For the 7th year, the Mesa Police Department and the Mesa Fire and Medical Department have joined forces to encourage girls ages 14-18 to learn about a career in public safety through the Aspire Academy, a multi-day hands-on camp.
This camp will give girls the opportunity to experience firefighting, emergency operations techniques, and law enforcement operations while connecting with women currently in the professions, as well as professional staff working in other divisions within public safety. The overnight camp will be at the Mesa Police and Fire Training Facility, October 6-9, 2022.
Girls will gear up and learn the value of fitness, rappel off the side of a building, climb a 100-foot ladder, investigate crime scenes, and ride with driving instructors on a high-speed obstacle course! This camp is a physically challenging immersive experience. Girls will be encouraged to challenge themselves to take risks and complete numerous tasks which are both physically and mentally demanding. This sometimes involves pushing past fears and overcoming mental doubts. Supportive leaders will help the girls accomplish this!
"The purpose of the Aspire Academy is to provide girls with the opportunity to experience careers in police and fire," Fire Chief Mary Cameli said. "We want girls to know these careers are an option for them. Some of us in these careers didn't know that a public safety career was an option for us when we were growing up. We also want to help build confidence in the participants so that they know they can do things beyond what they think they are capable of doing."