'Girls on Fire' camp introduces Henrico middle-school girls to future opportunities, life skills

Henrico Fire Department’s new “Girls on Fire” camp, which hosted nearly 60 middle school-aged girls July 26-27, sought to teach campers that women can be anything that men can be – including firefighters – through activities like practicing using a fire hose, demonstrations from current female firefighters, and learning the basics of EMS training. It was the fire department’s first camp specifically for girls.

Incoming sixth-grade student Aaliyah Williams doesn't have much interest in being a firefighter when she grows up, but when her mother, Yolanda Morrison, saw the Henrico Division of Fire's post on Facebook about the camp, she knew it would be a great opportunity for her daughter.

“I’m hoping [the camp] will bring her out of her shyness,” Morrison said. “She loves the outdoors, she loves animals, and so I thought let’s find something else for [her] to do outside, learn some new skills, and meet some new friends.”

Aaliyah came to the right place, according to Henrico Fire Lt. and camp planner Ronny Martin. Growing up, she also didn’t want to be a firefighter – but it was because she never considered it an option.

“I joined the department when I was 30,” Martin said. “My father was a police officer and I always said I wanted to work in the government. People would ask about the police, the CIA, the FBI or military, but nobody ever mentioned being a firefighter.”

One of the main factors keeping women from being firefighters is the fact that they do not know it is an option, Martin elaborated, so it is important to give young girls a space to explore the field in a fun way.

Beyond spreading awareness about the fire department and teaching them the basics of being a firefighter, the camp also provided a valuable opportunity for campers to grow their confidence, network, make friends, and even build skills that can be used outside of the fire station.

“We want to develop important life skills that, I think, all us grown-ups wish we had gotten,” firefighter and camp planner Jasmine Wall said.

As closing remarks for the camp’s opening ceremony, Henrico Deputy County Manager for Community Affairs Monica Smith-Callahan challenged campers to make the most out of their time at the camp and build relationships with both their peers and staff of the fire department.

“Understand that the people you meet now may become a part of your village as you move forward throughout the rest of your school career and as you think about what is next,” she said. “These are the people that will be there for you throughout each of those steps."

Whether they decide to go into the fire department or not, camp organizers hope that attendees will be prepared for whatever their next step may be.