May 14, 2015 - The City of Fort Wayne’s Police and Fire Departments will lead three public safety camps for kids this summer as part of a community partnership initiative.
Mayor Tom Henry, Public Safety Director Rusty York, Police Chief Garry Hamilton and Fire Chief Eric Lahey made the announcement at Bridge of Grace Compassionate Ministries Center, which will host the camps.
Additional public safety personnel, camp organizers, and community leaders attended today’s event to demonstrate support and commitment to helping children succeed.
The camps will focus on public safety, character development, and education. Additional activities will include field trips, sports, games and daily reading time.
“Junior Police Academy” will be held June 22-26 for ages 13-16
“Junior Firefighter Camp” will be held July 6-10 for ages 8-12
“Bridge Day Camp” will be held July 13-24 for ages 7-14
Goals include:
*Character development: focusing on values that will benefit youth for the rest of their lives
*Strengthening relationships between youth, law enforcement officers, and firefighters
*Educating youth about police and fire work as a profession
“This is a tremendous opportunity for young people to learn more about what our police and fire professionals do each day to keep all of us safe,” said Mayor Henry. “Public safety is critical to the future success of our community. Our hope is that some of the camp attendees will see public safety as a career option moving forward. We’re excited about the outcomes we anticipate seeing as a result of this new camp format.”
“This is a great example of community organizations, police officers, and firefighters combining resources and a desire to create an exciting and inspiring experience for the youth in our community,” said Javier Mondragon, CEO, Bridge of Grace.
The cost of the camp is $15 per session. Information and applications are available at www.bridgeofgracecmc.org or by calling (260) 744-4446.