The Government of Yukon is proud to celebrate women in firefighting by supporting the tenth annual Ember Fire Academy, which began on Monday, September 9, with 12 recruits.
As women are historically under-represented in the Canadian fire service, the Ember Fire Academy was established to introduce women to firefighting. This free week-long program offers Yukon women ages 16 and up an opportunity to learn about the fire service in an empowering and inclusive environment.
Running from September 9 to 14, this year’s program is hosted at the Hootalinqua and Ibex Valley Volunteer Fire Departments north of Whitehorse, Yukon.
Through the hands-on curriculum, women perform structural firefighting and emergency response tasks while exploring options in career and volunteer firefighting, boosting their physical fitness and learning new skills.
Since Ember launched in 2014, 119 recruits have participated. In addition to empowering women as firefighters and leaders, Ember Fire Academy is an important Yukon fire service recruitment tool. To date, approximately 26 recruits from the Ember Fire Academy have joined fire services in the Yukon.
Our government is proud to support the Ember Fire Academy as it is a crucial part of building an inclusive, sustainable fire service in the Yukon. Good luck to all recruits, I hope you find this an empowering experience as you pursue your career in firefighting. To everyone who has worked so hard to put this year’s program together, thank you and congratulations on a decade of supporting women in firefighting.
Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn
The all-women team of firefighter instructors at Ember Fire Academy receive training to help advance women firefighters and bolster the Yukon Fire Service. Recruits from communities outside Whitehorse are provided with accommodation for the week of Ember Fire Academy.
Ember typically runs in the summer months but will sometimes occur in the fall. This variation is intended to help accommodate different work and childcare schedules.
The first Ember took place in 2014, and the academy has run annually since then with an average of 12 recruits each year.
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
[email protected]
Julia Duchesne
Community Services
867-332-4188
[email protected]