Maple Ridge firefighter Mary Foster was working in the stock market before a fateful run edged her towards her current career.
While attending a running club, she met Jennifer Dawkins, one of the founders of Camp Ignite, an all-female firefighting camp.
鈥淚 asked her what she did, and she said she was a firefighter. And I thought, huh, I never thought of that. I wasn鈥檛 too happy with my financial career, so thought 鈥榤aybe I鈥檒l switch,鈥� and I did,鈥� Foster recounted.
Since the switch, Foster has been active in helping show young girls that firefighting can be a viable career for them.
鈥淚 started volunteering at Camp Ignite, helping out on the odd day, and now I鈥檓 a director, as well as secretary treasurer, and I鈥檓 full immersed in it,鈥� she said.
This year鈥檚 camp 鈥� which is the event鈥檚 10th anniversary 鈥� will take place on Aug. 9 at the Justice Institute in Maple Ridge.
Twenty nine girls from Grades 10 - 12 will come from as far away as Prince George, Kelowna, and Vancouver island to take part in the one day camp.
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Ordinarily the camp would take place over the course of a full weekend. But due to COVID-19, it will be significantly altered.
Despite that, the attendees will still get to take part in a lot of interesting and fun activities, Foster said.
鈥淭hey鈥檒l find out what it鈥檚 like to hold a fire hose, climb ladders, try the gear on, and try holding the jaws of life,鈥� she said, pointing out the girls will really get a feel for the heaviness of the tools.
She noted the girls are often empowered by the experience when they realize they can perform a job that is typically thought of as quite male-centric.
鈥淲e all have this idea that women are equal, but media tells us differently,鈥� Foster said.
鈥淲e still have princess culture and that doesn鈥檛 lend well to male-dominated jobs, which we are perfectly capable of doing. We just have to believe that we鈥檙e capable of doing it, and have the right mentors.鈥�
Overcoming fears is a big part of the camp.
鈥淢ost years, we usually have a rope component as well, so we have them rappelling off a building, which is quite a scary thing for some people,鈥� Foster said.
鈥淎nd I don鈥檛 think we鈥檝e had a class yet where anybody didn鈥檛 do it, even if they were terrified, which is pretty neat.鈥�
In past years, the campers would often put out a fire from inside a building, but due to COVID-19 parameters this year, they might be limited to extinguishing one from outside.
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Camp co-founder and director Jennifer Dawkins said some of the campers have gone on to firefighting gigs all over B.C.
鈥淪ome of these girls, they just want the challenge of what鈥檚 typically a whole weekend, and the mentorship and inspiration, but there are more and more each year that are doing this because they are definitely interested in learning about firefighting as a career,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e have one that鈥檚 been hired in Vancouver, one that鈥檚 been hired in Burnaby, one that鈥檚 a volunteer in Mission, and a couple who have become forest firefighters as well.鈥�
Dawkins pointed out the average hiring age for firefighters is about 27.
鈥淪o that鈥檚 putting us right at that time now that we鈥檒l see more of these young women who we鈥檝e been around for 10 years become firefighters.鈥�
ronan.p.odoherty@blackpress.ca
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