B.C. organization aims to encourage more women and girls to become firefighters

Women and girls gathered in Abbotsford on Sunday to learn what it's like to be a firefighter.

The training event called Operation: This is YOU! is one of several organized by the Achieve Anything Foundation, which aims to improve diversity in male-dominated fields, including firefighting.

According to the group, less than five per cent of Canada's firefighters are women and those statistics remain consistent across Metro Vancouver.

"At Abbotsford Fire Rescue, we have three career female firefighters out of 100," said Brad Gaudette, the acting fire chief.

"I think a lot of it is just education. Not knowing much about the job. (Women and girls are) not really thinking about it as something that was an option for them as a career," he continued.

Adrienne Kwan, a computer science student at Simon Fraser University, said she's always wanted to try her hand at firefighting, but was discouraged from doing so.

"Anything that involves muscle, or being tough or being disciplined -- it seems like that's more of a 'male thing.' Even though my mom was very supportive of me at a young age, it was also like, 'It's dangerous to go do this. Your brother can do this,'" she said.

Other participants, like 17-year-old Hannah Chua, said it's the lack of female role models that deterred them.

"I think some girls would see a male-dominated career and maybe they wouldn't be as inclined to do it," she said, adding that she's happy she stepped outside of her comfort zone to take part in the event.

The event allowed the two to develop a deeper appreciation for what firefighters do.

"It's so much more complicated than I would have expected and that's really cool that they train so hard for this," Kwan said, adding that she's now thinking about pursuing a part-time job in the field.

Another participant is also considering a major career switch.

"It's kind of why you come out, just to see if this might be something you want to do. I'm at that age where a career change would be good, for sure," said Stacey Lee, who currently works as a manager.

"There is all this fun stuff that people (could) be doing if they knew. I just realized that women aren't going to show up unless you give them the opportunity," said the foundation's president Kirsten Brazier.

Another training event is planned for next month in partnership with the Royal Canadian Navy.

Registration is open for girls and women ages 12 and up.