Beyond the Flames – Junior Firefighting Camp Held in Ocean City

For the fourth consecutive summer, a handful of children in Ocean City had the opportunity to fulfill a dream that many youngsters have at one point in their childhood – the life of a firefighter.
The fourth annual Ocean City Recreation Department’s Junior Firefighter Camp took place July 22-25 at the Ocean City Fire Department’s Headquarters on Asbury Avenue. The program exposed 28 children, ages 9 through 13, to various activities that firefighters encounter on a daily basis – rescuing those trapped in “smoke” filled rooms, performing CPR, removing trapped people from vehicle accidents, and more.
Attendees were trained in several areas of first aid and fire safety, including CPR training, as well as how to don and properly use various pieces of firefighting equipment, such as turnout gear, self-contained breathing apparatus, fire extinguishers, and ladders. Demonstrations on vehicle extrication and rappelling were also featured this year.
The children were able to use some of the equipment such as turnout gear and SCBAs, in a simulated fire with synthetic smoke during which they experienced similar conditions to what firefighters may encounter when they enter a burning building.
“One of the most rewarding parts of the program are the relationships that are built in such a short period of time,” said Daniel Schallawitz, vice president of the Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association Local No. 27, the firefighter’s union in Ocean City who helps to run the camp.
“By the end of the program many of the kids open up and show a more personal side. We have been thanked by a few parents who say their kids have truly blossomed over the duration of the camp. They become less introverted and more vocal. For us to have such an impact on their lives in only a short period of time is why we do what we do every day.”
Firefighters who assist with the camp volunteer their time with the children, and see the event as a way to give back to the community through their work. The firemen are led by the camp coordinator, OCFD Captain Vito DeMarco, who Schallawitz said is the heart and soul of the program.
DeMarco has seen the camp’s participation blossom over recent years, with this year’s participant numbers nearly triple from those when the camp launched its inaugural run in 2010.
“The department and the union feel that the camp is a great opportunity for us to build on some kids that may one day become firefighters, and to help them understand what they may encounter if they’re on the other side of an emergency,” DeMarco said. “We are always looking to give back to the community and this is one of the ways we can do that.”
The camp concluded at the end of the week with an obstacle course that required children to utilize some of the training and equipment that they had learned about throughout the week, and ended with a pizza party between children and their firefighter camp counselors. It was these relationships formed between the children and firefighters that make the camp truly worthwhile, said Schallawitz.
“The fire department is a big family and when the kids are here they become part of that extended family,” he said. “Some kids have even attended the camp multiple years -one young lady was on her fourth. For our camp to be considered a highlight of a child’s summer is the best indication I can think of that we are doing a good thing here.”
Knoll, 21, of Eldora, can be contacted by email at beyondtheflamescmc@gmail.com. He is a student at Rowan University.