24-year veteran of FDNY promoted to first-ever female deputy chief
QUEENS (WABC) -- On Friday, Michelle Fitzsimmons, a 24-year veteran of the FDNY will be promoted to Deputy Chief, making her the first-ever female Deputy Chief and highest-ranking female in Fire Operations.
Fitzsimmons will be promoted during a ceremony on Friday in Queens along with 69 members of fire operations.
Four Battalion Chiefs will be promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief, 16 Captains will be promoted to the rank of Battalion Chief, 18 Lieutenants will be promoted to the rank of Captain, and 32 firefighters will be promoted to Lieutenant.
"I've been supported by my friends in the Department, people who I've studied with. That's made a really big difference in my career, and it's an exciting moment for me, because I feel like it's an opportunity for young girls to see what's possible. That's kind of the biggest thing for me when it comes down to it. I really love my job as a Battalion Chief, but I feel like it's an important thing to happen in the Department for a woman to be in the rank of Deputy Chief," said Fitzsimmons.
"I think the number of women on the job is just going to continue to grow. It's the ability of people to see women on the rigs and doing the job in their community that makes it seem obtainable," Fitzsimmons continued.
Chief Fitzsimmons began her career with the FDNY in May 2001.
She comes from a family of firefighters starting with her great-grandfather who joined the FDNY back in 1909.
Six probies from her class were killed on September 11th.
At her promotion, she'll be thinking of them.
"I'll be thinking about the six guys from my class who didn't get to have the full career that I did, and the sacrifice that they made. I'll be thinking about my family. One of my nieces sent me this project, homework that she had from when she was a kid that she found the other day. And it was about 'who is your hero?' And it said, 'My hero is my Aunt Michele. She's a firefighter,'" said Chief Fitzsimmons.
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