Bright sparks learn hands-on firefighting

What kid hasn’t dreamed of becoming a firefighter? The heroism, the shiny red truck and the cool yellow turnouts ? for many kids firefighting is the ultimate career.

Youngsters will get their chance to experience what the fire service is really like in the Newport Beach Fire Department’s first-ever Junior Firefighter camp that begins Tuesday.

The first session will be held from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Thursday at Mariners Park in Newport Beach. A second will be held at the same time, from Aug. 21 to Aug. 23. The cost for registration is $90 per child; there are still spots available in each session. To register online, visit the city Web site at www.city.newport-beach.ca.us or call (949) 644-3110 with questions.

“We’re just really excited to teach them what we can about firefighting,” said Newport Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz.

The class, open to kids ages 9 to 13, is taught by real Newport Beach firefighters who will focus on fire safety. The firefighters will teach kids about the importance of firefighting tools such as fire extinguishers and smoke detectors, and about fire equipment, such as the fire hose, hydrant and fire engines.

“It’s an activity based, hands-on kind of camp,” said firefighter medic and camp instructor Chris Fanti.

Fanti will be teaching the class along with his firefighter medic partner Bryan Carter.

When kids leave the class, Fanti said it’s important that they’ve learned what to do should they need to call for help in the event of an emergency.

“The biggest thing is fire safety in the home.” Fanti said.

Fanti has eight years of experience coaching kids’ soccer and both he and Carter have worked with the Newport Beach Fire Department for four years.

The class won’t be all business ? it’s designed to be fun as well. The firefighters will incorporate games into the lesson plan.

“The ultimate goal is every kid learns something and has fun,” Fanti said.

When he was a kid, like many others, Fanti wanted to be a firefighter. But for him, the intrigue lasted longer than a phase and turned into a career.

“If I had kids of my own, I’d definitely want them to become involved in it,” Fanti said. dpt.23-jr-fire-BPhotoInfoRK1T7CJE20060723j2s7svncCredit: COURTESY OF NEWPORT BEACH FIRE DEPT. Caption: (LA)Newport Beach firefighters show a child how to use a fire extinguisher, one of the skills kids will be learning in the first session of the Newport Beach Fire Dept’s Junior Firefighter camp Tuesday.