Fire departments hope teen girls camp will lead to future firefighters: 'We want them'

MORRISVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- Camp Ignite aimed to spark interest in young girls interested in firefighting, with a larger goal of igniting a change in the male-dominated industry.

Madison Shue, 14, is among the group of participants who signed up for the camp. She wasn't sure what her stepdad, who is a Cary firefighter, signed her up for.

"So at first, I was like, is this a boot camp," questioned Shue.

So far, she and others love it. It became apparent to the teen girls that you need strength to pull them out of a burning building. They took the physical agility test that firefighters take to qualify for the department.

"Just exploring and doing all the techniques the firefighters learn and strenuous activities they have to do," Marianne Baquero. "I had no idea that they did all this much and also deal with medical emergencies as well."

Baquero is headed to UNC Chapel Hill this fall but says she has a newfound appreciation for all that firefighters do.

Camp Ignite is a partnership between Cary, Apex and Morrisville fire departments. Morrisville chief Nathan Lozinsky calls it a recruitment and retention tool with a goal of exposure and empowerment.

"We definitely want them to become applicants to our organization. We want individuals who have seen the inside of the fire department and say I can do that," said Lozinsky.

Some of the girls here are 18 years old, which is the hiring age for some local fire departments struggling to recruit women. According to data, there are only 17 women serving on the Cary Fire Department out of 200 firefighters.

In Apex, there are 102 total firefighters and only 4 are women. In Morrisville, there are 54 total with 3 women.

Natasha Byrd is one of them and has been working as a firefighter for eight years. She spent the day teaching the girls a variety of things including CPR.

"We bring a different point of view to the table," said Byrd. "It's become a hot topic since we've had a lot of professional athletes succumb to cardiac arrest lately."

The girls ended the day tying knots and ropes and rappelling out a window. The weeklong program goes until this Friday and organizers hope to continue it every year.

"I encourage other girls to come out of their comfort zones and come out here," said Shue.

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