Dozens of young girls got "fired up" this weekend and learned all about what it takes to become a firefighter in El Segundo as the city's fire department held its all-girls fire camp event.
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El Segundo Fire Chief Deena Lee, the South Bay region's first female fire chief, and Fire Marshal Nicole Pesqueira, El Segundo's first female fire marshal, led the a hands-on camp, which included real gear and real training.
"Women firefighters across the country are less than 5%, and in this area, it's only 3% women firefighters, so we'd like to see future firefighters that are women that look like us," said Lee.
"I'm kind of out there as the first woman fire chief for the South Bay, but I really want women and girls to know if you see it, you can be it."
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Most of the girls were between 12 and 19 years old and learned everything from how to operate a fire hose to properly performing CPR. At the end of the weekend, the young ladies walked away with a special certificate of completion and an introduction to a future career path.
"Being able to go to this camp has helped me learn teamwork and everything someone can get from a profession," said attendee Cassia Cole from El Segundo. "I think a lot of girls have the brains and the toughness ... being able to go to a camp for firefighting or something physical is just such a great way to experience that."
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