A training camp for young women has begun at Shasta College. The five day four night camp aims to host girls from all over the Bay Area, up to the Oregon border. The girls will learn how to fight wildfires, how to rescue someone drowning in a lake, and structure fires. A CAL FIRE representative, was quoted in saying, “In general, it’s hard to find workers these days. There is a labor shortage so we can’t just be appealing to half of the population,” said CAL FIRE Battalion Chief Katie Mason. “Also, we want people who think differently. If everyone thinks the same then you only have one approach to a problem. But if we have people with different backgrounds and experiences and ways of thinking, then we are going to do a better job.” Out of two hundred applicants the best 30 were chosen for this special chance at a learning opportunity, that can empower future generations of female firefighters.
—
Nadejda Filin / Shutterstock.com