More than three dozen Pinellas County middle school students attended the 2014 Public Safety Summer Camp hosted by the Center for Public Safety Innovation at SPC’s Allstate Center June 16-20.
Campers got a broad and diverse taste of the public safety profession and learned:
- lifesaving techniques of CPR
- how K-9 dogs are used to fight crime
- how criminal investigations are conducted, including fingerprinting, evidence collection and preservation techniques
- the importance of internet safety
Students got to spend time with SPC Law Enforcement Academy recruits and learned firsthand what it is like to train as a law enforcement officer. Students learned about the physical requirements for a career in public safety and how to overcome challenges through a rock wall climbing experience.
Speakers at the camp included St. Petersburg Police Chief David DeKay, Director of Urban Affairs for the City of St. Petersburg Nikki Gaskin-Capehart and Executive Director of SPC’s Center for Public Safety Innovation Eileen LaHaie. The three discussed the importance public safety plays in the community and how campers would interact with public safety professionals during the summer camp.
The camp also included several field trips to the:
- St. Petersburg Police Department
- Pinellas County Justice Center
- St. Petersburg Fire Department
“I loved the field trips,” said camper Anthony Massa, 12. “We got to see some interesting places and see what those jobs were like.”
The week-long camp culminated in a graduation ceremony where campers received certificates of completion. All of the parents surveyed indicated that the summer camp was a great experience for their children and 96 percent of the students would recommend the camp to their friends.
Several agencies were contributed to this year’s summer camp:
- Pinellas County Campus Police
- Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office
- St. Petersburg Police
- St. Petersburg Fire Department