Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue camp gives young women hands-on training

Young women spent three days cutting apart cars, climbing aerial ladders, and running search-and-rescue drills at Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue's annual two day Fire Camp at the agency's training center in Sherwood.

The free program accepts up to 25 women ages 16 to 22 and pairs them with professional female firefighters from multiple agencies.

Instructors rotate campers through stations covering vehicle extrication, hose handling, live-fire operations, forcible entry, chainsaw operation, emergency medical skills, and ropes and knots.

The program is open to women in TVF&R's service area, which includes Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, and surrounding communities.

On June 28, one station had campers tearing apart a past-its-prime Chevy Traverse to simulate a vehicle extrication. A participant used a saw to cut through the windshield.

"You get to cut a car apart — how many people can say that?" said Lt. Jennifer Turner, a TVF&R lieutenant and camp organizer.

Turner said the program's goal goes beyond recruiting. The camp is about empowering young women to be confident in male-dominated fields, she said, whether or not they pursue firefighting.

A first climb

Simra Ahsan, 21, climbed the aerial ladder atop a fire truck for the first time during the camp. Ahsan, who is considering a career in emergency medicine, said she had a fear of heights. She looked down from the ladder and saw her fellow campers cheering, which gave her the strength to keep going, she said.

The experience opened her mind to firefighting as an alternative career path. Ahsan said if medical school doesn't work out, she'll look into firefighting.

Program history

The Tualatin Valley Fire Camp launched in 2009, according to KOIN 6 reporting. The program focuses on building confidence, leadership, and teamwork while showing young women that careers in the fire service are viable options, according to TVF&R's website.

Beyond firefighting skills, the camp includes instruction on job interview preparation, nutrition, and physical fitness.