Fire department reports strong engagement, high satisfaction from two-day youth bootcamp; organizers recommend smaller future cohorts

The City of Monroe Public Safety Committee received a detailed update from a fire-department representative on a new two-day youth bootcamp that combined EMS and fire-training instruction and community engagement.

The presenter (recorded in the transcript as speaker 5) said day one focused on EMS training, including a "stop the bleed" certification and Heartsaver CPR/AED, with a presentation by Green County EMS; a planned med-flight demonstration was canceled due to weather. Day two concentrated on live-fire demonstrations and hands-on stations covering forcible entry, search and rescue, advancing hose lines and ladder operations, followed by timed team skill competitions; a local business (Culver) sponsored prizes for the winning team.

The presenter summarized participation and evaluation data: the class was originally capped at 24 but attendance ran at roughly half that level, and organizers now believe a cap of about 16 participants would be more realistic. "16 is probably a much more realistic number," the presenter said. Survey feedback was strongly positive; the presenter reported an overall satisfaction rating of "4.8 out of 5" and noted that a significant portion of participants reported increased interest in public-safety careers after the program. The presenter told the committee there were no injuries or disciplinary issues during the two days and that youth engagement was high throughout.

Committee members praised the program and the turnout. One alder noted challenges recruiting volunteers in the broader community and thanked the presenter for the report; another committee member specifically thanked "Angie Froofer" (named in the transcript) for bringing the update. The chair also thanked Chief Rufe and the team for organizing the bootcamp.

Why it matters: The program gave hands-on exposure to emergency-response skills and produced positive evaluations, and organizers are proposing curriculum and capacity adjustments for future runs. The committee received the update; no formal vote or policy decision was recorded on the program itself.

Next steps: Organizers plan to modify the program length and participant cap based on feedback. The committee had no follow-up directive recorded in the transcript beyond appreciation and discussion.