More than 30 youth from across the Greater Toronto Area had a chance to explore possible future careers in emergency response when Humber Polytechnic hosted the Humber Motorola Solutions Foundation First Responders Camp at the end of July.

The Motorola Solutions Foundation First Responders Camp is a weeklong, free outreach program fully supported by the Motorola Solutions Foundation. Held at both North and Lakeshore campuses, the camp introduces high school students to careers in the field of emergency services and first response, including policing, firefighting, forensics and paramedicine, among others.

The camp also aims to build stronger relationships between youth and first responders, especially among students from communities that may have complex relationships with authority. A key feature of the program is a dedicated session on mindfulness and mental well-being — reinforcing the importance of self-care across all professions.

Lynn vanLieshout, manager, Community Projects at Humber, said the youth had an exciting week – from learning de-escalation tactics to receiving emergency CPR training. The idea, said vanLieshout, was to give the youngsters a glimpse into these future careers before they had enrolled in post-secondary to see if it interested them.

Humber also enlisted eight mentors currently enrolled in first responder programs to provide support, talk about their respective programs and answer any questions the youth might have. The feedback from the camp participants about the Humber mentors was extremely positive.

Youth who participated in the camp were also given an Ontario College Application Service (OCAS) voucher to help offset the cost of applying to Ontario colleges.

As part of the camp, the students had some unique experiences and demonstrations. For example, during the Protection, Security and Investigation workshop, students used a driving simulator at the FSCS Sim Lab to follow an individual who was committing insurance fraud after being told by their doctor they couldn’t drive for more than six minutes. The youth took notes and followed the vehicle.

Aaman Parekh, a Grade 10 student with Toronto West High School, heard about the camp through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto and decided he wanted to experience it.

“They’ve done a really good job of showing all aspects of these careers,” said Parekh. “I think attending has really paid off.”

Parekh said the best part of the camp was getting CPR certified.

“It was hard to learn but it’s an important skill to have and I feel pretty proud that I learned it and can help someone in need,” said Parekh.

During the SIM Lab De-Escalation session, youth took on the role of security guards dealing with troublesome members of the public. They responded to the scenario on the video screen and did their best to de-escalate the situation. One scenario had a man armed with a crowbar attempting to break in while another had an inebriated patron refusing to leave a bar.

In between the events that included breakfasts and team building sessions, Grade 10 Etobicoke School of the Arts student Sekhi Blake Walsh said she hadn’t really considered a career outside of the arts and that’s why she decided to attend the Motorola camp.  

“It’s been a cool opportunity to see other careers, like policing, and this has really opened up my eyes to what’s out there,” she said. “I’m definitely glad I came to the camp as it’s been a great experience and a chance to learn about new things I don’t think I would have if I hadn’t come.”

This was the second time the camp was held.

Find out more about first responder programs at Humber, visit the Faculty of Social & Community Services and Faculty of Health Sciences & Wellness websites.