Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer has directed City staff to reinstate the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s Girls Empowerment Camp that was cancelled last week. The event will now take place on two weekends – April 14-15 and May 19-20 – with registration reopening so more teenagers can participate.
Girls Empowerment Camp is a free two-day camp for youth ages 14-18, regardless of gender, that introduces them to career opportunities in firefighting and encourages them to consider public safety as a viable career option. Boys and girls are invited to participate. The camp’s attention to empowering girls is an effort to introduce young women to a profession where women are greatly underrepresented.
According to a 2016 National Fire Protection Association study, only 7 percent of firefighters nationwide are women.
The families who previously registered for the cancelled camp will have first choice of the weekend on which they wish to participate in the new camps. Those already on the waiting list will also have the opportunity to register.
“We made a commitment to hundreds of kids and their families and we are going to stand by that,” Faulconer said. “This is an important camp that teaches kids what it’s like to be a firefighter and exposes many of them to a career opportunity they may not have considered previously. The camp is open to everyone and encourages girls to consider a profession that needs more female representation.”
The camp provides campers with a realistic, hands-on overview of firefighting and exposure to all aspects of public safety career opportunities in the fire service. Additionally, the program empowers campers with life skills and professional guidance that encourages them to pursue their dreams.
“Our firefighters, staff and volunteers put their hearts and souls into this event,” said Fire Chief Brian Fennessy. “Last year, we heard that the Girls Empowerment Camp was a priceless experience for the campers. We want the same for our 2018 participants.”
Thanks to the support of sponsors and the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation, campers receive:
– Hands-on training with firefighting tools and equipment;
– Exposure to public safety career options;
– Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training;
– Backpack and T-shirt;
– Lunch.
“We applaud the decision of Mayor Faulconer to move forward with this camp and look forward to having even more young people educated and mentored on careers in public safety,” said Wendy Robinson, executive director of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation.
Prospective campers can register at sdfirerescue.org/gec.