LI teens get firefighting training at Camp Fahrenheit 516

More than four dozen Long Island teens felt the heat this week while they received expert fire-fighting training.

The teens, aged 14 to 18, were enrolled in the five-day Camp Fahrenheit 516, sponsored by the Firefighters Association of the State of New York (FASNY). The intense training at the Nassau County Fire Service Academy included courses in mask confidence, search and rescue, forcible entry, emergency evacuation procedures, ground ladders, fire extinguisher drills, two-minute drills, second story bailouts, and ropes as well as live car and warehouse fires, according to a FASNY statement.

Besides giving the teens critical firefighting experience, the camp is aimed at recruiting future volunteers, since many fire departments have been facing recruitment challenges. With call volumes up for fire, safety and EMS, FASNY said the need for more volunteers is crucial. One way to ensure members for the future is to invest in junior firefighters, those under the age of 18 who are interested in future opportunities in becoming a volunteer firefighter once they are of age to service their community. 

Camp Fahrenheit 516 was designed by the Nassau County Junior Firefighter Association Board of Directors, the Nassau County Fire Service Academy staff, FSA instructors, Chief John Brown and Chief Robert Hughes in 2015.