Englewood Firefighter Kevin Wilson grabs an ax and lobs it against the sides of the Mazda 626. Passengers inside scream for help. A crowd begins to form.
This isn’t a real life rescue by the Englewood Fire Department. Just your average day at the Englewood Summer Youth Camp.
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JOE CAMPOREALE/ SUBURBANITE
Fireman Stephen Burns, right, and Lietenant Raymond Ryland use the 'Jaws of Life' to rescue the trapped passengers inside the car.
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The camp enlists children ages 9 to 14 for a weeklong sneak peak into the workings of the Englewood Fire Department and other emergency response agencies.
Fire Inspector Rocco Carbone and Wilson have run the camp since 2002 with the help of about eight Fire Department volunteers and donations from local businesses.
"We thought it’d be a good idea to run a camp to teach [children] life skills and about the importance of education," said Wilson. "We focus a lot on communication skills, [about] respecting and working with each other."
Through excursions to the Bergen County Fire Academy in Mahwah and visits from guest speakers, the campers get the chance to meet firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians and coast guards. According to Carbone, many campers have since expressed "an interest in a career with the fire or emergency service."
"So, it’s a great recruiting [device] for the Fire Department," Carbone said.
Tajai Brown, 14, said that his firefighter father inspired him to join the camp. "And it’s a lot of fun," he said.
Demonstrations teach the campers everything from how to use a fire hose and survive relay races while wearing full turnout gear, to developing a home escape plan in case of a fire, said Wilson.
"My favorite was the smoke house," said 10-year-old camper Niles Sams. "We got to go in and there was all this smoke."
But the rest of the campers disagreed. "The car," they said, was by far the best.
Inside the Dwight Morrow High School cafeteria, Wilson drew the attention of 30 campers with a single blow of his whistle.
"We’re going to stress to you the importance of wearing your seatbelt and also stress the importance of not getting in the car with your brother, sister or cousin who may be inebriated," he said.
"Does anyone know what ‘inebriated’ means?"
"Ooh," said one boy, as he stretched his right hand upward.
The same boy stood up and faced the other campers in red T-shirts in front of him. "Drunk," said the boy.
Wilson then talked about a Route 80 accident in 2007 that left six out of seven passengers in the car dead. The six passengers who were not wearing seatbelts did not survive, he said.
Outside, Wilson chose five campers to sit inside a parked Mazda 626 during a simulated car accident rescue. The children hid underneath a tarp inside the car. Wilson banged away at the car with an ax.
As part of the rescue, another Englewood firefighter approached the car with a window punch. With one quick movement, the glass from the car window fell to the floor like confetti.
"Oh my God," exclaimed the young onlookers.
The same firefighters then grabbed a Halligan bar and Hurst tool, best known as the "Jaws of Life." Using pressure, the Hurst tool quickly peeled the jammed car doors back.
The firefighters freed the passengers inside, strapping a neck brace onto one 14-year-old camper and placing him on a backboard.
"I told everybody in the car that if we keep on talking, we’re going to die," said passenger Kai Wilson, 9, just seconds after he exited the car.
His father, Wilson, blew the whistle one more time. The campers turned their heads to focus on the camp co-director. Wilson paused a moment before he spoke.
"I don’t want to pull up to an accident and see any of you in the car without your seatbelt because you know better," continued Wilson.
"Yes?" he asked his campers expectedly.
"Yes!" the campers fired back.
E-mail: gonzalezso@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6711
