Learning the ropes at fire camp

A firefighter’s job can seem exciting, heroic and sometimes a little overwhelming given all the working parts of the job.

This past week, for the second year in row, kids ranging in age from 8 to 15 had a chance to get personally acquainted with numerous aspects of a firefighter’s job during a three-day camp with the Spencer Fire Department.

The second annual Justin E. Monroe Fire Camp, under the direction of Spencer Fire Chief Michael Lanning, wrapped up Wednesday evening. This year there were nine graduates, compared to seven last year.

Monroe was one of two Salisbury firefighters killed while fighting a fire in 2008.

Monroe was just 19 when he died, but had already accumulated more experience than many, starting his fire career in Miller’s Ferry as a junior volunteer at the age of 14. By his senior year of high school, he was a certified EMT and by his 19 ^th birthday, he was a lieutenant with Miller’s Ferry fire department.

He added part time work at both the Spencer and Salisbury fire departments by 2007.

On March 7, 2008, Monroe and firefighter Victor Isler were both killed while battling a massive fire at Salisbury Millwork.

Monroe’s mother, Lisa Monroe, said last year when she was told they were naming the camp after her son, she was more than happy. She’s worked to keep her son’s memory alive, going as far as joining the staff at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College where the fire training facility is located.

This year, she was on hand to share in the experience with the kids, and this year, the number of girls participating doubled.

Two young ladies were in the camp this year, Harper Lanning (the chief’s daughter) was the youngest participant, and she was joined by Hallie Head, who at 12 said she is seriously considering a career as a firefighter.

“I have always been interested,” she said, and her mother, Candace, pointed out that with family members who are firefighters, Hallie has had exposure for years. “I didn’t know she was actually thinking about it as a job, though,” Candace said at graduation. Hallie has played basketball for nearly half of her life, and is currently a team member on the South Davie Middle School team. But this summer she decided to forgo basketball camp for fire camp.

“This seems like it has more meaning, and it’s something really new,” she said, sitting on the curb behind the fire department cooling off after a turn with the Jaws of Life “That thing is heavy. I’m glad she (the firefighter) was holding it, because I would have dropped it if I’d had to hold it on my own. And it’s so strong.”

The three-day camp covers a variety of skills and knowledge, including discussion of fire flow or how fire moves through a building and what can affect that, such as opening a window or keeping a bedroom door closed. In fact, Chief Lanning said this year they constructed a doll house that they could use to show how fire and smoke can move through a home.

Students got to see the inner workings of a smoke detector that involved seeings the filaments that react to smoke and cause an alarm to go off. They practiced forcible entry and basic CPR. The second afternoon, they took an ATV out into Stanback Forest and then learned about patient packaging and retrieval from a challenging location. They learned how to use a fire extinguisher, and at one point, the bay that houses the fire trucks at the station was filled with smoke, and the campers had to make their way around the area without being able to see very well.

The last day, they once again got their hands on equipment like the Jaws of Life and the Sawzall, prying open doors and cutting through metal. Each student had a chance to try their hand at the equipment to see how firefighters and rescue workers remove someone from a car if they are trapped. They cracked windows, they smashed glass and they swung picks at the hood of the car, but only while wearing safety glasses, gloves and uniforms to protect them from any debris. They got to hold fire hoses while water shot through, where both the weight and power of the water can make managing to control the hose a challenge.

Wednesday afternoon, the class traveled to RCCC to the fire training tower, where they had the opportunity to rappel down five stories. Chad Moss, who was supervising the jumps, said he is always “impressed by the bravery of these kids. I hope some of them do go on to become firefighters.”

Not everyone went over the edge, but as Lanning explained, “not everyone has to be great at every job. I want them to learn this is a team effort, and everyone on the team has a role. You don’t have to be able to do it all.”

One returning student from last year, Evan Baker, had decided against rappelling last year. What a difference one year can make — this year he was ready to be the first over, and when his turn came, he went down the rope with confidence.

He had to defer the primary spot, however, to Lisa Monroe, who stepped into a harness and, following directions, put her feet on the very edge of the structure, leaned back and stepped off, working her way down.

Each of the participants were safely harnessed with both a lead line and a belay line and a helmet, and Moss lowered them bit by bit. He gave them chances to stop halfway down and kick away from the building, which took even more confidence, but in the end, all who went down were ready to go again.

Camp participants, in addition to Head, Baker and Harper Lanning, were Hunter Lanning (Harper’s older brother and also a participant last year), Cameron Stevens (the oldest camper at 15), Ashton Williams (son of Spencer Mayor Jonathan Williams), Levi Bogle, Henry Waller and Jack Thomas.

At the graduation ceremony Wednesday, Chief Lanning’s love for the kids in his care was apparent.

“This is the highlight of my year,” he told parents and kids. “I can’t express what the last three days have meant to me. It’s been remarkable, and I am so proud of them.”

Mayor Williams echoed appreciation to parents for allowing their children to participate.

“Thanks for leaving your children with us for a few days,” he said, noting that he himself had a child participating who “thoroughly enjoyed himself.”

During last year’s camp, Hunter Lanning noted that he intends to take his father’s job one day, and this year, Williams’ son Ashton was of a like mind.

Although Lanning hopes that more Spencer children will get involved as time goes on, (this year there were three locals) he is happy to have all participants. As he was checking off those from Spencer, Ashton reminded him that he was local: “I think my dad has to live in Spencer to be the mayor,” he said.

“I don’t know why more kids don’t come, but maybe in time,” said Lisa Monroe. “I do know I have loved all of them that do, and I thank the town for supporting this.”

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