The Orillia Fire Department recently hosted 34 young women from across the province who are interested in becoming firefighters.
Camp Molly, which began in 2019, introduces young women to firefighting, medical aid, communications, and inspections. The four-day camp travels across the country and split its time in Simcoe County last week at the Orillia Fire Department on Gill Street and at Rama Fire Rescue on Rama Road in Rama First Nation.
The camp allows participants to climb the ropes and ladders, crawl through confined spaces, and work the hoses. The hope is the camp will inspire young women to pursue a career in the industry.
"The more that men and women are sitting at the table together, the more robust and the stronger any of those industries will become," said Camp Molly treasurer Inge Pudelek. "Currently, three to five per cent of the fire industry is women."
For many of the campers, becoming a firefighter has been a lifelong dream; others are simply curious about the job.
"Some of them are just doing it as an experience," Pudelek explained. "It's really cool to see the progression from Day 1 to Day 4 of camp. They go from piqued interest to fully engaged and ready to continue that path."
Camp Molly has already travelled through Vaughan, Barrie, Thunder Bay and Kingston this year. Next, it will head to northern Quebec.
"Every fire hall is set up slightly differently," Pudelek said. "Everybody pivots and makes their hall and their whole offerings work for the (participants)."
She says the Orillia Fire Department has been "welcoming" and has made for a great experience for campers.
Orillia Deputy Fire Chief Chris Ferry says it's important to the Orillia staff to educate young women about the industry.
"It would be nice to bring the percentage of women up in the fire service," he said. "It brings a lot of strength to the crew when you have both men and women."
He says the crew at the Orillia Fire Department has received a boost of energy from having the campers on board.
"They're learning about firefighting. I think that excites the firefighters," he said.
Lauren Glass travelled from Newmarket this week to participate in the camp.
"It's been amazing," she said. "There's a lot of people here that care for what we want in life and want to help us succeed."
Glass, 16, says the camp gives young women confidence.
"It gives you the encouragement to go further than you thought you could," she said. "It makes you push yourself to your best extent."
Camp Molly has already taught her several life and leadership skills.
"I've learned how to work with a group, how to be a team player, and how to create relationships with others," she said.
Going into the camp, Glass already had the desire to pursue a career in firefighting.
"This makes me want to pursue it even more," she said. "It's just been amazing."