An award-winning Queensland firefighting camp that told young girls that “to be it you have to be able to see it” has been scrapped after its first year.
The Queensland Fire Department’s Girls Firefighter Experience Camp was hailed as “hugely successful” by senior leaders and won a Commissioner’s Award for Excellence in 2025.
Schools were already asking when the next camp would run. But the program never returned.
The free camp ran over a weekend in June 2024 for students in years 9 and 10. It encouraged girls to explore firefighting activities, road crashes, swiftwater rescues, and physical fitness training.
The camp gave girls experience with firefighting activities, road crashes, swiftwater rescues, and physical fitness training. (ABC News: Chris Gillette)
QFD sources told the ABC that the camp received a lot of interest and had a “ready list” of people wanting to participate in round two.
“Why would QFD dismiss this in favour of more aloof consultatory projects?” one person said.
One firefighter said there was a “real buzz” around the camp.
“This was a practical, low-cost initiative to enliven thoughts of girls who may choose firefighting as a future career.“
The decision comes as the QFD continues to see low numbers of women in frontline firefighting roles.
Women made up just five per cent of permanent firefighters as of June 28, 2026, according to data from the QFD.
Of all new permanent Fire and Rescue recruits, just 4.7 per cent were women in 2026, and 2.10 per cent were women in 2025.
Perception of firefighting as man’s job
The department has long struggled with allegations of poor treatment of women.
In 2024, the ABC spoke with more than a dozen people in the department who shared allegations of sexism, discrimination and a culture of fear.
A QFD source told the ABC that boosting the diversity of frontline firefighters is important as the job isn’t just “putting out fires” and “cutting people out of cars”.
“A core part of a firefighter’s function is community safety,” they said.
“They’re knocking on people’s doors, educating on safety and fire alarms. You need them to be representing the communities they’re talking to,” they said.
Instead, the source claimed that just about all graduates are “white men in their 20s from a military or trade background”.
Another firefighter told the ABC that these programs help to challenge the perception that firefighting is a man’s job.
“Every female you see passes every physical and psychological standard that men do,” they said.
“These programs don’t change those standards, all they do is provide awareness that this is a career path that’s possible for women.“
A QFD spokesperson said that since the camp, the department has been “working to explore further initiatives to promote firefighting careers for women, including continuing the strong representation of women and people from diverse backgrounds in recruitment materials”.
Women made up only 2.1 per cent of new frontline recruits last year. (Supplied: QFES)
They said women can engage with female firefighters on demonstration days.
“Applicants are strongly encouraged to utilise the various support resources available to assist them through the application process, these include information sharing, training guides and the opportunity to visit a station to speak with an operational crew to gain a further understanding of the role.”
“QFD has also established a Gender Community of Inclusion and Everyday Respect Framework to empower and support employees.”
The spokesperson added the department “engages specialist consultants where appropriate and for a limited period of time”.
“QFD is committed to ensuring value for money and actively seeks innovative ways to deliver services,” they said.
