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Twenty-eight young women participated in the Lehi Fire Department's 2025 Call to Courage camp from Aug. 8-9, 2025.

Courtesy Lehi Fire Department

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Participants of the Lehi Fire Department's 2025 Call to Courage perform a training exercise in this undated photo.

Courtesy Lehi Fire Department

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Participants of the Lehi Fire Department's 2025 Call to Courage perform a rappelling exercise in this undated photo.

Courtesy Lehi Fire Department

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The Lehi Fire Department hosted its fourth Call to Courage camp earlier this month.

The two-day camp, which happens annually in early August, provides girls 14 through 18 with an in-depth look inside the world of fire service.

Analee Moore, a Lehi City firefighter and the camp’s director, said Call to Courage was founded by former Lehi firefighter and paramedic Aubrey Freiberg to inspire young women to feel empowered to explore challenging careers, particularly ones that are male-dominated.

“She wanted to show young women that we can do hard things, just as well or better than men, and there is a place for women in any field,” Moore said.

The 2025 Call to Courage camp was held Aug. 8-9, at Lehi Fire Station 83, which is located near the Outlets at Traverse Mountain.

The camp is ideal for girls in that age group, according to Moore, because that’s when teenagers are typically in the early stages of considering which career fields they may want to pursue.

“We want to make sure they know the fire service is also a career they should consider and are able to do, which has not been the case in the past,” she said.

And more teenage girls are seemingly becoming interested in firefighting, according to Moore, who says they typically have a waitlist of young women who want to participate in the camp.

“The level of interest has increased each year we have the camp,” she said. “As word about the camp increases, so does interest. We typically allow 25-30 girls in the camp each year. This year we had 28 girls in the camp, with just as many on a waitlist.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association, women make up less than 15% of all firefighters. Despite the data, Moore said it’s important for young females to see others that look like them, proving that a career in fire service is not beyond their reach.

That’s why, Moore said, they look to involve as many female instructors as possible at the camp, so young women can see the representation firsthand.

Moore said 20 female firefighters helped out with the camp this year, all bringing various amounts of experience and knowledge of the industry with them.

“It is so amazing seeing the difference, knowledge and experience everyone brought to the table, no matter how long they have been on. Every one of the instructors are truly professionals and represent the fire service well,” she said.

The camp includes six hands-on training rotations over two days:

1. Rappelling — Participants rappel down a five-story tower.
2. Search — Teaches search techniques for structure fires, including wall breaching and victim rescue.
3. Vehicle extrication — Girls break car windows, use sledgehammers and operate the jaws of life to simulate rescuing accident victims.
4. Hose deployment/management — Instructs how to deploy, manage and operate heavy, water-filled fire hoses.
5. Forcible entry — Teaches how to break through locked doors using specialized tools.
6. Medical — Covers basic emergency medical skills like bleeding control and splinting, reflecting the medical side of firefighting.

Aside from providing participants with a taste of what an actual fire response scenario may entail, the camp also acknowledges other physical and emotional challenges women may face in firefighting.

Moore said the camp emphasizes strength training, proper lifting techniques and finding alternative methods to perform tasks.

The second day of the camp featured a women-only question and answer panel, allowing for an open and transparent discussion about concerns that camp participants have about fire service.

“This invites deeper conversation that may be awkward for them to ask while men are around. We have been able to address very good and deep questions that could be concerning to people who are considering the fire service,” she explained.

Ultimately, Moore said she hopes participants came away with the courage to step outside of their comfort zones and with the understanding that with grit and hard work, they can overcome any challenge and thrive in demanding roles like firefighting.

“Anything hard is worth pursuing, so if you have an interest or passion for it, don’t hesitate; just go for it,” Moore said. “Prove everyone wrong. You belong here.”