Iowa City Youth Camp for Emergency Services is back!

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – The Iowa City Emergency Services Youth Camp offers a unique hands-on experience this summer to high school students interested in public safety and emergency services. The camp, which is housed in Iowa City Fire Station Number 4, gives attendees an insight into how different emergency services are run.

The camp provides a more immersive experience for participants, ranging from crime scene investigations to fire department operations.

“We’ve had a great reception from the kids when we ask at the end who wants to be a cop, or who wants to be a paramedic, or a firefighter, or work in some kind of field that we’re teaching them here,” Lieutenant Matt Boerjan of the Iowa City Fire Department said.

“So we need a large pool because right now, there’s not a ton of people who want to do these jobs and so if we can interest the kids and get that spark – it’s our future so it’s very important”

The Iowa City Police Department, Fire Department, Animal Services, University of Iowa Department of Public Safety, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson County Ambulance Service, and Johnson County Emergency Management are all involved in organizing the camp.

The camp welcomes students who are just searching for an exciting and interactive summer camp experience, even though its main objective is to assist students in exploring and learning more about many parts of emergency services.

On Monday and Tuesday, there was a session for pupils who will be in the 7th or 8th grade in the 2024–2025 academic year. High school students’ classes began on Thursday and run through Friday. It is mandatory for participants to attend both days of the program.