Gender Government

A short, growing list of women firefighters

By Sharika Dhar

Maya Torres, 31, was motivated to become a firefighter after a family member took her around the job. After serving eight years, being there for fire victims is what makes her most proud.

“I always knew I wanted a career where every day mattered,” said Torres, one of the Fire Department of New York’s roughly 175 women firefighters. “My uncle was a firefighter, and hearing his stories made me realize the job was about helping people on what could be the worst day of their lives.”

Women account for just over 1% of the 11,000 uniformed officers of the FDNY, which, in 2025 installed its first female deputy chief. “It’s an exciting moment for me,” Michelle Fitzsimmons, who joined FDNY four months before 9/11, told the Daily News at the time. “I feel that it will be an opportunity for younger girls to see what’s possible. That’s the biggest thing.”

Her own grandfather had told her that women shouldn’t be firefighters, she added.

“It’s gotten better,” firefighter Torres said of what she and her female colleagues face. “But sometimes you still feel like you have to prove yourself. Once you demonstrate you can do the job, that usually changes.”

Danielle Brooks, 42, has been an FDNY firefighter for 18 years. “Some days are nonstop,” she said, “and you have to make decisions quickly. That’s part of what keeps the work meaningful.”

For her, serving in a large city means no two shifts are the same. Firefighters must be prepared to respond to anything, she said.

Female firefighters seem to be getting more attention than before, Brooks added, but many of their stories still go unnoticed. However, she seeks to earn her respect solely through her quality of work and nothing else: “I focus on doing my job well … Respect usually comes from consistency and reliability more than anything else.”

Rachel Kim, 27, has been a firefighter for four years. One thing that’s surprised her is the number of people who misunderstood what firefighters actually do. “People think [it] is only about physical strength. It’s also about problem-solving, resilience, communication and working effectively as a team,” Kim said.

In 2019, there were 100 female firefighters, according to Yahoo News. That year, 16 women graduated from the FDNY Fire Academy. During a 2025 New York City Council hearing, FDNY officials testified that 8% of job applicants were women. Across all genders, by race, 4% of applicants were Asian, 25% were Black, 27% were Hispanic and 35% were white. According to the latest Census data, 31% of New Yorkers were non-Hispanic whites, 28.5% were Hispanic, 20.2% were Black, 15.6% were Asian and 5.6% were multi-racial.

More women should consider becoming firefighters because outcomes change when first responders reflect the people they serve, Kim said.  “Communities are diverse and first responders should reflect that diversity. Different perspectives make teams stronger.”

“A lot of girls,” Torres said, “simply don’t grow up seeing firefighting as an option. Representation matters. If you never meet a woman firefighter, you might never imagine yourself becoming one.”

Brooks said things are moving in the right direction. “I’m optimistic,” she said. “More departments are recruiting women and younger generations seem more open to careers that weren’t traditionally available to them.”

For Torres, encouraging the next generation starts with reminding young women not to eliminate themselves from the running before they try. “Train hard, ask questions,” she said. “And don’t let anyone convince you that the job isn’t for you.”