Pandemic can’t stop program to inspire young women

When COVID-19 restrictions threatened to halt delivery of the Girls on Fire program – a collaboration between NSW RFS, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Parks and Wildlife Service and Air Services Australia – organisers had to get creative.

The Girls on Fire camp launched in 2018, empowering girls and young women by teaching them firefighting and emergency services skills, increasing their confidence and resilience and encouraging problem-solving, teamwork and leadership. The camp also introduces them to the possibility of a career or volunteering in the fire and emergency services.

The 2020 program included online learning, a virtual workshop and a one-day practical component delivered face-to-face following COVID-safe guidelines, conducted in Yarramundi, Newcastle, Dubbo and Mogo.

Peter Jones, Deputy Captain of Kurrajong Brigade, together with Phil Hurst, a Group Captain at Hawkesbury, helped coordinate two of the practical days and provide equipment such as tankers and bulk water. Peter was immensely relieved to see the program go ahead after it was cancelled in 2019 due to the 2019/20 fire season.

Photo by Connor Deans

“COVID-19 meant we needed to do things differently, with social distancing limiting the number of participants we could have, lots of hand sanitiser and the week-long camp being replaced with a one-day practical component,” said Peter. “However, it has once again proved such a valuable demonstration to girls of what they are capable of and what they could pursue as a career if they wanted to.”

Overall, 67 girls took part, ranging in age from 15 to 19. Another 64 volunteers from the five participating agencies participated as mentors and activity facilitators to provide the girls with an incredible learning opportunity.

Each program had a slightly different session plan with activities including rural and urban firefighting scenarios, remote access firefighting, managing fire with hand tools, burnover drills, road crash rescue, breathing apparatus skills, structural search and rescue, extinguishers and fun games incorporating wet hose drills and giant swings.

All program activities included structural elements from each of the services such as working in platoons, wearing structural and rural PPC and responding to simulated scenarios in the various fire appliances. One of the founders of Girls on Fire, Fire and Rescue NSW’s Bronnie Mackintosh, said the 2020 program pivoted to become the Girls Fire and Resilience Program and was focused on regional areas.

Photo by Connor Deans

“The hope was to return to areas such as Wauchope and Mogo to assist with recovery efforts from last season’s fires,” she said. “Unfortunately Wauchope didn’t end up going ahead, but Mogo did, and the final program held at the Eurobodalla Fire Training Centre in November was one of the most successful we have run.

“Several participants had lost homes or business in the fires and had joined the program so they could learn how to help their communities recover and prepare for future adversities.

“It also provides an opportunity for existing emergency services personnel to develop their leadership skills by volunteering as mentors or activity facilitators during the program.”

The 2020 program had the luxury of a program manager for the first time: Patsy Marshall from the NSW RFS, who provided all the business, logistics and operations support, with additional assistance from NSW RFS staff including Beth Slender from the Area Western Command and Dez White from the Castlereagh District Office. The NSW Forestry Corporation also participated as a guest ahead of a future partnership in 2021.

The success of the program has laid a platform for 2021, which will see the program expanded to new regional settings and additional Sydney locations. It will also be extended to a three-day weekend in May – global pandemic permitting!