Camp prepares teens to help in case of an emergency

FRANKLIN — Avery Paquette of Laconia is only 13, but last week, she learned how to put out a fire by holding a fire extinguisher and blasting the flames.

She was taking part in a controlled drill, but admits it was still a bit scary, but very important to know. Now, in an emergency, she could help herself or others.

Paquette was one of 14 young people between 12 and 17 who took part in a weeklong Teen CERT Summer Camp the week of Aug. 18, to learn how to respond in any kind of emergency — from a wildfire to a car accident to a fall on a hiking trail.

Sponsored by the Partnership for Public Health and the Franklin Parks & Rec Department, the half-day pilot program was modeled after a Community Emergency Response Team program that’s been offered at the Huot Career and Technical Center in Laconia for several years. The intent was to empower young people and equip them with knowledge for when it matters most.

“We wanted to bring the program to younger kids in a summer camp format,” said John Beland, a recently retired firefighter for the town of Gilford and Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid who served as a leader for the camp. “If this pilot program is hugely successful, there’s a good chance we’ll extend it in hours and length next summer.”

Getting equipped to help

For Paquette and her peers, the camp was definitely a huge success.

“I have learned many ways to save my life and others’ lives, and just tips to save someone in general,” said Paquette, who attends Acton Academy in Laconia. “I’ve learned how to put out fires, do CPR, and I’ve learned how to put on tourniquets and pack wounds. I’m very glad to have done it. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Odin Sargent, 13, lives in Northfield and is a student at Winnisquam Regional Middle School. He was most affected by learning how to do chest compressions on a CPR dummy. “In case of a situation, I know what to do and can try to help the person,” he said.

“I think it’s important for kids to learn how to do this stuff.”

Melody Sturm, 14, of Laconia, is home schooled and a frequent volunteer at the Laconia Senior Center. Learning emergency preparedness skills made her feel more secure in her community work, and also inspired her to consider volunteering on a search and rescue team or in other disaster response efforts when she is older.

Her learning will also help her in a few months, when she takes part in a boot camp associated with her church, Merrimack Valley Baptist, which helps to aid in disasters.

“I think that it’s important for people to be aware of what to do in case of an emergency. The more people that are aware, the easier it will be for them to later teach other people,” Sturm explained.

Learning from the pros

The team of safety professionals who took part in the camp included police officers and firefighters, a behavioral health specialist, nurses from Franklin School District, trained New Hampshire CERT Team volunteers, officers from New Hampshire Fish and Game, and professionals with extensive backgrounds in public education.

Beland said, together, they offered a broad view on safety and emergency preparedness, and helped ensure the training was not frightening.

“The skills that they learn in this program are very basic,” Beland said. “We don’t always context it in [a violent incident]. We say, ‘Accidents happen around the home,’ and give examples of someone putting their hands through the window, or falling down the stairs and straining a leg. We tell them there are things you can do until responders get there to make things better. We don’t talk doom and gloom.”

The camp was held at the Bessie Rowell Community Center from 8 a.m. to noon, with two sessions each day focused on different themes.

Tammy Carmichael, chief executive officer for the Partnership for Public Health, visited on the first day. “They had a good group of kids there. They’re very enthusiastic,” she said.

Also that first day, campers learned some emergencies, like a wildfire burning out of control, could force an evacuation from the home, so were taught what to pack in a “bug-out bag,” such as basic first aid equipment, food and water, medications, a family emergency communication plan, a whistle, clothing and hygiene materials.

On Tuesday, campers gathered at Riverfront Park, and Franklin firefighters offered lessons on swift water safety. Later in the day, Lakes Region Search & Rescue talked about hiker safety and what to do if you get lost.

“That’s all very relevant to the kids in this area,” Beland said, particularly swift water safety, as the Merrimack, Winnipesaukee and Pemigewasset rivers all converge in Franklin.

Back at the community center on Wednesday, Laconia Fire Chief Tim Joubert offered basic principles in general fire safety at home, and the proper way to manage lithium ion batteries, which are in many electronic devices.

“There are some hazards incorporated with those lithium ion batteries if precautions aren’t followed. They’re designed to be used only with the manufacturers’ charging systems, so everybody uses different after-market chargers for their Apple and Galaxy phones that can cause thermal heating, and can make it catch on fire,” Beland said. “We also talked about lithium battery safety with hoverboards and scooters, and how to properly charge and store them and what to do if there’s an incident.”

In the second session on Wednesday, Franklin firefighters talked about basic fire safety, such as the importance of sleeping with your door closed. “Heat and smoke flow to an open door,” Beland explained.

Medical operations was the topic for Thursday, with campers learning about CPR, how to stop life-threatening bleeding and splinting, and Friday, a 90-minute disaster exercise played out during which the young people put what they’d learned into practice.

“There were victims, and kids had to go out there and manage this incident using all the skills they learned during the week,” Beland said.

Hoping to inspire

One goal of the CERT camp is to motivate young people to consider a career in emergency response.

“It’s no secret that emergency responders across the country are having issues recruiting people,” Beland said. “Maybe this will light a spark and get an interest in a career in emergency services — emergency medical services, fire or police. “We want to give them a taste of what the potential career opportunities are.”

He said the Lakes Region CERT team, which is connected to the Partnership for Public Health, trains volunteers to assist their communities in times of need, offering a wide range of services.

Anyone interested in joining the CERT team can visit pphnh.org to learn more.