By Julietta Bisharyan
The Modesto Bee
MODESTO, Calif. — The Modesto Fire Department, in collaboration with Modesto Junior College, is hosting its first Women’s Empowerment Camp on Saturday. The daylong event, held at MJC’s Regional Fire Training Center, is designed to inspire young women ages 14 to 21 to consider careers in firefighting.
With 100 preregistered participants expected to attend, the camp will offer hands-on training through a range of activities, including firefighter survival skills, EMS/CPR training, engine operations, ventilation techniques and scaling a 105-foot aerial ladder. Participants will also gain insight into life in the firehouse, practice forcible entry techniques and have the chance to rappel from a six-story training tower.
One camp highlight will be live demonstrations during the lunch break, where female firefighters will extinguish a car fire and use extrication tools to free trapped victims from a vehicle. These demonstrations will emphasize the importance of teamwork and technical skills in emergency situations.
In the past decade, the number of female firefighters has grown steadily. According to the 2020 U.S. Fire Department Profile, around 90,000 women serve as firefighters, making up 9% of the total workforce. The majority are volunteers. Of the more than 22,000 fire chiefs employed across the country, roughly 6% are women.
“We are thrilled to offer this unique opportunity for young women in our community,” Elizabeth Mullis, a Modesto firefighter and leader of the Women’s Empowerment Camp, said. “Our goal for the camp is that at the end of the day, the campers know that they are strong, capable and resilient.”
Last year, when the Modesto/Stanislaus Consolidated/Turlock Fire Department partnered with MJC to run the fire academy, both organizations agreed that increasing the number of female firefighters is a priority. The idea for the Women’s Empowerment Camp emerged from those early discussions, inspired by similar initiatives at other community colleges, said MJC President Brian Sanders.
The parallel between the qualities seen in high school and college athletes — teamwork, physical fitness and readiness for challenges — and those needed in firefighting were recognized.
“Athletes know what it means to work as a team, to be in shape, to be prepared for contingencies, and to put a plan into action — all traits that are essential to serving as a firefighter and rescue worker. We are thrilled with the large number of participants signed up and looking forward to the event,” Sanders said.
“This camp represents the Modesto Fire Department’s commitment to diversity and inclusion within the fire service, helping to pave the way for future generations of female firefighters,” read a press release from MFD.
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