by Mary Frances Cassidy
A call comes in, the adrenaline rises, and instantly it’s all about teamwork, courage and taking a decisive course of action. This isn’t a scene from a movie, but rather a glimpse of reality for 25 ambitious high school girls who attended Camp Ignite this summer. The hands-on program hosted by the Apex, Cary, and Morrisville fire departments gives young women a chance to experience the challenges of the job and discover what it takes to turn an interest in fire service into a career. Far more than a typical summer camp, this cost-free, week-long experience focuses on instilling self-confidence, promoting teamwork, and challenging stereotypes — potentially igniting a spark that could help to shape their futures.
The joint initiative between the three departments is coordinated by Courtney Butler, Apex Fire Department’s Community Risk Reduction Coordinator. In 2023, Butler, a firefighter with Apex FD, transitioned from operational duties to serve in this new role — a position that allows her to combine her firefighting experience with skills she previously honed in the private sector. Prior to joining the fire service, she spent over 15 years as a successful marketing executive, concluding her corporate career with a position at World Wrestling Entertainment, before happily relocating to North Carolina with her family about a decade ago. It wasn’t until a trip with her two young boys to Apex Fire Station One on Salem Street that she had ever entertained the idea of becoming a firefighter.
“One day we went downtown to Station One and I was letting the kids look at the truck — everyone was so nice. While the boys were playing, one of the engineers mentioned that the department was hiring non-experienced people and there was a sign displayed right there with all the details. That’s it, I thought! I saw it in print, and it was just a shocking, light-bulb moment.” Butler said she had always dreamed of being a superhero and saving people, but never really equated it to anything specific. “But I knew by doing this, I could really help people. So, I applied, interviewed, and got the job six months later.”
Founded in 2011 by female firefighters in British Columbia, Canada, Camp Ignite is a regional initiative rather than a rigid program, having inspired numerous iterations in fire departments across the United States. In 2023, Butler and one of her co-workers began discussing the idea of hosting the camp in conjunction with their female counterparts in Cary and Morrisville.
By joining forces and pooling their resources, they successfully launched their inaugural camp in 2024, with a total of 25 girls in attendance. The camp’s core goal is not to turn participants into firefighters, but rather to introduce them to firefighting, emergency management, and other public safety careers, while building their confidence and demonstrating that they can accomplish difficult tasks regardless of their eventual career paths. “It’s all about exposure,” said Butler. “If you’re not exposed to it, you don’t know it exists.”
This summer, day one kicked off with an orientation that covered essential firefighter duties, and an overview of standard gear and the primary tools required for the role. Throughout the day, local female firefighters shared their personal journeys and experiences, offering inspiring stories to the attendees. The adventurous campers also challenged themselves with some high climbs on Ladder 23, a truck designed for aerial rescues and roof access.
Over the course of the second day, campers took part in hands-on exercises that simulated the real-world responsibilities of emergency responders, including various types of search drills, while directly handling authentic firefighting gear and equipment.
Day three brought even more excitement, featuring water rescue training at Harris Lake, along with an engaging and educational visit from Wake County EMS. Campers learned about water safety, rescue boat operations, and underwater drones, and they practiced throw-bag rescues out on the lake. EMS instructed the group in hands-only CPR and Stop the Bleed — a course teaching the methods of stopping life-threatening bleeding after an accident or disaster. Another highlight of the day was touring and having the chance to operate several features of EVAC-1, an impressive mass-casualty incident response vehicle operated by the county, built to handle triage, medical stabilization, and large-scale patient transport in the event of a major disaster.
Day four might have been the most challenging of all, as the girls conducted additional victim searches, caught hydrants (terminology I learned means connecting a supply hose to a fire hydrant to establish a continuous water supply), and trained in hose management on multistory buildings.
The program wrapped up on the last day with a graduation ceremony at the Gathering House in Downtown Cary Park, where family, friends and the mentoring firefighters celebrated the participants for completing a week filled with valuable learning experiences to last them a lifetime.
Katie Nelson is living proof of Camp Ignite’s ability to encourage and inspire young women. She attended the first session in 2023. In October of 2025, she and two other women were hired by the Apex Fire Department and began the academy in January 2026. This September they will have graduated. “Camp Ignite introduced me to some amazing women who work for Apex,” said Katie. “When I was presented with the opportunity to apply to their department, and therefore would be able to work with them, it was a no-brainer for me. I took away from it that there’s so much more that I can do and have such a large space for growth as an individual and in my career. Seeing such strong, smart women in positions like engineer and chief is really inspiring.”
Camp Ignite serves as a powerful testament to what can happen when local communities invest in empowering young women. By breaking down barriers, building confidence, and fostering a strong sense of leadership, resilience, and camaraderie, the program does far more than introduce high school girls to the fire service — it reveals the vast potential within each participant to overcome challenges and pursue ambitious goals in whatever field they choose.
If you know a North Carolina high school girl aged 14-18 (rising 9th-12th grader) interested in attending a future session of Camp Ignite, or you would like further information, check the Town of Apex Camp Ignite or the Town of Cary Camp Ignite web pages in spring of 2027 for application information. Camp is usually held each summer in late July and spots fill up quickly.
