The Safety and Emergency Response Training (SERT) Centre of the Marine Institute will be ablaze next week and the fate of the facility lies in the hands of 12 teenage girls. These girls will be there to attend Camp GLOW, Group Learning for Outgoing Women.

This weeklong fire camp, designed just for girls, will see the young women participate in a series of activities modeled after those that firefighters go through during training. Girls will have a chance to use real firefighting equipment under the supervision of active female firefighters. Exercises, classes and activities include introduction to the firefighter's personal protective equipment, use of tools and ladders, search and rescue, and live fire training.

 “The girls will be doing live fire training,” said Krista Parsons, safety and survival instructor, Marine Institute. “They’ll get the chance to see how heavy the equipment is and realize that they need that physical and mental stamina to actually do that type of work.”

The intent of Camp GLOW is to empower and build confidence in young girls through teamwork, problem solving and physical exercise. 

A number of female firefighters will also speak to the group, giving them an idea of what it is like to work as a firefighter and, in particular, a male dominated filed.

The camp is offered in partnership with the Marine Institute and the Women in Resource Development Committee (WRDC) and is being held from August 13-17 at the Safety and Emergency Response Training (SERT) Centre in Stephenville.

For more information on these camps, check out www.mi.mun.ca/summer_camps.

For more information please contact, Stephanie Barrett, public relations and communications officer, Fisheries and Marine Institute, at 778-0677, or Stephanie.Barrett@mi.mun.ca, or Mary Clarke, camp coordinator, at 687-1960.