Item no. 30042
| 1980s |
| Occupation: Public employees |
| Collection: NYU Tamiment Library |
First Women on the job at FDNY
The first females to join the firefighting force. FDNY's newest members at the time held a wide range of jobs prior to joining the Academy, including stay-at-home mom, waitress, teacher, attorney, or college student.
While they faced opposition and criticism from both the media and some male colleagues within the Academy, they also recieved support and encouragement from other co-workers. Some of the female members of the class had familial connections to the FDNY, but many of them did not share this information. They were careful to keep their husbands, brothers, and uncles out of the line of fire and safe from potential retaliation.
Read more about how the first class of female FDNY firefighters came to be at LaborArts' Women Firefighters in New York City.
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