The Suffolk Fire & Rescue Department has kicked off registration for its Summer Fire and Life Safety Camps to be held at Fire Station 6 for children ages 6 to 9.

The camp is a half-day, local camp that runs Monday through Friday and exposes school-age children to what it is like to be a firefighter with Suffolk Fire & Rescue through a variety of fun, challenging, entertaining and educational activities. The mission of the camp is to teach children safety lessons on things around their homes and schools that they encounter every day. Short lectures and lessons are followed by opportunities to actively participate in exercises designed to reinforce the topics. Topics include firefighting, basic first aid, bike safety, water safety, search and rescue practices, and much more.

The fee for each weekly session is $85 per child, which includes a camp T-shirt, various school supplies, and lunch each day except for Friday, when there will be a graduation for participants. Participants can arrive as early as 7:30 a.m. and must be picked up by 1 p.m. The sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Friday. Transportation to and from the camp is not provided.

Camp will be held at Station 6 at 300 Kings Fork Road.

The sessions are as follows:

• Session 1, July 8-12
• Session 2, July 22-26
• Session 3, Aug. 12-16

The registration deadline is June 14 for all three camps.

You may mail or drop off the application and fee to: Suffolk Fire & Rescue Fire Camp, Attn: Fire Camp, 300 Kings Fork Road, Suffolk, VA 23434. Checks will need to be made out to the Jeff T. Messinger Memorial Fund. Space is limited, and camps will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants will not be confirmed for the camp until the application and payment are received.

For more information, call Jeanie Brinkley at 514-4551. Application forms can be downloaded from www.suffolkva.us/firecamp.