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Summer first responder camp for kids

Posted at 4:35 PM, Jul 22, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-22 17:35:27-04
 Some kids in Papillion and La Vista are spending some of their summer break getting a first hand look at what it's like to be a first responder.
 
All of the spots for this year's fire safety camp filled up quickly. Reporter Shawnte Passmore shows us why this program is so popular. 
 
At the fire safety camp, it's all about learning while having fun. And perhaps, one day they'll have to put into action what they learned. That's why the Papillion fire department wants kids to be ready. When they could have been in bed a little bit longer, nearly 60 kids made their way into a fire station in La Vista.
"So this is just a camp to help us reinforce what we taught them during the school year and to also give them a chance to have some hands on experience with some of the tools that we have. With our 911 dispatch, learn how to call 911. When to call 911" said Papillion Fire Department Captain Brad Nickisch.
 
The two-day camp is jam-packed, bringing real-life scenarios into a controlled environment: like how to do CPR and how to exit a fire building safely by remaining low to the ground to avoid smoke inhalation. The kids seem to be enjoying the experience. "It's fun and exciting. There's a lot of action." "I'm going to tell my parents like they train a lot and they sleep and work here and they like when they get a call they have to hurry up to the place so the person doesn't get more hurt."
 
And while they're learning what it means to save a life, the department hopes kids can walk away with that same skill. "We're going to teach them a little bit about CPR. They're at the age where they can kind of help with CPR now. So they're going to learn a little bit about first aid."