Girls Fire and Emergency Camp
Published: 5th October 2018
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) is teaming up with its emergency services counterparts and not-for-profit organisation, Girls on Fire, to host the inaugural Girls Fire and Emergency Services Camp.
The event, which is open to all girls aged 15 to 17 years, will be held at YMCA Camp Yarramundi from 2-8 December 2018.
It aims to challenge young women to break down barriers and test themselves in ways they never thought possible.
The seven-day camp will see the participants learn firefighting and emergency services skills, increase their confidence and resilience, encourage problem solving, teamwork and leadership, and introduce them to the possibility of a career in the emergency services.
The girls will participate in a range of theoretical and practical lessons as well as extinguish simulated fires, undertake rescue operations, go abseiling, build a raft and go on an overnight hike.
FRNSW Station Officer and Girls on Fire founder, Bronnie Mackintosh, said she was excited about the collaborative efforts of all the stakeholders to bring this camp to reality.
“This event has the potential to create lasting social change by empowering girls at a vulnerable age as well as influencing community views about emergency services and the people who provide them,” she said.
Jim O’Connell, General Manager of Firefighter’s Mutual Bank, said he welcomed the opportunity to be part of this initiative.
“The camp goes to the heart of improving gender diversity in emergency services, and Firefighter’s Mutual Bank is proud to be involved in such a wonderful project,” he said.
The inaugural Girls Fire and Emergency Services Camp is a multi-agency collaboration between Girls On Fire, Firefighters Mutual Bank, Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW), NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS), NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES), Monash University, YMCA and the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC).
For more information, visit www.girlsonfire.com.au