The end of school looms large over those final years. It can be tough to figure out who you are, what you want to be, and where you might fit in. The pressure to commit to extra study, traineeships or jobs can feel overwhelming. Especially if you can’t experience the work before you do the learning! 

That’s where Girls on Fire comes in handy. Even if you’ve never thought about a career in emergency services, you get the opportunity to experience what it is like to test yourself, learn, and be in a team or a group in a way you never considered before. 
But that’s not the only reason why you should try Girls on Fire for size. 

Check out these seven ways a Girls on Fire program can help you figure out what you want to do, no matter the job! 

Challenge yourself

Most of the girls who experience a Girls on Fire program do not know how amazing they are until they hit camp. 

Imagine trying activities like: 

•    Running and managing a hose from a fire truck 
•    Working with a team in a building with zero visibility to solve challenges
•    Putting yourself through a series of physical challenges 
•    Cracking open a car wreck in an accident simulation 
•    Learn how to put out fires with all kinds of equipment.

But this is only the beginning. 

You also get the opportunity to: 

•    Build resilience, confidence, and leadership skills  
•    Work with a diverse group of people to solve problems 
•    Experience the potential of working in service of your community 
•    Envisage what you want after school 
•    Overcome your own fears and mental barriers to do great things 

Having a meaningful career - without university 

It is true that emergency services offer a career that can take you all kinds of places without having to rely on university. That’s great news if you want a temporary – or permanent – break from the books! 

Emergency services offer a great lifestyle with:

•    Meaningful careers based on hands-on, practical work experience 
•    The chance to follow where your interests take you once you join - from frontline support to fire investigation, emergency training, community education, and more  
•    Training that is paid for by the service you join 
•    A place where technical skills, attitude, and people skills are all assets   

Be where you want to be 

Looking for a job where you can stay close to home? Girls on Fire introduces you to local people and networks that could be searching for their next volunteer or paid emergency services recruit. 

Want to see Australia or the world? Emergency services can offer that, too!

Imagine if you had a career that let you stay in regional, coastal, or remote Australia and help your community. And that let you transfer your job across the state, around the country or even overseas when you wanted to move. 

That’s what a career in fire and emergency services can offer. You can be there for the people and places you love when the chips are down. Or you can use it to find new people and places to call home. 

Let sporting skills shine 

Are you more at home at sports than in a classroom? You can put that love of exercise and teamwork to great use by: 

•    Using that energy and stamina to do physically challenging activities 
•    Use your agility and speed as an asset during accident simulations 
•    Test your endurance and show yourself what you can do when you put your mind to it 
•    Be a part of another kind of team. One where those skills in communicating, anticipating the play, and giving your all are respected and rewarded 

Use your science brain for good

Not all heroes wear capes – some wear the thinking caps filled with love of science, astronomy, and environmental studies. Fire and emergency services are fast becoming a popular choice for science lovers that want to work outdoors while making a big difference.  

During a Girls on Fire camp, you learn: 

•    How science and climate change directly influence disaster preparedness and response 
•    The nuts and bolts of on-the-ground fire and disaster prevention using science, environmental studies, and technology  
•    How to take action with sustainability and real action on climate change through helping communities manage disasters better before they happen 

•    The physics and science behind crash investigation, fire investigation, and more  

•    How a love of chemistry can see you work with dangerous chemicals, radiation, and hazardous materials response through hazmat work 

 
Learn about culture

Did you know modern day Australian firefighting relies on Indigenous knowledge of weather, science, astronomy, and community storytelling? It's that unique combination that kept this country safe, way back before pump trucks were even invented!

This is why we:

•    Integrate Indigenous knowledge in land and disaster management
•    Run culturally inclusive camps and represent with Indigenous mentors
•    Work with a lot of Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities 
•    Are looking for Girls on Fire former campers to be future mentors 
•    Connect everyone who does a Girls on Fire camp with the rich cultural heritage and history of First Nations Peoples 

If you want to be in a place where it feels safe and connected to Indigenous culture and knowhow, and how this connection to country can help you find a meaningful career, Girls on Fire cultural inclusion camps are the place to be. 

Find new friends after school 

You can find community and connection via programs and adults who really want to see you succeed. 

At Girls on Fire, you can: 

•    Be less alone through a sense of belonging and teamwork
•    Feel valued and supported to try on something new and exciting 
•    Find mentorship and leaders that see you for you 
•    Explore who you are and what the future might hold when surrounded by the right people 

Looking for new ideas for your future career? Give Girls on Fire a try today!