County of Brant Fire Department is officially accepting applications for Camp Phoenix from now until Friday, May 8, 2026.
The free interactive day camp, which is running this year from Wednesday, July 22, to Sunday, July 26, started in 2022 and gives young women between the ages of 14 and 18 the chance to learn what it’s like to be a firefighter.
“It’s an opportunity for them to experience what a career in firefighting might be like,” said Lisa Herbert, a Camp Phoenix organizer. “It’s only five days, so it’s kind of skipping stones across a lot of different things, but not only is it an opportunity for them to experience very practically, what being a firefighter is, we run them through a sort of mini recruit boot camp, so to speak.”
Throughout the run of the camp, the participants will receive hands-on training through a series of evolutions that are designed to simulate real-life scenarios.
“We always open with the Office of the Fire Marshal [OFM]. They come in and we burn a live cell for the girls so they can watch fire dynamics and growth in real time, then they get a chance to help assist us in extinguishing it and we walk through what a fire investigation looks like,” said Herbert. “It just sets a really great framework and the foundation for the rest of the week because they’ve got something practical and visual to apply that info to, and then the rest of the week is about honing the basics of some fundamental firefighting skills.”
“From there, they get to do everything from basic first-aid with our friends from EMS to slugging hoses to search and rescue, fire investigation, fire prevention, and hands-on things like forcing doors and ripping apart cars,” she continued. “They really get to do mostly everything we see on a daily basis, but beyond that, they get to experience what running in a platoon is because they’re working together as a team, getting to know each other and bonding throughout the week.”
The future campers will also get to meet others who work in the broader realm of emergency services.
“They get to take part in a fire dispatch exercise and learn what communications might be like, and they also get to learn about public education with our fire prevention team,” she continued. “We bring in the OPP and someone from Conestoga College’s fire safety program as well, so although the camp is mostly focused on firefighting, they do get an introduction to other careers in, and around the fire service just in case that’s of more interest to them.”
After four days of learning and doing, the program culminates on the fifth and final day with the Phoenix Fit Challenge and graduation ceremony.
“Their families are invited to attend the entire last day with them, and it always opens with a bit of a show-and-tell where they get to show their parents how they would force a door open, manage a low-profile maneuver, or how they would get themselves out of a wire entanglement situation,” said Herbert. “The sort of pinnacle of the day is the Phoenix Fit Challenge. It’s a fire obstacle course where they compete for the fastest time with the least amount of infractions. Whoever completes the obstacle course the fastest, gets crowned as the champions. Afterwards we all have lunch and a formal graduation, and it’s just a really awesome way to celebrate such a big accomplishment. I think anyone going through something like this camp is always changed for the better by the end, and to just say goodbye and leave without a celebration would feel very anti-climactic.”
The organizer said that while the program was designed to show participants what it’s like to be a firefighter and peak their interest in pursuing the career, she never expected how much it would boost their confidence the way it has.
“We always start every day with a roll call where they sound off and let us know they’re there and ready, and the majority, if not all of them, start out pretty shy. By the end though, they’re just screaming and they’ve found their voice. That was kind of the part of the camp that we didn’t actually expect. We didn’t set out to boost confidence in these young girls’ hearts and minds, but it’s been consistent throughout all four years so far,” said Herbert. “I think our favourite part of the camp is just watching them grow and get more comfortable in their skin. They go through all of these bonding experiences together, like sweating, and being exhausted but there’s also laughter and those funny little moments too so it’s just awesome to watch. …All of a sudden the things that seemed like they were so stressful before camp, don’t seem like such a big deal any more.”
For those who are interested in partaking in this Camp Phoenix, the application can be found online, however Herbert suggested that those who are applying should attend one of two upcoming information sessions. The first will take place on Wednesday, April 15, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and the second is Saturday, May 2, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Both will take place at the Cainsville Fire Station at 17 Ewart Ave.
“I would absolutely recommend that anyone who’s thinking about applying to do their best to attend one of the information sessions. They obviously don’t have to, but attending really puts some skin on the opportunity. For some people, there’s this two-dimensional idea of, ‘A career in firefighting sounds good based on what I’ve read or seen,’” she said. “But when you actually come into the station to talk with us, see some of the things that you might get to do, and see some of the girls that might be alongside you that week, it really changes that concept into a three dimensional experience. Especially for the parents who have questions, it’s just a really great opportunity to get all those answers and walk out feeling like, ‘I know what to kind of expect and anticipate.”
Since the camp only has room for 20 people, Herbert said attending one of the information sessions may just be the perfect opportunity to make an impression.
“When you’re applying for anything, you’re words on a page at first, and how you differentiate from the next set of words on a page can be limited. So coming to one of those sessions, while it’s an opportunity for interested applicants to gain information and get excited, it’s also an opportunity for us to get to know them a little bit too,” she said. “That way, when the selection committee sits down to consider extending offers, we have a little bit more to draw upon than just what is on the page. So not only is it an opportunity for us to get to know them, but it’s another opportunity for them to be seen and be remembered, and a chance to stand out.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
