Program aims to spark interest in firefighting

A FIRE and resilience workshop for girls was held in Creswick last week.

Known as Girls on Fire, the program works with schools, emergency services and regional towns to deliver fire and disaster management skills to teenagers.

The two-day workshop, held at the Victorian School of Forestry, combined practical training and evidence-based research.

“Girls on Fire is about giving teenage girls an experience of fire and emergency services,” said founder and director Bronnie Mackintosh.

“There’s a real lack of diversity in the fire and emergency services sector and particularly in the firefighting roles.

“The girls will participate in activities that replicate the firefighter’s role.”

As part of the course participants dressed in full personal protective equipment and used firefighting tools and hoses to extinguish a fire.

There were also land management and cultural burning components, with the aim of reducing the severity of bushfires.

“I hope the girls feel inspired to get involved in their local emergency service or that they aspire to join as a career in some aspect of emergency management,” Ms Mackintosh said.

“I hope they have the confidence to step forward in emergences rather than feeling afraid of what to do and learn how to put out small fires so they don’t become big fires.

“I want them to know they have a really important role in their community.”

Annabelle Forsyth was one of the attendees and she said she’s been interested in firefighting for years as her dad is a member of the CFA.

“I think having more girls involved in emergency services creates more of a community within because it represents more people,” she said.

“As soon as I’m old enough I want to join the CFA and I’m already apart of their juniors programs.”

Ms Mackintosh said she is thankful for the support of National Australia Bank and Chubb Fire and Security for making the program possible.

“The rest of it runs on passion and the desire to address the lack of diversity, so without money to fund the program it’s really hard to get it to reach people,” she said.