Over a three-day period, about 140 kids ages 8 to 13 are learning about first responders from the very men and women who put their lives on the line every day in their careers.
Law enforcement, EMTs, firefighters and dispatchers are serving as counselors and teachers during Camp HERO (Honor, Excellence, Respect, Opportunity), which started Wednesday and continues through Friday at the county fairgrounds.
“Camp HERO is our annual kids camp and the focus of Camp HERO is really several things,” Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Sgt. Doug Light said. “Number one, it’s doing something for the children in our community. Team building - we focus on that. But the overall camp is to really give the campers an opportunity to learn more about police, fire, EMS and dispatch.”
Every camper is in one of six squads - yellow, blue, orange, red, gray and green. Each day of camp begins with the posting of the colors and the pledge.
Wednesday, the first day of the camp, was EMS Day. The morning session began with K9 demonstrations, from arson detection to dual-purpose canines and the jail canine. The afternoon session was all the EMS rotations, giving the children an opportunity to see Lutheran Air upclose, learn about CPR and First Aid and take a bike safety class.

    Travis Kartes (L), base pilot supervisor with Lutheran Air, talks to campers Wednesday at Camp HERO about the helicopter and his job. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.
  

After the rotations, the annual Iron Man and Iron Woman competition took place. Light said the contest provided an opportunity to find out who was the strongest camper and the winners will get one of the camp’s annual awards.
“They do different exercises, different skills - pushups, situps - to find out who the top athlete is,” Light said.
Thursday’s activities include a visit from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to share what they do, along with Kosciusko REMC coming in for their live line demonstration and discussion about electrical safety.
Light said Thursday is Fire Day so it will also include a mock crash. Rotations will feature extrication, fire hose, a smoke house, fire extinguisher, an obstacle course and the ladder trucks for a demonstration.
The drone Camp HERO photo - where all the campers will spell out HERO - will take place Thursday. After that is the “secret” water fight.
Police Day is Friday, beginning with the daily team-building exercise.
Community Corrections will talk to the campers about what they do, while the Warsaw Police Department will provide a drone presentation, which is new to the camp this year.
Down by the lake will be the dive teams from WPD, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory and KCSO giving demonstrations.
There will be a firearms safety instruction, Light said, followed by rotations on dispatch, SWAT, driving and the Seatbelt Convincer. The Seatbelt Convincer shows the kids the importance of wearing a seatbelt.
“It’ll give them a little bit of a jolt, but they’ll understand the importance of that safety belt,” Light said.
The day’s events will conclude with a tug-of-war, graduation and Sheriff Jim Smith will provide a cookout for the families. There also will be a Touch-A-Truck at the fairgrounds for everyone to check out. Kona Ice Truck will be on hand.
“At some point, I think tomorrow, Sheriff Smith is going to be in the dunk tank,” Light said. “We haven’t figured out which line will be longer to dunk him - the campers or the counselors. It’ll be interesting to see how that shakes out!”

    Warsaw Police Department officer Ryan Piper (L) has a volunteer camper check the bike tires Wednesday during a bike safety demonstration at Camp HERO. Photo by David Slone, Times-Union.
  

Twenty different agencies are represented at Camp HERO to help put the camp together.
“Our community support is overwhelming and we can’t thank all of them enough,” Light, noting the camp is funded by donations. “I think one of the most exciting things this year was we were able to have camp for free, so there’s no charge. And we’re so thankful to the fairgrounds letting us use their facility because we have so much more room.”
This is the fourth year for the camp but the first year Camp HERO has been held at the fairgrounds. Light said that has helped with attendance because it’s centralized in the county and the camp could draw kids from the Tippecanoe Valley and Whitko areas.
“This is by far the most campers we’ve ever had, and I think the goal is always to continue to grow it year after year,” Light stated.
Looking around, there’s law enforcement, EMS, firefighters and dispatchers all working together for the kids, he pointed out. He estimated there were 30-40 volunteers, including those behind the scenes. “It’s just impressive to see. We’re excited about it.”
The coordinator is Cpl. Justin Smith.
“It’s always been his vision, something he wants to do. He also participates in the Indiana Sheriff’s Association camps, so they have two camps a year - a north camp and a south camp. So, he’s gone down to help. Deputy Shaun Mudd has gone down to help the sheriff camp. So, it kind of originated from that and they wanted to bring it back to our area,” Light said.
A committee begins planning for the camp in January.
“It’s just exciting. For the campers, it’s team-building. It’s learning about these different entities because it’s still a great profession,” Light said.
If anyone wants to support or donate for future Camp HEROs, Light said they can email Smith at [email protected] or reach out to Smith or Light at the sheriff’s office.
“We’re blessed to live in the community that we do, the county that we do. There’s so much support, we appreciate that,” Light concluded.