CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – New River Community College is hosting a free first responder summer camp this week. Aims to spark student interest in emergency services, giving students hands-on experience in firefighting, law enforcement and emergency medical services.
The federally funded program is free for all campers and provides middle and high school students with practical exposure to various first responder roles. It comes at a time when there’s a critical need for more first-responders.
“It’s about advancing the field and getting more people interested because nationwide, we’re at a shortage of EMS workers,” said Chris Crookshanks, Floyd County paramedic.
Students like Dallas Stuart, a rising eighth grader, see the camp as more than just a summer activity. Stuart, whose uncle serves in law enforcement, aspires to follow a similar path.
“I would love to serve and protect. I think that would be really awesome,” Stuart said. “I would love to be a police officer like my uncle when I grow up.”
Today’s session emphasized time-critical skills essential for emergency response. “Time is of the essence, especially on major traumas and cardiac arrests. The earlier they can get started, the earlier we’re notified, the better the outcome for the patients,” Crookshanks explained.
Fellow camper Kaydee Decker expressed enthusiasm about the program. “It’s been really fun and I’ll probably another one of these camps next year,” she said.
The first responder camp is one of six summer programs offered by the community college, which plans to continue the initiative in future years. They also offer a CSI camp, Law & Order Camp and three different Engineering, Design, and Manufacturing camps.