Celebrating a decade of Camp Hero

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - Promoting girl power in protective services careers; that’s been the goal of Camp Hero for the last ten years.

The camp focuses on teaching young women what it’s like to work in protective service.

Ten years ago, Madison Fire Capt. Jen Roman realized women were underrepresented in the EMT, fire and policing fields.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide in 2020, the portion of firefighters in the U.S. who were female hit 4.4%. Around 17% of police officers and 33.7% of EMTs are also women.

In Madison, the numbers are slightly higher. About 11% of firefighters and EMTs are female, and 28% of police officers are women.

“So, we had to do something about that,” Roman said. “We had to become active and intervene to show girls that this is a possibility for them when they grow up.”

Campers actively learn about careers in fire, police and even forensic science.

This summer, 130 girls are participating in Camp Hero in the Madison area. Over the last 10 years, the camp has served more than 1,200 young women. The camp is happening throughout the summer at Madison College in partnership with the Badgerland Girl Scouts.

Copyright 2021 WMTV. All rights reserved.