The First Member of a New Class of Female Firefighters

It took more than a decade after the first group of women entered the FDNY before another woman was admitted.  Susan Blake, pIctured in the 1990s sitting on the bumper of a firetruck, was the first member of the second class of firefighters to include women. Despite their very low numbers, female firefighters perservered, doing the job effectively in the face of considerable opposition.  

Read more about this history in the LaborArts exhibit Women Firefighters in New York City.