Kids Get Firsthand Look at Firefighting at Roseville Summer Camp

Some Roseville kids this week got a taste of what it's really like to be a firefighter, cutting cars open with the Jaws of Life, climbing a massive ladder, rappelling off a six-story building and coming face-to-face with real fires.

The Roseville Fire Department's Kids Fire Camp runs for one week each summer and allows kids ages 11 to 14 the chance to practice in the same scenarios real firefighters use to train.

"He's getting a good grasp of what we do," Roseville Fire Capt. Robert Tilton said of his son, who is attending the camp. "He said, 'Dad, your job's hard!' "

The camp started in 2002 and was held every summer until 2007, when it was put on hold because of budget cuts, Camp Coordinator and Fire Engineer/Paramedic Joe Lapenna said. 

He said the short camp not only teaches practical skills like how to use a fire extinguisher or what to do if you're swept away in a river, but also challenges kids to do things like crawl through a tight maze. 

"A lot of them get over fears they thought they couldn't," Lapenna said. "What we hear from parents is how much they've grown."

The Fire Camp, which usually accepts 24 kids but this year swelled to accomodate 28, is full of very physical activities.

"They love it, but by the end of the week they're exhausted," he said.

The camp isn't free, but the Roseville firefighters union provides scholarships for two attendees, and all of the employees at the camp volunteer their time. Lapenna said he was supposed to be at work Friday, but took a couple vacation days to work at the Fire Camp.

He said some former camp attendees are now starting to pursue a career in firefighting.

The Roseville Kids Fire Camp attendees will hold a graduation ceremony for parents Saturday.

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