New Class Hikes Total Female FDNY Firefighters To Highest Ever
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It was a jubilant day at Queens College Friday, as the FDNY welcomed its newest graduates – among them four women.
As CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reported, the graduation set a record for the number of women on the force. Indeed, the brotherhood of the bravest is looking more and more like a sisterhood too.
Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro presided over the graduation ceremony of 295 probationary firefighters. One of them was Lisa Cusimano, who never thought she could follow in the FDNY footsteps of her father and two brothers.
"I hadn't given it a thought, and they pushed me and inspired me, and I went for it," Cusimano said. "I said, why not? There is nothing that can stop me."
Graduate Choeurlyne Doirin-Holder said there was a lesson for her two daughters in her graduation as a firefighter.
"I wanted them to see that if they have a dream, they'll achieve it if they really want it," she said.
Together, the new graduates bring the number of female firefighters on the FDNY to an all-time high. There are 49 currently on the job, and they all made it through 18 weeks of rigorous training – donning bunker gear that can add up to more than 100 pounds.
"We train the women to be able to work with the weight," said United Women Firefighters President Sarinya Srisakul. "The weight of the gear is very heavy."
"You are expected to work just as hard as the guys, and you hold your own," said new graduate Aleigha Powder.
At the ceremony, Mayor Bill de Blasio emphasized that passing the training and becoming a firefighter is an impressive achievement for anyone.
"This is the most rigorous training, so to get this far -- to get this far means you are someone special," the mayor said.
Beaming audience members celebrated their own personal history. Graduates included families with generations of service.
Also among the graduates was Brendan Stackpole, who at the age of 9 lost his firefighter father in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Of the more than 10,000 uniformed city firefighters, less than 0.5 percent are women. But the four new graduates –- Cusimano, Doirin-Holder, Powder, and Sheliz Salcedo -- are trained not only to knock down fires, but also shatter stereotypes.
The new class was also one of the most diverse in the department's 150-year history overall.
"This outstanding class of probationary firefighters is a true representation of our diverse city and every community our members protect," Nigro said in a statement. "Today, the Fire Department is busier than ever before – responding to 1.6 million emergencies last year alone – and these new members will be joining firehouses throughout the five boroughs, continuing the department's 150-year tradition of brave service to the City of New York."
Nearly 18 percent of the graduates are African-American, 19.7 percent are Hispanic and 2.4 percent are Asian.
Also among the graduates were 35 military veterans.
Women have been serving as firefighters with the FDNY since 1982.
