Henrico girls’ fire camp teaches fire safety skills and that ‘we can do whatever we set our mind to’

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- The second annual 'Girls on Fire' camp is in action at the Henrico fire training facility, where dozens of middle school-aged girls learned what it takes to be a firefighter.

The girls learned from women with the department, and the departments hope is to introduce girls to a profession they may never have considered.

"If I had known earlier, I would have known it was everything I wanted in a job," Firefighter Grace Cuenin said.

She said when she was growing up, she didn't see representations of women as firefighters.

"Our literature didn't show it," Cuenin said. "The pictures were always of boys now, these girls get to see not only maybe they can do this job, but there's a whole world of jobs that they might not have previously seen themselves in."

The camp's training included search and rescue operations, hazmat, CPR and fire fighting. One activity on Saturday was running hose lines to put out fires.

"Today we are mostly learning safety," camper and rising sixth grader Emma Johansen said. "I think it could definitely help me when I have kids or if I have kids, just helping them be safe."

Johansen's father is a retired firefighter and she said she wanted to do the camp to experience what he did.

"I love working with them," Johansen said. "I've seen a couple [before], but it is different seeing this many."

"It just makes me think that we can do whatever we set our mind to," Johansen said.

When asked if she could see herself becoming a firefighter, she said maybe, "I've always loved helping people."