[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 44 (Tuesday, March 13, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H1531]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        FIRST FEMALE FIREFIGHTER

  (Ms. TENNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding 
member of my community, Mary View from Ilion, New York. Mary recently 
made history by becoming the first female firefighter in the Village of 
Ilion.
  Mary was raised in a family of firefighters. Her father, Ed View III, 
is currently the deputy chief of the Herkimer Fire Department; and her 
grandfather, Ed View II, also served in the Herkimer Fire Department 
and is now happily retired.
  As a young girl, she would spend a lot of time at the fire station. 
She remembers being in the car with her father when he would receive 
emergency calls, and she would be happy to join along with him to 
respond.
  Serving in the fire department is a bit of a legacy, as we described, 
for the View family. Mary always thought she would grow up to become a 
firefighter, and despite a brief time thinking she was going to take up 
a career in criminal justice, the urge to become a firefighter was 
irresistible, and Mary ended up doing just that.
  Mary is not only making history, but also living her lifelong dream. 
She hopes to be an inspiration to all women who want to pursue the same 
career in the fire service.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mary View on making 
history as the first woman firefighter in the Village of Ilion. She is 
part of the next generation of women leaders, and I know she will do an 
amazing job.

                          ____________________