Oswego Students Learn Hands-On With Fire, Police Department

OSWEGO, IL — For a week starting June 21, 21 junior high students were the "newest recruits" at the Oswego Public Safety Campus. Before their week of hands-on learning with firefighters and police officers, each student was given an academy t-shirt to don as their uniform.

The Oswego Junior Public Safety Academy, the third one so far, gives junior high students a peek into the lives of firefighters and police officers. The Oswego Fire Protection Department and the Oswego Police Department partner for the academy.

Their time at the academy was split between the two departments. With Oswego firefighters, students learned forcible entry techniques and hose line and nozzle management skills. They were also given the chance to conduct search and rescue drills with fire gear in the dark and were able to complete a vehicle extrication of their own, according to a news release.

The fire department said in a release that one of the highlights of the week for the recruits was riding up in the 100-foot aerial tower ladder.

With the police department, students learned about patrolling, traffic stops and car accident investigations, and they got to see a K-9 demonstration during training.

"It was safe to say the junior high recruits had a blast this week and learned a lot about public safety," the fire department said in a release.

Another program — free to recruits — is scheduled for July 12-16. An application can be found on the village of Oswego's website, and more information about the program can be found here.