By William Tauro

The Middlesex Sheriff’s Office Youth Public Safety Academy (YPSA), led by Sheriff Peter Koutoujian, is a summer program featuring five weeklong sessions at the training academy in Chelmsford. It is open to children ages 8–12 from Middlesex County’s 54 communities, with teens ages 13–15 serving as counselors.

Each summer, the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office sponsors the Youth Public Safety Academy (YPSA) for 8- to 12-year-olds from communities across the county. YPSA runs for a series of one-week sessions each summer designed to introduce our youngest citizens to role models in public safety – namely sheriff’s officers and local police, fire, and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel, as well as to teach them valuable life and safety lessons.

YPSA cadets participate in a series of activities throughout the camp – visiting with the local police and fire officials on community day and learning about fire safety hazards in our fire safety trailer. Cadets also learn how to make evacuation plans for emergencies and participate in exercises designed to demonstrate the power and importance of teamwork during a visit to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Billerica.

YPSA is run at the Middlesex Training Academy in Chelmsford, with transportation and lunch provided.