Antonio Verrelli

For nine Munising-area teens, school ended with the obvious bump to the next grade, followed by a three-day long camp experiencing the exciting lives of first responders.

Earlier this June, Mathers Elementary hosted Camp 911, a state recognized youth camp with the aim to stoke interest in law enforcement, criminal justice, and first responder career paths.

Present at this year’s camp were real life first responders (a blend of active and retired) from the community, who demonstrated their jobs to local teenagers and enabled them to embody the true spirits of firefighters, paramedics, and court officers.

Some activities included tours of a fully- equipped ambulance, CPR and First Aid training classes, and presentations on crime scene investigating – to name a few.

Munising State Police Community Service Officer Tom Kinnunen said the student turnout this year was “very good,” considering the amount of options out-of-school teens have every summer. “Of course, we’re always competing with other extra-curriculars, a lot of which begin right after school,” he said.

Kinnunen co-runs the camp each year with fellow officer Emma Sweeney. They’ve had bad luck in recent years getting Camp 911 off the ground, with too few presenters and a lack of community participation being big factors.“We were in, I guess you can call, a dormant state. But this year, things have been better. We’ve reached out to local businesses and schools and were able to have resources in place.”

Kinnunen said local businesses have been a big help in making this year’s camp run smoothly. In collaboration with Camp 911, Hardee’s Restaurant provided free or discounted breakfasts every day of camp. Pat’s Foods, a local grocery store, gave the officers a “good deal” on snacks and drinks to pass out to campers, he said.

He also wanted to thank Alger Parks and Rec for promoting the event and the Munising Public School District for hosting it.

While there aren’t any plans for another Camp 911 appearance this year, Kinnunen is open to suggestions for next year’s event. “We’d love input from our local community on things like venue and presenters; otherwise, we’ll put together [similar events] that look a lot like the ones we’ve done before. People love it either way, but we’re hoping to have a fresh look next year, and keep that going.”

A Munising native and proud Mustang, Kinnunen’s goal is to invest back into the community that raised him. The camp introduces the youth to local first responders to foster positive relationships and “humanize the person behind the badge” by connecting communities to their local first responders. As the Community Service Trooper out of the Negaunee State Police Post Kinnunen wants to provide opportunities and experiences to smaller towns. If you are a residents of Marquette or Alger counties and have an idea that involves law enforcement and would benefit the community contact him at kinnunent@ michigan.gov or 906-285-2750