‘I don’t want to be the last’: Prince George’s Co. hosts 1st female fire chief’s camp for teenagers
While a lot of teenagers are spending their time off school sitting watching TikTok on their phones, 40 young ladies between the ages of 14 and 18 took part in a program at the Prince George’s County Fire and Rescue Training Academy to be trained as firefighters.
Camp Embers was the brainchild of Prince George’s County’s first female fire chief, Tiffany Green.
“Being the first female fire chief. I don’t want to be the last,” Green said. “The only way to do that is to empower and to be out and exposed.”
Over the two-day camp, the ladies are being trained in cutting cars, search and rescue, putting on turnout gear and going into the academy’s burn building.
“They’re also learning EMS skills, CPR and First Aid,” Green said.
This is the third free Camp Embers to be hosted by the Prince George’s County Fire Department with 30 instructors.
This is designed to engage young women into the fire service,” said Jordan Oglesby, fire technician and paramedic. “And teach young women that this is a career field that they can do and be successful in.”
One camper told WTOP after the training that firefighting may be the path their life takes.
“It’s like something fun, something with an adrenaline rush and something helping people,” said 15-year-old Layla Kareem. “This may be the role for me.”