SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Mayor Kevin Faulconer has directed city staff to reinstate San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s Girls Empowerment Camp that was abruptly canceled last week.
The event was canceled one day after attorney Al Reva sent a letter to the city’s attorney and organizers of the event.
The letter claims that Reva’s client Rich Allison was “deterred and prevented from timely enrolling his son in this camp because boys were not invited to attend, based solely on their sex.”
RELATED: Girls empowerment camp rescheduled after abrupt cancellation
Families who previously registered for the canceled camp will have first choice of which of the two weekends the camp is being offered they would like to participate in.
“Our firefighters, staff and volunteers put their hearts and souls into this event,” said Fire Chief Brian Fennessy. “We are committed to moving forward with this excellent opportunity for young people. Last year, we heard that the Girls Empowerment Camp was a priceless experience for the campers. We want the same for our 2018 participants.”
The Girls Empowerment Camp is a free two-day camp for youth ages 14-18 “regardless of age or gender.”
The camp introduces participants to career opportunities in firefighting and encourages them to consider public safety as a career option.
“We made a commitment to hundreds of kids and their families and we are going to stand by that,” Mayor Faulconer said. “This is an important camp that teaches kids what it’s like to be a firefighter and exposes many of them to a career opportunity they may not have considered previously. The camp is open to everyone and encourages girls to consider a profession that needs more female representation.”
Only seven percent of firefighters nationally are women, according to a 2016 National Fire Protection Association study.
The event will take place on both the weekend of April 14-15 and the weekend of May 19-20.
For more information on the camp or to register click here.
