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Why should you go to a Girls on Fire program?
Girls on Fire will put a spark in the hearts of girls in Ballarat Victoria. As we switch from the land of the long white cloud in Rotorua New Zealand to the bent elbow or resting place of country Victoria, we reflect on why we get up in the morning to do what we do. And why we want every girl out there to consider joining us for a day (or in Ballarat’s case, two!) to experience Girls on Fire.
If you’re a young person, here’s why you should go to a Girls on Fire program at least once
Challenge yourself
Most of the girls who experience a Girls on Fire program do not know how amazing they are until they do the activities.
It’s not every day that you run the hose from a fire truck, understand what it’s like to work with a team in a building with zero visibility, rely on teammates to solve physical challenges, crack open a car wreck in an accident simulation or learn how to put out fires with all kinds of equipment.
The only thing you might find after a day with Girls on Fire is that you are so much more equipped to take on the world than you thought!
Exploring life beyond university
If it has annoyed you because studying for another three or more years looks likely for you to get the career you want, firefighting could be exactly what you’re looking for. A career as emergency services personnel is one where the work is many and varied. And you don’t have to commit to further study to have a career that allows you to progress up the ranks, find your calling, and put your skills to the test. This is rare in a world where a lot of young people feel forced to study more than they want to.
A career for all cities
Imagine you had a job that would let you stay in regional and remote Australia and transfer your skills easily overseas should the mood ever take you.
That’s what a career in fire and emergency services can offer. If you love where you live and wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else, you can work as part of the people who are there for that town when the chips are down.
And if you want to explore Australia or the rest of the world without ever having to worry about whether you have a job, qualifying for fire and emergency services can give you that, too.
No matter how far you want to roam from home now, working in fire and rescue can help create a working life where you get to choose the view!
Turn sport into a career
Not all sporting careers need you to wear sponsorship logos or smile sweetly next to the latest energy drink. At a Girls on Fire program, you’ll learn you can put all that physical energy and stamina into helping your community.
The day you experience will be physically taxing and show you how your strength, agility and speed can be your best asset as you battle with fire and disaster. Or it will be one heck of a workout to add to the collection.
Whatever the case, expect a program that will challenge your fitness while giving you a whole heck of a lot to think about.
Get your total nerd on
Not all heroes wear capes – some wear the thinking caps of people who love their science, astronomy and environmental studies.
Fire and emergency services are fast becoming a popular choice for students that see themselves studying science yet want to live their lives outdoors with practical action in mind. That’s why each Girls on Fire program exposes you to the science of disasters and disaster management as part of the program.
Curious? You’ll have to bring that big science brain of yours to a Girls on Fire urban fire program and experience it for yourself.
Learn about culture
Girls on Fire does what any self-respecting Australian fire and disaster prevention program does–we value, respect and integrate the massive amounts of knowledge drawn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture into our inclusion programs.
Australian First Nations People are some of the leading architects of fire, flood and disaster management. The unique intersection between practical action, science, astronomy and storytelling kept this country safe tens of thousands of years before the first pump truck ever arrived.
We’re proud to share the vital contribution made through our mentoring programs, too, because we totally believe in “what you can see, you can be”.
Whether you’re looking to connect with your culture or you want to learn more about one of the world’s oldest cultures, our cultural inclusion programs show the knowledge in action.
Be better than you know
We know some teens we work with haven’t exactly got white picket fences and great home lives. It’s tough when being a smart, resilient, savvy kid is your every day. It’s harder still when you’ve got a big heart, a dreamer’s mind or you sense that maybe the stories other people around you tell you aren’t the truth of who you are.
The fire and emergency services life is a place where caring is the new cool. Not only do you get to be yourself, how well you do is based on the minutes, hours and days you serve your community.
Maybe the adult version of you can find a new home or another family via the one you get to choose as an emergency services personnel member.
Get your climate fears answered
We know that over half of Australia’s young people are concerned about climate change. What if we told you we were going to show you a career where you could put that concern to great use?
Fire and emergency services work through climate disasters all the time. Some of our most stalwart champions of fire management are card-carrying climate change activists after retirement. As first responders, we’ve seen the fires, floods and devastation firsthand.
We know your concerns are real and valid.
But we also know there is always one thing you can control in a volatile world. How the community reacts and responds when the chips are down.
You can be a part of preparing for, preventing, managing, and recovering from natural disasters. Even during a one day or two-day program, you’ll learn enough to assess your home for fire and disaster safety and create a workable action plan.
So, if you’ve been looking for something a little different, Girls on Fire programs are for you.
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