Holiday Park VFD summer camp teaches youth about safety, emergency response skills

Youth from across Allegheny and Westmoreland counties learned a bit about what it takes to be a firefighter as part of a Plum summer camp.

Holiday Park Volunteer Fire Department hosted its annual camp June 19-23.

Activities included cadets learning from firefighters on how to handle various scenarios at the Monroeville Public Safety Training Center and water rescue techniques with Lower Kiski Swift Water Rescue at the Sampson Family YMCA.

Fire Chief Jim Sims said there are 32 cadets in the class with only 11 returning from last year. This is the camp’s fifth year.

“They work hard every single day,” Sims said. “They do everything we ask of them. This is really a great group of fine men and women.”

The camp initially was launched as a way to encourage youths to become firefighters and help combat dwindling volunteer numbers.

Cadet Josie D’Andries, 16, of Monroeville decided to come to camp this year to prepare her for one day serving her municipality.

“I thought it was a really good learning opportunity for me seeing as how I don’t have much training,” Josie said. “This experience has been really been good for me. I’ve learned a lot of new things like throwing ladders, finding victims, water rescue, window extrication and bailing out of windows. Those are really helpful to know what to do when things go wrong.”

Camp also is a bit of a refresher course for some of the returning participants.

Mike Matlos Jr., 16, of Liberty is a junior firefighter in his borough’s fire department. He is following in the footsteps of his father, Mike Matlos Sr.

“I find it a lot of fun (and) a lot of interesting things to do,” the cadet said about his second year. “It’s good to have practice in all the time so I’m ready. I took interest (in becoming a firefighter) when I was little. I was always around firetrucks and everything.

“It’s good to have the (camp) experience to know if you would like it or not because we need more volunteer firefighters in service. Everyone likes to teach different.”

Holiday Park firefighters and Lower Kiski Swift Water Rescue team members had cadets in various stations at the YMCA pools. They showed the teens different ways to use a lifesaver and how to get a victim to land using a backboard and raft.

Cadets earn several certifications upon successful camp completion, including CPR, Stop the Bleed and first aid.

Their graduation is celebrated at the borough’s SummerFest event at Larry Mills Park.