'Taking the Heat': Fighting to Join the NYFD
PBS
Capt. Brenda Berkman has served the NYFD for more than 23 years.
The current cadre of female New York City firefighters represent a decades-long struggle of some pioneering women to earn the right to save lives alongside their male comrades.
Leading that fight was Brenda Berkman, now a captain for the NYFD. She started her career in the formerly all-male fire service in 1982, after winning a federal sex discrimination lawsuit.
That lawsuit and the personal stories of the other female firefighters who have followed Berkman into service is the subject of a new PBS documentary, Taking the Heat.
Related NPR Stories
Labor Doesn't Stop New Mom from Taking Firefighter Exam Jan. 13, 2006
NYC 9/11 Tapes Document Day of Horror, Heroism Aug. 12, 2005
9/11 Fire Dept. Dispatch Tapes Released Aug. 12, 2005
'All Our Sons': 9-11's Black Firemen Remembered Sep. 10, 2004
New York Firefighters Help Each Other Heal March 11, 2002
Comments
Discussions for this story are now closed. Please see the Community FAQ for more information.