It all started with putting on boots, helmets and turnout gear. Then, each participant got a chance to help take apart a crashed car with rescue tools like glass cutters and the “jaws of life.”

“They are heavy,” Kaitlynn Bot said, after using the jaws to pry open a vehicle door. But the experience of trying it out was good, she said. “It was great to see what (firefighters) all go through.”

The demonstrations were all part of Women Explore Fire Day.

“It’s a statewide event,” said Jared Hively, of the Balaton Fire Department.

Photo by Deb Gau Kaitlynn Bot of Marshall pried open a vehicle door using the 'jaws of life' during part of Saturday's demonstrations.

Saturday’s event was a new one for southwest Minnesota, Hively said. But it brought together members of fire departments from as far away as Big Stone, Rock and Renville Counties.

“It’s meant to give you a little brief, this is what it’s like,” said Jennifer Luitjens, a firefighter and first responder with the Hardwick Fire Department.

On Women Explore Fire Day, different regions across Minnesota hosted events showing what firefighting was like, and encouraging women to become firefighters.

The Marshall event drew a group of five participants, from the area around Marshall and Minneota. The women taking part said they wanted to learn more about what firefighters do.

“I thought this would be really interesting,” said Jill Bot.

Photo by Deb Gau During part of Saturday's demonstrations, participants learned how responders safely disable a vehicle after a crash.

Marshall resident Julie Walker said she got interested in the event because she had always wanted to be a firefighter.

According to the Women Explore Fire Day website, only 9% of the firefighters in the U.S. are women. Encouraging more women to become firefighters could help dire departments across Minnesota that face staffing shortages, event organizers said.

“There’s definitely a need,” said Lindsey Busch.

Busch said she had 13 years of experience as a firefighter and emergency responder in Brewster.

“We’re hopeful that more women will get involved,” she said.

Photo by Deb Gau Jill and Stephanie Bot helped each other put on turnout gear before a hands-on firefighter experience.

Busch was one of the firefighters who shared their stories with event participants, answered questions and helped lead equipment demonstrations.

The five participants at Women Explore Fire Day got a chance to learn more about emergency medical response, using fire hoses, and extricating people from crashed vehicles.

Some parts of the experience were a little unexpected. During the extrication demonstration, Stephanie Bot broke out the back window of a crashed vehicle using rescue tools. She said seeing and hearing the glass shatter was startling, even though she knew it was going to happen.

Area firefighters also discussed some of the mentally difficult aspects of their work. Responding to an accident scene could mean seeing some severe injuries, or taking care of someone that you know, organizers said.

Participants said wearing the heavy turnout gear and working with actual firefighters’ tools gave them more of a perspective on what firefighters go through on a call.

Photo by Deb Gau Jill Bot did chest compressions on a CPR dummy brought in by members of North Memorial Ambulance.

“It gives you an appreciation of the challenges they have,” Walker said.

“To actually do this stuff, it puts you where you can relate,” Stephanie Bot said.