Students interested in emergency services as a career or even just a curiosity can get a feel for what it is all about during the upcoming Junior Fire Academy.

This summer will mark the seventh year of the week long camp, offered to upcoming sixth through ninth graders by Dawson County Emergency Services.

Assistant Chief and Training Officer Danny Speaks said that this year's turnout looks like it will be the biggest on record with around 50 students participating.

"We will have opening day with battalion assignments and company assignments," Speaks said.

There will be apparatus demonstrations, fire burns, pit burns and a car fire demonstration-all on day one.

Students will also have the chance to take part in cooling water challenges during the hot summer days.

"They end up getting wet because we practice for our competitions with fire hoses," Speaks said.

The camp offers activities like fire suppression techniques, wildland firefighting skills, automobile extrication, search and rescue, emergency medical care and fire injury prevention.

The academy will take place from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. the week of June 20 to 24 with drop off and pick up at Riverview Middle School though many of the activities will take place at Station 7.

"The crew at station 7 have always helped out," Speaks said.

Snacks and lunch are provided for the participants thanks to partnerships with local vendors.

This year's schedule will be different than any they have done before, according to Speaks.

"We are multifaceted. We do the EMS. We are showing everything that we do," he said.

"We have always enjoyed it. We have always been glad we've been allowed to do it."