefighters who volunteer their time and energy to share their career with a new generation of potential firefighters.
For more information about the Vigo County Junior Fire Camp, visit www.vcjfc.com, or look it up on Facebook.
Reporter Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @TribStarLisa.
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Junior Fire Camp — it's not just for fun
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