Humane hosts second annual youth firefighter camp
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Mahanoy City Humane Lt. Thom O'Connor helps a camp participant tie a knot to hoist a hoseline to the second floor of the Humane firehouse.
MAHANOY CITY – The second iteration of a youth firefighter camp is underway this week in this borough.
The Humane Fire Company’s second annual youth firefighter camp began this morning at the firehouse on West Centre Street.
Humane Capt. Bill Killian said the 21 kids are participating in the camp this year, including six who participated last year.
“It’s been a little bit challenging with COVID, we’re trying our best and we have a plan in place and are following that,” Killian said. “There were a lot of things we did last year that were hands-on that we’re not able to do this year.”
Killian said the camp aims to tell the history of the fire service, provide fire safety and prevention tips, and demonstrate tactics and tools of the modern fire service.
“This is our take on how to get kids interested,” Killian said, referring to the dwindling number of volunteer firefighters. “It’s not all about firefighting, there are other career paths they can go — EMTs, flight nurses — this may be the inception that gets them involved to help out in their community or be potential leaders in their community.”
Monday afternoon, the West End Fire and Rescue Co. brought their Heavy Rescue to the fire station for a demonstration of their own.
“We bring the rescue because that’s basically the big toolbox on wheels, jack of all trades, so they [West End] can explain things that are outside what we do. We’re a strictly engine company,” Killian said.
West End Lt. Dave Truskowsky conducted a walk-around tour of the truck and its compartments, explaining what each section and tool is used for and providing demonstrations.
Earlier in the day, Mike Kitsock, a firefighter and volunteer with the Schuylkill Historical Fire Society, was out maintaining the borough’s fire box system and took a moment to teach the group about the system and its history and importance.
Following the West End’s demonstration, participants were taught various knots used to hoist tools from the ground to upper levels of a building.
Mahanoy City Fire Chief Dan Markiewicz also stopped by, providing some of his background as a child growing up watching EMERGENCY!, leading to him joining the West End Fire Co. and eventually becoming fire chief and a dispatcher. He encouraged the participants to ask questions and to learn as much as they could from the experience.
The camp runs until Wednesday, when the camp will spend the day at the Schuylkill County Fire Training Grounds near Morea.
Full Photo Gallery
About Author
