Chief Silverthorn highlights Salt Lake City fire youth camps focused on teamwork and resilience

Chief Silverthorn, the Salt Lake City fire chief, described two department-run youth camps during a site visit at the department's training facility. "It's 1 of our 2 camps. Last weekend we had Camp Prometheus for the young men, and then this weekend is Camp Athena for the young ladies 16 to 20 years old," he said, framing the programs as operational training that also builds confidence and teamwork.

Chief Silverthorn said the camps include physically demanding exercises intended to teach communication and problem-solving, and to expose participants to controlled hardship so they can build resilience. He described a rappel off the north side of the tower that many campers find frightening but ultimately rewarding, and a constrained obstacle known as the "Pittsburgh drill," in which teams—blacked out and masked—follow a hose line, locate a downed firefighter and coordinate to move the person to safety. On how to enroll, he directed listeners to the Salt Lake City Fire Department website: "get on our website, fire.slc.gov, go into the community relations tab" to sign up.

The segment was an on-site overview rather than a policy discussion; no motions or formal actions were discussed during the visit. The camps are presented as multi-day, department-hosted programs intended for older teens and young adults; the age range Chief Silverthorn cited was 16 to 20 years old. Specific dates, costs or eligibility requirements beyond the age range were not specified in the segment.