Students in Vernon are being given a hands-on firefighting experience that could serve as a valuable precursor to a career in the profession.

Vernon Fire Rescue Services held its Firefighter for a Day training experience at the downtown fire hall Wednesday, April 23. A total of 14 female Grade 10 students took part. 

The initiative started out four years ago as a way of demonstrating to young female students that firefighting is a viable career path for them, despite the fact that few of the firefighters they see are women. Leading the training day program since its inception is Captain Allyson Reich, the first ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½” and for a long time, only ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½” female firefighter in the history of the Vernon fire department. 

Reich said Wednesday that while the program's original intention was to show young female students that they too could become firefighters, there will always be a need for more young men at the fire department as well. 

That's why, for the first time, this year's program has been expanded to include boys. On Thursday, close to a dozen male students will be taking part in the exact same training session the girls went through the day before. That session will be led by local firefighter John Doorman. 

On Wednesday the girls cycled through three different stations: auto extrication, using spreading and cutting tools on a vehicle; harnessing up and riding the aerial ladder; and riding in a fire engine and practicing their hosing skills in a simulated fire incident. 

Kiara Haddow and Sofia Keyes, both Vernon Secondary School students, had different reasons for signing up for the training day. Haddow has been interested in wildland firefighting since she was young, while Keyes is interested in all emergency services and is looking to narrow down which one she'll pursue as a career.

"From the looks of it, firefighting is a pretty good choice right now," Keyes said with a grin. 

Haddow said going "way up" on the 110-foot ladder was her favourite part of the day, though this was before she'd had a chance to try out using the fire hose, which she was eager to do as well. 

Keyes was looking forward to riding in the fire engine and getting a realistic experience of what it's like to respond to a call. 

"You get to practice putting on the equipment as if it was an actual emergency, so I think that's going to be pretty cool to see if it's something I'm actually interested in," she said. 

Both girls recommended the experience to others. Keyes added it was inspiring to see women firefighters step up "to show other little girls that they can do this" and that it's not a male-only profession.

Seeing the girls take part in firefighting activities was rewarding for Reich, and a little bittersweet. 

Reich is retiring next week, bringing an end to a trailblazing 20-year career. In future years, she'll be handing the student training program over to Kaitlyn Green, Vernon's newest female firefighter, who also helped out with this year's training day. 

"It's really a bit serendipitous to be able to have this opportunity to be working alongside Kaitlyn, as well as introducing her to the new students and to basically be handing the reins over to her," Reich said. 

The student program has already led to some potential new hires, Reich added. One woman who was in the first female student training day four years ago is now working towards becoming a Coldstream firefighter. Another student from the second year of the program is pursuing a career in wildland firefighting. 

"I can't believe I'm leaving the career in a week, but it's so wonderful to know that there's new firefighters that are just as passionate about it as I am," Reich said.