Camp Fahrenheit 516

Two young East Rockaway fire department members took part in a boot camp for Nassau County junior firefighters was held during the week of July 25-29.
“Camp Fahrenheit 516,” the Nassau County Junior Firefighters Association’s boot camp, trained 45 young firefighters and Explorers from 23 Nassau County villages and towns. The camp is hosted at Nassau County Fire Service Academy at 300 Winding Rd. No. 1 in Old Bethpage.

Bryan Scheer, 16, is the captain of the East Rockaway Junior Fire Department and the first vice president of the Nassau County Junior Firefighters Association. He helped administer the activities at Camp Fahrenheit 516. Bryan attends Valley Stream South, and is going into his senior year in September. He expects to apply to John Jay College.

His stepfather, Danny Gilloon, is a 40-year East Rockaway firefighter.

“My job was to make sure everything was set up, such as coolers signs on the evolutions, and also to just walk around and make sure all the kids are enjoying the camp and to make sure every camper was drinking fluids,” said Bryan. “The camp was excellent, and taught the future firefighters key things that will help them when they join their respective departments.”

Thomas Chojnacki, 15, also with the ERFD juniors, said that he learned a lot at the boot camp. “I had a great time,” he said. “I learned a lot, and made a lot of good friends. Thomas will be going into his sophomore year at Kellenberg High School in September. He attended St. Raymond’s Catholic School through 8th grade. During his freshman year of High School he played football and ran both winter and spring track. He's also an altar server with St. Raymond Church and a Boy Scout with Troop 332 (he currently holds the rank of first class). He joined the ERFD juniors when he was 12.

“I liked the bail out training,” he said, “when I got to jump out a window. Now I’m even more excited to join the East Rockaway Fire Department when I turn 18.”

Thomas’ father, also named Thomas, joined the department 27 years ago and is an ex-captain of Liberty Hose Company No. 2 and the Floodlight/Heavy Rescue Squad. Young Thomas’ uncles are all members of Liberty Hose and are all ex-captains of Liberty. Another uncle, Peter, is an ex-chief of the department.
Junior firefighters from Baldwin, Bellmore, East Meadow, East Norwich, Floral Park, Farmingdale, Franklin Square, Garden City Park, Glen Cove, Great Neck, Hewlett, Hicksville, Jericho, Massapequa, Plainview, Plandome, Point Lookout-Lido, Rockville Centre, South Farmingdale, Syosset, Wantagh and Valley Stream also participated.

Evolutions and training sessions

The hands-on training and lessons encompassed equipment safety, emergency procedures, mask confidence, maze, ropes, tools, forcible entry, ground ladders, hose advancement, bail out, extrication with hydraulic rescue tools, a live warehouse, van and car burn.

Live video of selected training and classroom sessions was sent 3,894 miles across the Atlantic to Korb, Germany, where German counterpart junior firefighters watched from their training room.

For more information, visit www.ncjfa.org.