Mitch Traphagen Photo
TAMPA – Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, aided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, kicked off the HCFR Summer Youth Academy, an intensive two-week training program for 20 Hillsborough County teens.
During their training, the cadets learned fire rescue skills including using a fire hose and fire extinguishers, climbing a ladder truck, assessing patients, taking their vital signs and preparing them for transport, administering CPR and commanding an exercise. As part of the training, the cadets also learned the many nuances required of fire rescue responders, from suiting up under poor conditions to assessing the risk potential in fire situations.
The HCFR Summer Youth Academy used firefighting skills as the vehicle for engaging youth in a series of classroom and interactive, structured activities designed to build character and develop leadership skills. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue sees this Summer Academy as the first step in recruiting these cadets for a lifelong career.
The Summer Youth Academy is part of a crime prevention program that promotes community service, self-assessment and higher education. The group setting teaches youth to cope with frustration and receive constructive criticism. The grant making the academy possible was provided through the USDOJ Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
Mitch Traphagen Photo
Mitch Traphagen Photo
