Ohio Youth Fire Camp gives teens a hands-on start in the fire service

By: Jenna Bolton
Posted on: Monday, July 27, 2026

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NELSONVILLE, Ohio (WOUB) — Not many teenagers can say they spent their time at summer camp training to enter burning buildings. 

The 21st annual Ohio Youth Fire Camp, held July 12–18 at Hocking College in Nelsonville, brought together teens ages 14 to 18 from several states, including Ohio, Indiana and New Jersey, for a week of hands-on firefighter training. 

The camp is organized by the Ohio State Firefighters Association as part of its effort to inspire the next generation of firefighters at a time when volunteer departments are struggling to recruit and retain members. 

“Volunteer service in the state of Ohio is dwindling,” said Zachary Wolfe, director of the academy. “If we can find another way to increase our numbers and get the recruitment and retention as it starts, get them at that high school age, we can keep building this forward.” 

Every camper arrives with some connection to the fire service through a high school, explorer or cadet program affiliated with a local fire department. Throughout the week, they build on that foundation with classroom instruction and realistic training scenarios. 

The days begin early. 

“A day starts here at 6:30 in the morning from morning formation, announcements, briefing of the day, 7 o’clock breakfast,” Wolfe said. “From about 8 o’clock till lunch, they’re out on the training ground. We do another four hours of training in the afternoon, and it culminates with graduation on the following Saturday.” 

On the final day, campers put everything they have learned into practice at Hocking College’s fire training facility. 

Standing outside the burn building used by Hocking College’s fire science program, Wolfe said the exercises are designed to recreate the teamwork required on an actual emergency scene. 

“What we are doing today is everything that we have learned throughout the week,” he said. “So, hose advancement, ladders, forcible entry; any of the skills we’ve used. It culminates on the final day. They’re putting all the skills that they learned together to make it function like a proper fire scene.” 

For Wolfe, the camp’s greatest success isn’t measured by what happens during the week, but by what happens in the years that follow. 

He’s been involved with the program since 2004 and has watched former campers grow into firefighters, officers and instructors. 

“I actually have some of my instructors this year that I had in the early 2000s when they were students,” Wolfe said. “So, to watch them build their careers … we’ve got graduates of the program throughout the country as far away as Alaska working for the fire service.” 

Many campers return after graduating from the program, first as junior staff members until age 25 before eventually becoming instructors themselves. That cycle allows the camp to continue passing experience from one generation of firefighters to the next.