Holmdel Kids Learn from Emergency Response Team at Youth Academy

The 9 and 10-year old boys and girls attending the Police Youth Academy got a hands-on look at the work of first responders on Wednesday as members of the Monmouth County Emergency Response Team gave demonstrations. Sponsored and staffed by the Holmdel Township Police Department, the Academy is a five-day program designed to give local youth an opportunity to learn respect for law enforcement by creating positive interaction with the police and showing them what their work is like. For many, it's also a ton of fun.

The children took turns visiting activity stations which were manned by Holmdel police, EMS, and firefighters, and learned valuable skills from these professionals that could save lives in emergency situations. They rode on a fire engine's bucket lift and learned about the machinery and tools of the apparatus, put out real fires with jets of water from extinguishers, practiced CPR on adult and baby mannequins, and learned how to safely roll an accident victim onto a stretcher.

After a pizza lunch, the children observed a simulation of first responders arriving at the scene of a crashed car. EMTs used saws, axes, and the "Jaws of Life" to pry apart a junk car and safely extricate a test dummy to an ambulance. Then, firefighters tossed a smoke canister into the vehicle, which much to the kids' delight, burst into flame before they put it out. 

Thursday at the Police Youth Academy will be investigation day. Children will be introduced to police investigation procedures as they analyze a mock crime scene and tour the department headquarters, and learn about law enforcement technology including fingerprinting, thermal imaging cameras, and weapons.