Welcome to Camp Fury!

It’s day two at Camp Fury and these girl scouts are already on fire! Trained by Tucson’s elite women firefighters from Northwest Fire District and Tucson Fire Department, each girl gets the chance to repel down a building, climb up a 150-foot ladder, rescue a dummy from a maze in full firefighting gear, and more. Today I took a trip out to the camp sight to get a look at the girls in action. When I got there, I was impressed. Being deathly afraid of heights, I couldn’t imagine having to walk backwards off of a building and then belay myself down the side of it.

    

Going over the edge was the scariest part!

Another girl scout walking down the building!

Getting ready for belaying!

When I walked around to the other side of the training building, there was a parked fire truck with a narrow ladder extending hundreds of feet into the air. This looked even more terrifying to me, but girl after girl made the climb. Everyone cheered as each girl reached the top and posed for a picture.

Climbing into the sky!

As I sat and watched the climbing, a group of girls emerged from the training building wearing full firefighting gear in 100-degree weather. They had just finished a maze in which they had to follow a hose through a building in order to rescue a dummy. It sounds easy, right? Except these girls couldn’t see.

Taking off the gear.

The final group of girls was inside learning about what it takes to become a firefighter. We all watched a video detailing the CPAT test, or the Candidate Physical Ability Test. There are 8 parts to this grueling test, and all must be completed in ten minutes and twenty seconds while wearing a fifty-pound vest.

A firefighter has to be able to handle the weight of her suit.

It was cool to see so many girls exploring a predominantly male career. Whether Camp Fury interested girls in pursuing firefighting or not, it looked like great fun. All of the firefighters were kind, encouraging, and helpful; a great set of role models. Camp Fury is certainly blazing a trail for girls to learn about and consider unconventional careers.

These are some big shoes to fill!