Future firefighters learn new skills at Savannah Fire’s Camp HERO

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Future firefighters are testing their skills this week at Savannah Fire’s inaugural Camp Hero.

Camp Hero is a two-day camp designed to show young men what Savannah firefighters do one a daily basis.

The goal is to make sure campers have fun and hopefully inspire them to give firefighting a chance in the future.

On Thursday, nine campers and their instructors got to know each other with fun games and training sessions.

Captain Wes Stoneman, an instructor at Camp Hero, says their focus during the training sessions is to teach the boys what each truck or engine is designed to do and how firefighters use them in the field.

Campers are also learning how important skills like teamwork are in the fire service.

Captain Stoneman says he hopes the young men will be even more curious about the career after completing Camp Hero.

“It’s a lot to figure out at a young age. Everyone asks, ‘what are you going to do for the rest of your life?’ but who gets to actually test it out. So, I want them to have the opportunity to test these things, get questions answered and walk away with more questions.”

He hopes this years’ experience inspires campers to return next year and bring their buddies to check Camp Hero out.

“I want to see future camps have a waiting list that boys are that excited to kind of find out and come sign up and get sweaty, get dirty, and find out it’s not like the TV shows, like find out what it really means to be a firefighter in the City of Savannah.”

Camp Hero continues Friday, and Captain Stoneman says the boys will get the chance to climb the ladder on the ladder truck and see how the rescue engine operates.

On Saturday, they will hold a graduation celebration where campers will show off what they learned during the event.

Next week, the girl’s kickoff their camp called Camp Ignite.