They arrived shy and timid but by the end of the day Goulburn had 20 confident young women ready to be leaders in the community.
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Students from Goulburn High School, Mulwaree High School and Trinity Catholic College took part in the Girls on Fire program on Monday (September 5).
The Australia-wide program aims to give young women and girls resilience, skills and confidence through a range of firefighting and disaster management workshops.
Taking place at the Goulburn Mulwaree Remote Area Fire Brigade station, the young women took part in fast-paced scenarios as well as learning effective teamwork and communication skills.
Girls on Fire founder Bronnie Mackintosh and wellbeing officer Melissa Spencer were on hand to run the drills and classroom activities.
Spencer said it was very rewarding to see the transformation in the space of a few hours.
"The kids start a bit timid, they're shy and it's confronting," she told the Post.
"We put them in platoons and run scenarios to build their confidence as a team. Any emergency service is about teamwork and communication.
"We teach them to stand up and talk in front of each other. But by the end of the day you see them grow and shine. It's really beautiful to see, it's awesome."
By lunchtime at least four of the participants were keen to join the RFS, much to the delight of brigade members.
Spencer, who has a background in youth work, said the program was about more than simply firefighting, aiming to empower young women to stand up and take action in their communities.
"We are all about promoting resilience in communities but also as a first responder in any emergency situation," she explained.
"We teach them how to be first responders because the emergency services can't always get to you as quickly as we want.
"It's all about prevention and preparedness and we're teaching them that. To be resilient and have the confidence to do that.
"By having fire extinguishers and fire blankets while you are calling 000, you can actually save lives yourself.
"There's something for everyone. We all need to be part of a community in some way."
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