Female high school students train with firefighters in North Bay

A group of female high school students in North Bay are getting their hands dirty learning firefighting skills in a four-day immersive firefighter training camp.

As the smoke billowed out of a building in the Greenhill Playground on Thursday, a fire crew arrives to fight deal with the situation.

Climbing out is the trainee fire crew, high school students participating in a fire rescue exercise with firefighters.

"I wasn't really sure before, but after this I got a boost of confidence," said Katelyn Niestroy, a Grade 10 student at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School.

Through a partnership with the four local school boards and the fire department, the students were practising different emergency exercises as they contemplate a firefighting career.

"We always want an inclusive workplace, which means everybody has the same opportunity to do this job," said North Bay Fire Chief Jason Whiteley.

In one of the scenarios, the students are all geared up, rushed through the thick smoke, with the fire hose in hand and rescue a dummy from inside the building.

A group of female high school students in North Bay are getting their hands dirty learning firefighting skills in a four-day immersive firefighter training camp. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

"My dad's a volunteer firefighter up in Field, Ontario, where I live. It's been around in my life for a long time," said Linden Fisher, a Grade 11 student at Northern Secondary School.

"I go home and tell him the stories and he's like, 'Wow I didn't know you would do that.'"

The goal of the career camp is to introduce young people to the difficult, demanding and dangerous job in hopes of sparking their interest in a firefighting career.

"When I'm hiring people, I need to find who's going to be the best fit for my team," said Whiteley.

Throughout the week, students learned about firefighter gear and equipment, strategies to fight fires, standard CPR training, pumping water from a truck, hose and ladder work and vehicle rescue using the Jaws of Life.

"This is my first time really experiencing anything to do with the fire service," said Niestroy.

This is the first time the fire department is hosting this kind of career camp. It plans to review its activities and see if the demand is there from future students.

Whiteley said he hopes to one day see the students battling real blazes and saving people.

"It was super physically demanding but I enjoyed it," chuckled Fisher.