By Greg Welter
Chico Enterprise-Record
Copyright 2007 MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers
All Rights Reserved
CHICO, Calif. — About 75 children from Chico area elementary schools spent five days last week surrounded by more police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel than they’re likely to meet the rest of their lives.
As participants in the 7th annual Camp Code 3, part of the Chico Area Recreation District’s summer day camp program, the children were exposed to everything from bicycle safety to the dangers of lead in household items.
Chico Fire Department inspector Marie Fickert said the children learned something new each day from uniformed professionals, including California Highway Patrol Officers, paramedics from First Responder, Bidwell Park rangers, the Chico police and Chico firefighters.
All activities took place at the Pleasant Valley Recreation Center on North Avenue.
“On Monday we talked about car safety seats, and who has to be in them,” Fickert said. “Some of the kids were surprised to learn they’re still small enough to have to use them.”
Helmets were also discussed, and campers were told “If it has wheels, you must have a helmet.”
On Wednesday the children got a tour of an ambulance, and some training in basic first aid. Thursday was law enforcement day, Fickert said, with kids getting to sit on traffic officer Frank Deshler’s motorcycle, and get a peek through a Lidar scope, used to detect the speed of oncoming vehicles.
They also learned about the dangers of talking with people they don’t know, and never to go with a stranger, even if they say they need help.
Each morning, Fickert said the children did camp cheers and practiced introducing the special public safety speakers for the day.
After four days of learning, children were ready for some fun and games on Friday.
Fickert, aided by camp staffers, managed to fold object lessons and a little discipline into madcap activities like hose lays and bucket brigades.
Mackenzie Phelps, a 10-year-old student at Citrus School, said her favorite part of the camp was meeting Chico firefighters and learning a little bit about their jobs.
Hailey Dolan, also 10, and a fifth-grader at Little Chico Creek School, said she liked participating in the bucket brigade fun for the kids, but a process Fickert explained was once the only method available to put out fires.
Part of Camp Code 3, Fickert said, is to expose children to the possibility of a career in the public safety field.
Throughout the week, children learned something about the jobs police, firefighters and other first responders do on a daily basis.
Deshler emphasized the importance of learning good communication skills, which are needed in report writing and other aspects of police work.
Fickert said children were even told about background checks common in screening applicants for public safety jobs.
“We told children that, even at this age, things they do can follow them throughout their lives.”
CARD director Missy Kelly provided a high point, of sorts, as camp activities concluded on Friday.
In hope of overcoming her fear of heights, Kelly rode 80-feet into the air at the end of a Chico Fire Department ladder truck. From her high perch, Kelly sailed paper airplanes the children had made that day.
Some nose dived toward the ground. Others floated down in graceful swirls. A few did back flips and loop-the-loops. The children were thrilled with every flight.
“Everybody’s a winner at Camp Code 3,” Fickert said.