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Camp encourages girls to pursue a career in firefighting

by in News

  • Felicity Bourgeois, 15, of Tustin left, and Savannah Smith, 14, of Long Beach wear masks that prevent them from seeing as they work to connect a self-contained breathing apparatus after emerging from the confidence course during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. The confidence course requires the teens wear masks that obscure their vision and then have to navigate a maze on their hands and knees. The exercise replicates working in a smoke-filled environment. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Crystal Diaz, 17, of Santa Ana ascends a fire engine ladder to the 4th floor of a building during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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  • OCFA Capt. Ray McQueen, left, gives a high-five to Diocelina Gonzalez, 15, of Santa Ana after she successfully used a chain saw during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at the OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Alayna Whitecotton, 14, center, of Tustin uses a firehose with the guidance of Lizeth Cramer of LA City Fire, left, and Linda Brown a OCFA Paramedic during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • OCFA firefighter Shane Frederick, top, watches as a teen rappels down the side of a building during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Diocelina Gonzalez, 15, left, gets advice on using a fire hose from OCFA Parmediac Linda Brown during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Felicity Bourgeois, 15, of Tustin drinks cold water after completing the confidence course during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. The confidence course requires the teens wear masks that obscure their vision and then have to navigate a maze on their hands and knees. The exercise replicates working in a smoke-filled environment. It took Bourgeois and her partner 17-minutes to complete the course. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A teenage girls climbs a fire engine ladder to the 4th floor of a building during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Deeyana Roshanzaer, 18, rappels down the side of a building under the watchful eye of OCFA firefighters during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • OCFA firefighter Duke Juarez, right, guide teenage girls in the use of an ax during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Teenage girls put on their turnout gear as the prepare learn how to use a fire hose during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Crystal Diaz, 17, of Santa Ana ascends a fire engine ladder to the 4th floor of a building during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Teenage girls learn how to splint a broken arm during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • After working all morning to complete various firefighting exercises at the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019, Dorothy Eltiste, 15, of Placenta carries her friend Alayna Whitecotton, 14, of
    Tustin to join the other teens for lunch.
    (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Ashley Roa, 14, left, of Long Beach learns from OCFA Paramedic Linda Brown that a firefighter can fan out the spray from a firehose nozzle as a protection from the heat of a fire during the during the Orange County Fire Authority’s first annual Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA Headquarters in Tustin on Sunday, June 30, 2019. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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After 17 minutes Felicity Bourgeois, 15, and her partner Savannah Smith, 14, emerged from a hot trailer desperate to take off the masks that prevented them from seeing.

“I’m claustrophobic and I felt like I couldn’t breath … it gets kind of scary,” exclaimed Bourgeois.

“It was fun,” she continued.

Bourgeois and Smith had just completed the confidence course at the Orange County Fire Authority’s first Girls Empowerment Camp at OCFA headquarters in Tustin.

The goal of Girls Empowerment Camp is to introduce teenagers to the fire service and provide them with a realistic, hands-on overview of firefighting.

“We want to introduce firefighting and fire service to boys and girls ages 14 to 18 with a particular eye towards introducing females to fire service because they’re under-represented,” said Tia Grasso, human resources manager for OCFA.

In all, 53 girls and five boys attended the free two-day camp that introduced them to to all aspects of a fire service career.

On the first day, firefighters from OCFA and other departments taught the teens firefighting techniques and how to use various tools. On the second day they were able to get hands-on experience in areas such as aerial ladder climbing, rope handling, using axes and chainsaws, rappelling and hose handling.

“This is a long-term recruitment tool. We hope to introduce the possibility of considering jobs and careers in the fire service for young females and males,” says Grasso.

“We don’t have any problem getting boys to apply for our jobs here but we have inspired and encouraged women to give us a shot.”

The Orange County Fire Authority plans to make the Girls Empowerment Camp an annual event.