ICYMI: Historic Firefighter Gets 'Respect' From Male Counterparts

LONG BEACH, NY — Catherine Lewis is the first woman professional firefighter in Long Beach. There have been females on the volunteer side of the department.

She felt the personal challenge of taking on a male-dominated industry, "but I always knew it was something that I could do."

Even though she was only in the fourth-grade at the time, the horrors of 9/11 stayed with her.

"Everyone knew multiple people who were affected by that event," Lewis said. "That always stuck with me."

Click here to read the full Patch profile of Catherine.