Camp Fury gives young women a taste of what it’s like to be a first responder
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Some high school students are having a very immersive summer camp this week.
Camp Fury is a week-long camp designed to give young women a taste of what a career in emergency services might look like.
In all, 28 campers are getting some hands-on experience in what it’s like to be in law enforcement, a fire fighter, or an EMS responder Each day, they’ll experience something different.
“Every day is essentially a day in the life of a first responder,” said Kelsey Whetro, a Fire Captain with KCFD and one of the instructors. “And each day is typically something different.”
With the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, the campers learn defensive tactics, how to command presence for a traffic stops and the finer points of handcuffing.
With KCFD, they’ll do fire skills -- repelling off a building and extinguishing a fire.
They’ll do an extrication, learn R and “Stop the Bleed,” said Whetro.
“They have a confidence course that they do, where they get in full gear, and they learn how to get through small spaces. And they’re climbing the aerial ladder that’s over 100 feet, so, all of these things kind of build their confidence over time.”
Camp Fury opened in 2018, and some participants come back each year. But this is the first time at the camp for Gracie Hildebrand.
“It’s like, amazing to see how many females are actually interested in doing the same things I am,” said Hildebrand, “And have the courage to step out of the box and like, be the change.”
The department also hosts a program for middle school girls called Catching Fury. It’s a one-day camp in the fall to give 6th, 7th and 8th-graders an introduction to the camp.
Whetro told us it was very rewarding to see confidence build in the campers.
“At the end of the week they realize that they are strong, and capable of doing things, regardless of what the career aspirations are,” said Whetro. “They are just strong and capable young ladies.”
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.
