Young women in regional NSW are exploring future careers in forest firefighting at fire camps across the state.

The ‘Fire Up Girls’ Fire and Resilience Program is run by not-for-profit organisation Girls On Fire delivering fire and disaster management training to women aged 15 to 19 years.

Fire camps have been staged in Tenterfield, Casino, Lismore and Moree with camps to follow in Dubbo, Eden, Cobargo, Jindabyne and Tumut.

Forestry Corporation is proud to partner with Girls on Fire in building self-confidence and resilience in young women through fire training.

Founded by Fire and Rescue NSW Fire Captain Bronnie Mackintosh, Girls on Fire aims to increase diversity and build resilience within emergency services.

“By giving young women these real-world skills today, we are preparing them to be tomorrow’s emergency services personnel and community leaders,” Bronnie said.

“With a new bushfire season ahead, it’s never been more important for us to be ready, and it’s vital we equip the next generation to lead their communities.

“These camps help young women discover just how capable they are. By challenging themselves with fire and emergency scenarios, they walk away with the confidence to tackle anything,” she said.

Statistics show women make up 5 to 7 per cent of Australia’s firefighting workforce.

Forestry Corporation’s Amba Addinsall said the organisation, as one of the state’s four firefighting agencies, is proud of its gender diversity on the firelines.

“This summer Forestry Corporation will have 519 firefighters rostered on to respond to the state’s forest fires and proudly around 20% of our firefighting workforce are women,” Amba said.

Forestry Corporation’s Tamara Reinhard and Renee Lawlor said the day camps at Casino and Lismore were hugely successful.

“Volunteering for the day camps was an incredibly rewarding experience. It was so inspiring to see the girls grow in confidence throughout the day, form social connections and experience the camaraderie of working together in simulated emergency situations,” Tamara said.

“Feedback from the girls was that the activities were fun, informative and exhilarating. They enjoyed using the live reel on the Cat 9 and the hands-on approach to the day.  If you get the chance to participate in these day camps, as a volunteer or a student, we highly recommend you sign up – it’s a great day out,” Renee said.

Forestry Corporation’s Kristen Coady said preparations are underway for the Dubbo fire camp on November 7.

“This will be the second time we’ve participated in the Dubbo camp. It’s a great initiative, and we’re looking forward to sharing our firefighting experience with a new group of young women. We want to send them home with some valuable skills and hopefully some enthusiasm for forest protection,” Kristen said.

The Fire-Up Girls Fire and Resilience Program is free to participants and has received funding through a NSW Government Investing in Women grant.

All young women are welcome to attend, with special encouragement for young women and teens from First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

Camps will be held in Dubbo on November 7, Eden on November 18, Cobargo on November 19, Jindabyne on November 21 and Tumut on November 27.

For more information go to girlsonfire.com.au

To find out more on careers in firefighting at Forestry Corporation visit www.forestrycorporation.com.au