Orion Girl Scout Modernizes Local Firehouse and Firefighter Training
Amaya Versluis from Orion, Illinois, has achieved the Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, for raising funds to build a new workout room and training area to help local firefighters stay in shape and have a place to practice simulated scenarios.
Through her experience as a firefighter and talking with the firefighters, Fire Chief, and training Officer, Versluis discovered that her local firehouse did not have adequate training or workout areas. She knew that creating these facilities would make the firefighters more prepared during future calls, and would also help in preparing them for their upcoming Candidate Physical Ability Test, which is an assessment to determine an individual's ability to handle the physical demands of being a firefighter.
“By having an area to work real-world fire simulations, and regularly utilizing the workout area to build our strength and mental toughness, we will be better equipped to search fires faster and quicker,” Versluis said.
So Versluis set out to raise the money necessary to construct the training and workout rooms. She raised money via a Facebook fundraiser, hosted a garage sale, accepted in-kind donations, and applied for grants to secure the materials needed for the project. In the end, Versluis raised over $5,300 and spent over 90 hours fundraising, organizing, and constructing.
Versluis then got to work building the workout and simulation rooms. With the help of volunteers from her family and the fire department, Versluis began shopping for flooring, workout equipment, and other items needed for construction. Then, Versluis began clearing out the area in the basement of the fire department where the workout and training rooms would go. Then she began installing walling and flooring and soon began moving in the workout equipment.
“The most successful part of my project was seeing the happiness and the positives and the thank you that I got from the firefighter. The firefighters thanked me for giving them a great workout area so they could prepare for their upcoming CPAT testing and so much more.”
But Versluis’ project was not without its obstacles. Throughout her journey, Versluis had to deal with problems related to shipping, prices, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Those factors made it difficult to complete the project and get everything ordered on time. Her material orders would be canceled or would be unavailable due to clerical errors. But throughout all of it, Versluis persevered and learned quite a lot of new skills along the way. But more than anything, this project taught Versluis how to lead a team of people and be organized.
“I led my team of six by using my project management skills, which included pre-planning ahead of time by taping a label to the old stuff that we were throwing in the dumpster. I had jobs for everyone to do, and all of them executed their jobs great. Managing my time by planning ahead of time where stuff needs to go,” Versluis said.
Versluis’ project supports a cause and an organization she believes in and helped her learn new things and grow her leadership skills.
Gold Award
The Gold Award is the highest achievement a Girl Scout can earn, available to girls in high school who create sustainable change on a community or world issue. Gold Award Girl Scouts address the root cause of a problem, plan and implement innovative solutions to drive change, and lead a team of people to success. As they take action to transform their world, Gold Award Girl Scouts gain tangible skills and prove they are the leaders our community and the world need.
