Camp 4 Alarm Kicks Off This Week in Manassas Park

About a dozen Manassas Park middle school-age children will spend this week learning team work, fire safety and other important life skills during a special camp held at the city’s fire department.

Camp 4 Alarm is in its fifth year and is a positive, prevention-focused camp for the city’s youth, Manassas Park Fire Marshal Mark Joyner said.

The name “4 Alarm” was chosen because it is something related to the fire service culture, he said.  A four-alarm fire means that four fire departments responded to an emergency to assist in controlling a blaze.  There can be alarm fires of any number.

 The camp is a conducted in partnership with the Manassas Park Department of Parks and Recreation Office of Teens. Both agencies are involved in preparing and organizing the camp.

Parks and recreation employees transport the children to the fire station each morning  for camp, which begins at 10 a.m. with some brief physcial exercise, Joyner said.

Camp 4 Alarm is not a, “boot” camp, Joyner said. Firefighters don’t make the children do anything they don’t want to, or spur competition among participants because the main goal of the camp is positive reinforcement.  

“The only thing we ask them to do is be respectful,” he said. “We can’t have horseplay around the equipment, but we do have fun.”

 Some camp members have discovered they have an interest in the fire and emergency services as they get to try on the firefighters’ protective uniforms and self-contained breathing apparatus’ he said.

 Joyner said at the end of the week, he builds two pallet fires at Signal Hill Park and the campers get to work them.

In addition to many other activites, the children will  visit the Prince William County emergency dispatch center, practice taking vitals and work with fire hoses.

 Camp 4 Alarm is loosely based on Road DAWG (Don’t Associate With Gangs) a children’s camp created in Fairfax County.

 Children are recommended for Camp 4 Alarm by school division officials.

Letters are sent home to parents telling them about the benefits of the camp.

 The camp is free, thanks to generous donations of food, money and items from local businesses, Joyner said.