Firefighter for a day

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This article was published 15/08/2023 (976 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A fear of heights was no match for 15-year-old Mariam Wancha’s courage.

On Tuesday afternoon, the teen, who immigrated to Canada from Ethiopia in 2019, was lifted into the sky on a fire truck ladder.

Mariam is one of 36 newcomer youth who are participating in the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Equity and Diversity Camp at the service’s McPhillips Street training facility. Over two days, newcomers between the ages of 14 to 16 will hone firefighting, paramedic and telecommunications skills while trying on gear and connecting with youth.

“The people are pretty nice and it seems like a pretty good job to do in the future,” Mariam said. “I’ve made a lot of new friends.”

The program returned in full force on Tuesday after a hiatus from 2020 to 2022.

After touring the training tower, the youth split into two groups. Half observed a ladder demonstration, while the others took turns hitting targets with a hose.

Lisa Gilmour, the WFPS’s assistant chief of community risk reduction, said the program was implemented to bolster diversity efforts.

“We’re always trying to expand our service and the diversity in our service,” Gilmour said. “I think this is a great opportunity for newcomers to see what a career in first response is all about and see themselves in that role, too.”

The WFPS also offers a Diversity and Equity Fire Training program to appeal to underrepresented groups.

To recruit youth, the camp partnered with a variety of organizations, including N.E.E.D.S. Inc. and the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba.

Mathew Joseph, the after-school program co-ordinator at IRCOM, said the camp allows newcomers to explore a wide range of careers in the WFPS. Whether the youth are interested in working on the front line as a firefighter or behind the scenes as a 911 operator, Joseph hopes the program will foster a more diverse generation of WFPS crews.

“There is an image of a firefighter that is out there. But today, young women wearing hijabs found themselves here,” Joseph said. “That’s a testament to what overcoming barriers looks like.”

With a few years of high school left, Mariam is still figuring out what she’d like to pursue after she graduates. So far, she’s found the work of 911 operators particularly enticing.

“There are different kinds of opportunities for everybody, and it’s a good way for me to look at different kinds of stuff for my future,” Mariam said. “I’m going to go home and tell everybody about this and my experience.”

cierra.bettens@freepress.mb.ca