Fire department gets first female officer

The Valley Stream Fire Department has long served the community, for 116 years to be exact, but there had been something missing from it’s history books.

Until last week, no woman had been an officer in the volunteer fire department, which was founded in 1898. Tracey Calhoun changed that with her election as lieutenant of Rescue Company No. 1.

She replaces Gary Ferrucci, who moved up to captain, a position Calhoun will likely ascend to in two years. The Rescue Company, based out of the department’s headquarters on Rockaway Parkway, was formed in 1930 and includes two ambulances and a heavy rescue truck. It has two dozen active members.

Calhoun, 27, was elected lieutenant during company elections on April 1, and sworn in two days later following the chief elections. She joined the department in April 2006 with Hook and Ladder Company No. 1. After becoming an emergency medical technician, she transferred to the rescue squad.

Growing up, Calhoun knew the fire department well. Her father, Kevin, was an active member and had several stints as captain of Hook and Ladder Company No. 1. “It was always a part of him,” Calhoun said. “I was always part of the fire department since I was born.”

The desire to volunteer runs in the family as Calhoun and her brother joined a month apart, and several uncles and cousins also belong. Calhoun was a member of the Junior Fire Department, where she was a lieutenant and captain, and became a firefighter after graduating from Nassau Community College.

She attended Holy Name of Mary School and South High, and works as an EMT for the New York City Fire Department, stationed in Brooklyn.

Ferrucci said although Calhoun is the first female officer, there have been several women who have made significant contributions department over the past several decades. He said her role as a city EMT is invaluable. “That’s probably one of the best prerequisites for an officer,” he said. “She has the training, the knowledge.”

As lieutenant, Calhoun is in the charge of the company in the captain’s absence, and will be responsible for much of the paperwork. Even though that may not be the most glamorous part of the job, she welcomes the work.

Calhoun said she does a lot of training through the Nassau County Fire Service Academy. She knows how to use the jaws of life, and also has hazardous material and bomb response awareness training. As an officer, she plans to encourage fellow members of the rescue squad to take advantage of any learning opportunities that they can. “It teaches you different ways of operating at scenes,” she said. “Every call is different.”

She has experienced a lot in her six years with the company, including in 2011 when she and fellow rescue squad member Mike Field delivered a baby in a Valley Stream ambulance.

Calhoun said that women should be treated as equal members of the fire service, and she has always felt welcome in the Valley Stream Fire Department. She said she is excited about new role, and hopes to help both her company and department grow in the next two years.

“It’s still hitting me that I’m actually an officer,” she said. “I’m still in shock. I feel honored that they trust me.”