Cameron ‘Bean-O’ Gasaway observes as Jefferson High School 12th-grader Maddie Griffith uses a fire hose to spray open a window while learning firefighting skills in the training tower at Madison College.
Lena Miller pushes a crowbar to pry open a metal door during CampHERO at Madison College.
Allison Prisk climbs through the dark tunnel of an obstacle course to rescue a weighted dummy during CampHERO at Madison College.
Kristin ‘Beaker’ Crosno teaches Natalie Kraemer how to attach and detach a fire hose from a fire hydrant during CampHERO at Madison College.
Cameron ‘Bean-O’ Gasaway observes as Jefferson High School 12th-grader Maddie Griffith uses a fire hose to spray open a window while learning firefighting skills in the training tower at Madison College.
Dressed in firefighting gear, high schoolers Allison Prisk and Erin Blankenheim-Villarreal crawled into a dark maze of tunnels Tuesday at Madison College, locating and rescuing a 140-pound dummy named Robert.
Meanwhile, other groups operated fire hydrants, broke open a door using forcible entry tools and sprayed down a burn tower with a fire hose. The activities were hypothetical, but Jennifer Roman, a retired Madison Fire Department captain, said they’re close to the real deal, mimicking what firefighters actually learn in training.
As part of CampHERO, 200 Girl Scouts from kindergarten through high school spent the past week learning about careers in protective services — including policing, firefighting and emergency medical services — a field in which women are vastly underrepresented.
Allison Prisk climbs through the dark tunnel of an obstacle course to rescue a weighted dummy during CampHERO at Madison College.
According to a Stateline analysis from The Pew Charitable Trusts, women comprise less than 13% of full-time police officers nationally. Women also make up only 21% of all EMS professionals in the U.S., and the gender gap is much larger for firefighters: Just 8% are women.
“I always knew women could work these jobs, but when I heard the statistics, it really opened my eyes,” said Penelope Knauer, an incoming junior at Stoughton High School, who hopes to pursue a career as a police officer. “I thought, this is definitely something I need to do. I want to be part of the percentage.”
Knauer has been attending CampHERO for nearly a decade, which Roman said is part of the norm. More than half of the 21 high schoolers in this year’s program have been going to the camp for over five years.
Since its start in 2011, CampHERO has been held at Madison College’s Protective Services Center, where Roman is an instructor. The program relies on volunteers, many of whom are professionals in protective services fields. Some even got their start as first responders after attending CampHERO when they were young.
The activities get more challenging as the students age. Younger campers learn fingerprinting, how to attack a fire and what to do if they get lost in the woods. This week, high school participants got the hang of CPR, self-defense, handcuffing and chasing down a suspect.
For Anja Forberger, another repeat camper, the program has been a lesson in confidence, communication and teamwork. After attending CampHERO, the Madison West high schooler knew she wanted to become a firefighter.
Lena Miller pushes a crowbar to pry open a metal door during CampHERO at Madison College.
While learning how to use the heavy “jaws of life,” a tool used to breach doors, Forberger realized she wouldn’t be able to carry it alone.
“All the male instructors made it look easy, but I didn’t know if I could do it,” she recalled. “Then you see someone right next to you who can take it off your hands for a little bit, so you can get right back to it.
“You learn that not only can you do it, you can also work together and get up at it.”
Working together is one of the most important tenets of CampHERO, added Madison Memorial sophomore Izzy Jackson. “Women have to work harder to get the same distance as men,” she said. “You have to work for what you want. You need teamwork no matter what you do.”
Kristin ‘Beaker’ Crosno teaches Natalie Kraemer how to attach and detach a fire hose from a fire hydrant during CampHERO at Madison College.
As a group of girls failed to hoist Robert the dummy off of the ground, volunteer Natasha Koch asked, “If you can’t move them, what do you do?”
“Ask for more help!” the campers replied in unison.
For Knauer, the experience has been life changing. The supportive community has also led to a passion for helping others.
“Once I’m not able to do this, I’m going to try to volunteer here because this camp has taught me so much,” she said. “I don’t think I even would have thought of becoming a police officer if I hadn’t gone to this camp.”
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