Vaughan female firefighting camp heats up career choice for girls

YorkRegion.com
July 26, 2017 Tim Kelly

For a week, 16 teenage girls trained in red-hot conditions, broke down doors, saved lives and they're burning with desire to do it all again.

Emily Galipo, 18, of Vaughan, figures it's just five-and-a-half years until she has the chance to join the Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service. The York University student loved last week's Female Firefighting Camp so much, she can't wait to come back next year.

"Helping people and providing a service is a huge adrenalin rush," said Galipo who plays competitive hockey and soccer. She said she loves the teamwork and trust firefighting engenders. After her four years at York, she wants to take the firefighting course at Seneca College and apply to Vaughan Fire and Rescue.

"The firefighters who volunteered their time were a huge inspiration to me, they're definitely role models to me; some things they said just changed my life for the good," Galipo said.

She and her 15 fellow campers took part in the first-ever all female camp at the Vaughan Joint Operations Centre at 2800 Rutherford Rd. from July 17-21. There, under the watchful eye of instructors they worked from 9-4 each day (with a one-hour lunch break) learning CPR and First Aid, hose line operations, fire ground operations, ground and aerial ladders, leadership and team-building, rope rescue, the Jaws of Life, search-and-rescue techniques and how to use personal protective equipment.

Marissa Moscovitch, 17, of Richmond Hill, said she's going into a firefighting career and admitted using power tools was her favourite part of the camp.

"It's not something you see a lot of girls do and I had a lot of fun doing that," she said. Doing the camp, "is another thing I can add to my bucket list. The leaders were all amazing people, amazing role models."

Victoria Myddelton, who has been with the Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service for the past two years, was one of the camp's instructors and said she was impressed with all 16 campers.

"They did amazing. The weather was extremely hot, but we didn't hear a complaint all week and it was a real pleasure to instruct them," Myddelton said.

The 27-year-old instructor is a competitor in the Scott FireFit Combat Challenge, who, with partner Billy Carlisle set a world record last year. And she is competing again this year.

With 10 per cent of its firefighters female the Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service is well above the national average of three per cent, but with the Female Firefighting Camp, is intent on showing the next generation the way.

"It was exciting for them. They were really enthusiastic and it was just really great to see young females excited about firefighting and what it has to offer them as a career possibility," Myddelton said.

One of those youngsters, Sophia Golluci, 16, of Vaughan, said she "really liked the camp.

"My whole life, I've really liked physical jobs, I've been really athletic. It was nice to experience how the gear felt."