TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It's something very few teens can say they've tried. This week, a group of girls are getting a glimpse into the life of a firefighter.
"It's amazing because you get to learn new skills," said 14-year-old, Leia Bagay.
Bagay and a number of other young women are taking part in an annual camp hosted by the Girls Scouts of Southern Arizona. Over a decade ago, Camp Fury was founded by two local female firefighters who wanted to make a difference.
"Our intent was to bring more young girls and women into the fire service. The percentage of women in the fire service was lower than we'd like to see," said Camp Fury Co-Founder and Retired Tucson Assistant Fire Chief, Laura Baker.
Around 4% of firefighters in Tucson are women. Baker wants to see that change.
"Courage, confidence and character is really what it's all about. We are teaching all of these young high school girls to have courage to do things that they would not expect themselves to do," said Baker.
Throughout the week, the girls will also learn about other public safety careers.
"We're able to interact with the amazing women that are a part of these fantastic career fields. They're all so inspiring and motivating," said 18-year-old, Kendall Clark.
When camp is over, leaders want the girls to be confident in everything they set out to do.
"We're exposing them to things that they might not have been exposed to growing up. Hopefully it opens the doors. They can be firefighters. They can help their community," said Baker.
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Megan Meier is a reporter for KGUN 9. Megan graduated from Arizona State Universityʼs Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications in May 2018. While pursuing her degree in broadcast journalism, Megan interned at the City of Phoenix. Share your story ideas and important issues with Megan by emailing megan.meier@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
