AS summer approaches and the threat of bushfires in regional and rural New South Wales grows, Girls on Fire, a not-for-profit organisation founded by firefighter and advocate Bronnie Mackintosh, is taking action to help communities prepare.
And the Fire-UP Girls on Fire Roadshow will be in Moree next week to empower the next generation of leaders in New South Wales.
The roadshow, slotted in for Wednesday, October 30 at the RFS Fire Control Centre on Tycannah Street, provides participants with vital life skills, leadership, and emergency response training.
The 9am-3pm training session is supported by volunteers from the Rural Fire Service, NSW Police, NSW SES, Ambulance Services, Forestry, and Indigenous communities alongside local schools and other community-based organisations.
The practical, hands-on camp aims to inspire and empower young women, particularly as extreme weather events become more frequent and hazardous.
The camps deliver crucial fire and disaster management training to girls aged 15-19, and helps better equip them for the future.
All young women are welcome to attend, with special encouragement for young women and teens from First Nations and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
“Visibility now creates leadership later. By giving young women these real-world skills today, we are preparing them to be tomorrow’s emergency services personnel and community leaders,” Bronnie Mackintosh said.
“With a new bushfire season ahead, it’s never been more important for us to be ready, and it’s vital we equip the next generation to lead their communities.
“These camps help young women discover just how much they’re capable of. By challenging themselves with fire and emergency scenarios, they walk away with the confidence to tackle anything.”
Ms Mackintosh said most participants don’t realise just how capable they are until they’ve run a fire hose from a truck, worked with a team in a smoke-filled building, cracked open a car wreck in a rescue simulation, or extinguished fires using specialised equipment.
“These immersive, hands-on activities build confidence, resilience, and leadership skills that prepare participants for the unexpected,” she said.
With Australia’s firefighting workforce made up of only about six percent women, Girls on Fire aims to increase diversity and build resilience.
Girls on Fire will cover thousands of kilometres in the coming weeks, bringing together 15 communities with the Fire UP Roadshow running across regional and rural NSW from Tenterfield, Casino and Lismore in the north, Wilcannia and Dubbo in the west and as far as Eden in the South.
Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib highlighted the importance of being ready this summer.
“With high temperatures forecast, we cannot be complacent. Everyone needs to take the time now to make sure they understand their risk, discuss their Bush Fire Survival Plan with their family, and download the Hazards Near Me app,” Mr Dib said.
Rural Fire Services Commissioner Rob Rogers said consecutive years of wet weather have fuelled vegetation growth, especially grasslands, particularly west of the Great Dividing Range.
“Grass fires can be especially dangerous because they start quickly and spread rapidly, destroying homes and stock,” Mr Rogers said.
“Our firefighters are out on the ground doing everything they can to mitigate the risk of fire, but preparation is a shared responsibility, and we need property owners to do their part, too.”
The Fire-UP Girls Fire and Resilience programs are free to participants and have been made possible with funding from a NSW Government Investing in Women grant, in conjunction with principal partner NAB and in-kind support from Chubb Fire & Security.
The Moree Fire-UP Girls on Fire Roadshow
When: Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Time: 9am until 3pm
Where: Moree RFS Fire Control Centre on Tycannah Street
More information: www.girlsonfire.org.au
