Ashley Raymond of Danbury, Conn., spent a year as a junior member of her local volunteer fire department.

The position didn't allow for much hands-on experience, the 18-year-old said, and as the only woman at the firehouse, she felt a little isolated.

That was before a friend told her about Phoenix Firecamp.

Now, she and 20 other young females are getting a feel for firefighting at the weeklong camp at the Utica Fire Academy.

“I've never met another woman firefighter,” Raymond said. “I was actually blown away to meet other girls who do it.”

Instructor Anna Schermerhorn-Collins, a lieutenant with New York City Fire Department, said that feeling is not uncommon. It's only been about 25 years since women first began entering the fire service, and since images of female firefighters are still rare, many women never even consider it as a career.

“If you're a woman entering the fire service, you're still, at this point, going to be one of very few,” she said. “It's getting better, but we still have a long way to go.”

'A taste' of firefighting

The Fire Service Women of New York State operated the week-long camp for 14- to 19-year-olds as a way of exposing more women to the profession. Some of the basic skills taught include using a self-contained breathing apparatus, administering first aid and CPR, and climbing ladders, she said.

Participants, some from as far away as South Carolina, also eat and sleep at the Utica Fire Academy and are responsible for various chores there just as they would be as members of a fire department.

“We're trying to take as many components of what a firefighter recruiting school would offer and condense it down into one week to give each of these young ladies a taste,” Schermerhorn-Collins said.

Phoenix Firecamp was the first of its kind in the Northeast when it opened in 2007, and remains one of only four nationwide, she said. The more than 20 volunteer instructors include working firefighters and pioneers in the field.

Eileen Gregan of Brooklyn, who has taught at the camp all three years, was one of the first female firefighters to be hired in New York City.

Gregan said when that first class of 41 women joined the FDNY in 1982, neither they nor the city was fully prepared. And the experience - including a lack of separate accommodations at firehouses - was nerve-wracking “for the men and for the women.”

Additionally, her first experience with firefighting gear and equipment came after she'd already been hired.

“It's an opportunity that we didn't have,” she said of the camp. “At least these guys have an idea what they're getting into.”

Training begins

Schermerhorn-Collins said the camp started Sunday with team-building games at the Westmoreland Fire Department.

Campers were split into five groups, based roughly on age, and got to know the girls they'd be living and learning with for the coming week.

Since then, hands-on training has included aerial ladder climbs, search and rescue missions and basic knot-tying. Later this week, the campers will learn to use a thermal imaging camera and conduct water rescues.

The ability to help people in trouble is part of what attracted 17-year-old Corrine Feeley of Remsen to firefighting. But as the daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter of firefighters, she said she's also hoping to continue a family tradition.

“It's just something that I really want to do,” she said, “My dad and my grandpa are actually really excited about it and proud of me for going to do it.”

Feeley said she hopes to join the Remsen Volunteer Fire Department after she turns 18.

Mind over matter

Schermerhorn-Collins said several alumna either have joined or continued with a fire department after attending the camp.

Utica Fire Chief Russell Brooks said Utica has had about half a dozen female firefighters since the first woman joined the department in the 1980s. There are two currently, and he'd like to see that number grow.

And while all firefighters must meet the same physical requirements regardless of gender, both he and Schermerhorn-Collins said determination more than muscle makes the difference.
And that's really the message of the camp, she said.

“Yes, women can do this, too. And we love doing it. And we're successful at doing it.”