Earlier this week the Madison Police and Fire Departments, in conjunction with Madison College, kicked off the 3rd Annual CampHERO.  CampHERO is the product of a vision of local women in protective services to introduce girls to non-traditional job choices in the field of public safety.  CampHERO focuses on developing courage, gaining confidence, and building character while introducing the girls to different career options in the protective services.  Girls explore their interests and skills through hands-on activities, taught by actual police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, and dispatchers.

I was fortunate enough to have dinner with the senior campers recently.  This group is made up of 18 girls from 4 different states who gather for a week to explore the exciting opportunities in the field of public safety.  In addition, these young women are building friendships and gaining confidence that will last a lifetime.  As a leader in the fire service, I feel it is my duty to foster their interest in public service, keeping their enthusiasm for future careers in protective services alive and active. CampHERO is an important strategy to help achieve that goal. The realm of public safety--whether in police, fire, or EMS--is much stronger with the diverse perspective many of these girls bring as they aspire to pursue careers with public safety organizations.  

The women in our organizations put a tremendous amount of work into providing a quality program to meet the needs of the girls and young women in our community.  In turn, our communities benefit from a more diverse workforce, and we can all thank our women in the police and fire departments, who are helping to cultivate the interest and secure the future of women in our organizations. You can check out CampHERO through a link on the City of Madison Fire Department website or visit http://camphero4girls.org/. 

To Madison's Police and Fire women I say "Thank You!"

Chief Davis