The New York City Fire Department is promoting a black woman to the rank of lieutenant for the first time in 12 years.
Tracey Lewis was promoted Wednesday. She's the second-ever black female firefighter to be promoted to lieutenant in the department's history.
Lewis has been a firefighter for 17 years, starting off as a cadet. She was an emergency medical technician and later worked on Engine 222 in Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn.
There are only nine black women firefighters at the FDNY. There are about 40 women total at the department of nearly 10,400 people. The department said it has promoted three women to lieutenant and one to captain this year.
Ella McNair was the first black woman promoted to rank of lieutenant in 2002.
Copyright The Associated Press
