‘This is what I want to do’: Sask. girls learn what it takes to be a firefighter at Camp Molly

A group of teen girls practice car extractions north of Saskatoon at Camp Molly. (Laura Woodward/CTV News)

In a field north of Saskatoon, a group of girls from across Saskatchewan take turns smashing car windows.

They’re practicing car extractions, a life-saving skill used to rescue people trapped inside vehicles.

It’s part of Camp Molly — a four-day, hands-on camp designed to spark interest in careers in firefighting and emergency services, fields still largely dominated by men.

The camp begins by getting the teens geared up.

“We started having races to put our gear on,” said 17-year-old Layla Kitz, who is learning what it takes to be first on the scene.

So far, the campers have practiced opening hydrants, rolling hoses, using radio systems — and now, vehicle rescues.

For 18-year-old Ava Gunther, the experience opened her eyes to a career she describes as a perfect fit.

“This is who I am. This is what I want to do,” said Gunther, who is currently enrolled in a Primary Care Paramedic program.

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Scarlett Mercer, 19, attended Camp Molly last year. Now she’s a member of the Oxbow Fire Department.

“I’m on a department with majority men. So you know, it’s kind of a man’s world. We come here and we are the ones who get to take apart the cars. We get to throw the hose, we get to do everything. That’s my favourite part,” she said.

Krista Bull, deputy fire chief of the White City Fire Department, wants girls to know they belong on the front lines.

“My skill set is very different,” Bull said, laughing about how she can fit into smaller spaces her male counterparts can’t.

“When I first showed up on our department, I was the first female. I’ve been the first female officer to ever take part in the White City Fire Department. So all of those were big honours, big shoes to fill,” she said.

Jennifer Cowles, the fire chief of the Saskatoon International Airport, wants to show the next generation of female firefighters what’s possible.

“Showing these girls that we started as firefighters. We worked our way through the ranks to become officers, chiefs. That in itself is very rewarding because if you look at the statistics of female officers, female chiefs are very few,” Cowles said, standing beside Bull.

Camp Molly launched in Ontario and is named after Molly Williams, North America’s first known black and female firefighter.

This is the second year the camp has run in Saskatchewan and the first time it’s being hosted in Saskatoon.