Saturday marked the final session for a number of Paterson children learning how to work with police, fire and EMS officials though a 5-week program.

The 26 children involved are the first in the state to participate in the Camp Ready Program. Every Saturday for the past five weeks, the campers have been learning what to do if caught in an emergency situation. As a graduation lesson, the children were broken up in teams and had to respond to a fake fire as if it were a real-life crisis.

Camp administrators believe a number of participants will grow up to become heroes.

"I have no doubt we have several members of this group that are going to seek careers in either discipline, police, fire, or the Red Cross."

Paterson officials took the idea for the camp from FEMA's Web site and plan to make it a yearly occurrence. The children involved were selected based on essays they wrote on public safety.