(Photo Credit: City of Grande Prairie)

By Nathaniel Leigh

GPFD

Applications open for Grande Prairie Fire Department’s Camp F.I.R.E.

Mar 4, 2025 | 7:00 AM

The Grande Prairie Fire Department’s initiative to empower young women and gender-diverse individuals to enter the fire service is making a return.

The second Camp FIRE will continue it’s work breaking down barriers and fostering a supportive environment following a successful first year, with a full cohort of 15 individuals.

Young women and gender-diverse individuals between the ages of 16 and 20 will be able to learn about fire fighting by engaging in activities like Personal protective Equipment Mastery, Search and Rescue Operations, Confined Space Strategy and more.

Grande Prairie Fire Chief Mark VanWerkhoven says only 12 per cent of firefighters across Canada are women, making initiatives like Camp F.I.R.E an important way to help break down barriers.

Camp FIRE is happening in early May, registration is open until March 28.