The Tucson Fire Department, Northwest Fire/Rescue District and the Sahuaro Girl Scout Council held a three-day fire camp last weekend for 14 girls who were accepted into the program.
The purpose was to introduce the 14- to 17-year-olds to the fire service while teaching them leadership skills. The camp was run by female firefighters, mostly from Tucson Fire and Northwest Fire, but it also included paramedics and other specialists from Southwest Ambulance and other agencies from Southern Arizona.
The camp was held at the Public Safety Training Academy, 10001 S. Wilmot Road, and incorporated classroom and hands-on experiences. This was the first camp of its kind in Arizona and is only the third in the United States, said Capt. Trish Tracy, Tucson Fire Department spokeswoman.
The camp was funded by the Women's Foundation of Southern Arizona and is something the organization would like to do annually.
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Girls learned about ladder operations, basic first aid, mud bog, bucket brigade, water rescue, mock interviews and fire extinguishing.
A number of the girls said they have always wanted to be firefighters — some of them because of the exciting physical challenges, and some of them because they see it as a great career opportunity and a chance to save lives.
