Blandford-Blenheim Fire Department will be hosting an information night for this year’s Camp 85 at the Plattsville Fire Station on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
Drew Davidson, Director of Fire and Protective Services, said the program, which is now going into its fourth year, gives Township youth the opportunity to learn what’s involved in being a firefighter.
“Camp 85 is for youth aged 14 to 18, and it’s designed to give them the experience of what it’s like to be in the fire service, so we also bring in OPP, EMS and dispatch, and that really gives them a glimpse of what it would be like to be a volunteer firefighter in whatever community they ultimately set down roots in,” he said. “One thing with our camp is that it’s free of charge, so it’s all-inclusive, and that’s what we really strive for. Whether you’re thinking of his career or as just a week of getting out and spending some of your summer with us, it’s a great experience.”
The name of the camp is a play on the rest of the Township’s fire station numbers.
“In our township, each fire station starts with an eight, so Princeton is #81, Drumbo is #82, Plattsville is #83 and Bright is #84,” said Davidson. “So if we bring everyone together and we all work towards a common goal, the next number would logically be 85, so that’s why it’s Camp 85.”
While the first two years of the program were just for young women, the department decided last year to offer it to the young men of the township. The goal going forward is to alternate each year between the boys and girls, allowing them equal opportunities to gain hands-on experience.
“As far as what we could find, we were the first in Ontario to offer the camp to young men; we’re not 100 per cent sure on that front, but it was very successful,” said Davidson. “Now, this year will be for the young ladies, and then we’ll alternate back and forth every year as we go forward.”
This year, Camp 85 will run from Tuesday, July 7, to Saturday, July 11, and participants will spend a day at each one of the township’s four fire stations (Princeton Fire Station #81, Drumbo Fire Station #82, Plattsville Fire Station #83 and Bright Fire Station #84) before their graduation on Saturday.
“On the first day we will be at the Plattsville fire station, that’s when they’re split into their platoons and where they’ll learn hose streams as well as anything water related, and we also have extinguishers that they we actually let work with too. Day two is at the Bright fire station, and that one is all about forcible entry and that’s the day the EMS and OPP attend as well,” he said. Day Three is our auto-extrication day at the Drumbo fire station where each platoon gets a car, and they’ll be learning how to use the Jaws of Life and how to remove windshields; anything to do with auto-extrication. Day four is our Princeton fire station and that’s our search and rescue day where they’ll be wearing the air packs and learning how to safely maneuver through an entanglement prop.”
The week will wrap up on Saturday where participants will have the chance to show off what they learned to their families and graduate from the program.
“My favourite part of camp is graduation day and just seeing them come together as a platoon and cheer each other on, and seeing how they mesh with their platoon leader, which is a firefighter from Blanford-Blenheim. The camaraderie that’s built is just truly amazing, it’s quite the sight to see,” said Davidson. “And we’re hoping that graduation will be held at the brand new Princeton fire station, as construction should be complete by then, so that should be a nice way to kick that off.”
The chief added that one of the things he didn’t expect when starting the program, was how many of the participants want to come back and get involved the following year.
“One of the things that we’re finding is once they go through the program, a lot of them are reaching out to see if they can volunteer and come back to the camp, and I think it’s really promoting volunteerism in the community that way,” he said. “And along with that, the recruitment of volunteer firefighters is sometimes a challenge just with everyone’s busy schedule, but now that this is the fourth year of the camp, we’re actually seeing a couple of the graduates from year one and two apply to be volunteer firefighters now. So the excitement that we are able to create for the kids as they come through the program seems to be resonating and carrying on throughout the community. I’m really excited about that.”
As far as what to expect from the information night, Davidson explained that there will be plenty of opportunities to learn more about the camp and ask any questions the youth may have.
“Our information night is on Tuesday, April 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Plattsville fire station, and that’s a mandatory information night; that’s the only way to get an application so they have to come to that if they want to apply,” he said. “We’re going to have four stations set up where they can try on some bunker gear and try an air pack on. They’ll also get to lift up the auto-extraction tools, and we’ll have a little demonstration using a piece of wood just so they can get an idea what’s involved. Then we hold a little 15 minute information session, where we go over each day and what to expect, and at the end, they can pick up an application and fill it out.”
Davidson said that overall, he’s proud of the camp and how it comes together every year.
“There’s so much behind the scenes that goes on. We have a camp committee and our deputy chief does a fantastic job leading that and everything behind the scenes that goes into it. It isn’t just one person or a couple people putting this on, it’s really a community event,” said Davidson.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
