Camp to teach young girls about firefighting gets under way

The Girls Scouts of Southern Arizona and the City of Yuma Fire Department held the start of their 2nd Annual Camp Fury this weekend. The camp gives teenage girls from around Yuma County an opportunity to get a firsthand look at what it is like to be a firefighter.

The firefighting camp, which is for sixth- to 12th-grade girls, is being held at the City of Yuma's Public Safety Training Facility. Registration for the camp, which cost $20, was conducted through March 31 and was limited to 24 participants.

“We only filled 12 of the spots, which is what we had last year, so we are pretty happy,” said Fire Inspector Kayla Holiman, of the Yuma Fire Department.

Participants will learn and perform firefighting skills with fire department equipment and gear. They will also learn life-saving emergency medical techniques, including Continuous Chest Compression CPR and basic first aid. Water safety has been added this year.

In addition, the campers will learn about emergency preparedness and work toward earning the Be Prepared Patch, which was developed by the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital and FEMA's Citizen Corps.

Jonica Flores, area coordinator for Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, said the badge program brings national recognition to an attending Girl Scout. She went on to say that preparing for a catastrophic event is crucial, and Camp Fury will provide the Scout with the needed knowledge and skills needed to do so.

The camp got underway Friday night with the fire chief and Girl Scouts welcoming the parents and meeting the participants.

Holiman said instead of holding the camp over a single weekend like it was last year, this year's camp is going to be spread out over the weekends of April 13-14 and April 21-22.

Another change from last year is that girls could sign up to attend regardless of whether they were currently registered as a Girl Scout.

Flores said while last year all the participants were Girl Scouts, this year a majority are girls who are interested in pursuing a career in firefighting.

“One of the parents, whose daughter is in high school said her daughter is interested in a career in Fire Science and that she is excited about participating,” Flores said.

The youngest participant in this year's camp is 12, while the oldest is a high school senior. Also, Flores said Rep. Lynne Pancrazi, D-Yuma, recently learned about the camp and was planning to stop by Saturday.

“I'm going to encourage the girls to get their CPR card,” Pancrazi said. “What the girls will be learning is very important. You never know when you will need it.”