Camp Phoenix creating opportunities for women in firefighting

Today was graduation day in Brant County for a group of young women who could become the lifesaving heroes of the future. The county’s fire department was running a training program this week called Camp Phoenix. The camp is designed to open up opportunities for women in firefighting, and the county says the response went beyond their expectations.

Camp Phoenix brought together 20 young women between 14 and 18 to get hands-on training in firefighting from cutting people out of car wrecks to handling hoses, facing fires and smoke, and the need for teamwork.

The camp experience went beyond firefighting to CPR, fire investigation and prevention, and public safety promotion.

Recent figures from the National Fire Protection Association show there are more than 152,000 firefighters in Canada and only about five per cent are women or about 7,600.

The camp ended with a friendly competition to test firefighting skills after a week that could make a difference for a lifetime.