“What I liked best about Camp 911,” Olivia Nault told her father, “was getting on the Portland Fire Boat and going to the Animal Rescue League,” but she had a hard time choosing because all five days were chocked full of adventure and new experiences.
A joint project of the Gorham Police Department and the Gorham Fire Department, the first 2018 session of Camp 911 gave kids in grades 3-5 an opportunity to learn what police officers, firefighters, Maine wardens, and even Gorham Police Department’s K-9 dog, Sitka, do to keep them safe. They learned basic fire aid and how to keep themselves safe on bikes, in the water, or in case of fire. They went swimming and ate pizza.
Photos courtesy of Gorham Police Dept.Participants of Camp 911 learned about the equipment used during rescues, basic first aid, and how to splint. The kids also had a visit from the MRAP vehicle (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) and were able to check out the inside with Gorham’s very own Sgt Young.
Thanks to the enthusiastic hard work of School Resource Officer Mike Coffin and Firefighter Dale Leighton, the 28 children enrolled in Camp 911 had a memorable week learning valuable skills while having fun.
This was the second year for Camp 911. This summer, there will be an additional session for middle school age campers from August 13 to 17. Registration is through Gorham Recreation Department, although the program is nearly full. The older children will participate in many of the same activities, but will have more hand-on experiences. They will help cut up a car with Jaws of Life and learn some tech- niques of evidence collection.