Brenda Berkman
Captain Brenda Berkman permanently changed the face of firefighting. A nationally and
internationally recognized trailblazer for women in non-traditional employment, she won a U.S.
federal sex discrimination lawsuit in 1982 that changed history by breaking down barriers to
women firefighters. She has led the national and NYC organizations of women firefighters and
has relentlessly fought sexism and gender stereotypes. She was featured in the landmark PBS
documentaries, “Makers: Women Who Make America” as well as “Taking the Heat,” which
chronicles the struggle to integrate women into the Fire Department of the City of New York.
From 1978 to 1982, Capt. Berkman worked as a lawyer specializing in employment and
immigration law, including pro bono representation of applicants seeking asylum. She gave up
her career in law to become a firefighter. Despite the discrimination that was directed at her
personally because of the lawsuit, Capt. Berkman was promoted to Lieutenant and then Captain
in the FDNY. She was the first woman firefighter to serve on several Committees of the National
Fire Protection Association. In 1996-1997, Capt. Berkman served as the White House Fellow,
the first professional firefighter (female or male) to be awarded this prestigious leadership
development fellowship in the history of the program. A first responder on 9/11, Capt. Berkman
has led efforts to ensure that the role of female responders is recognized equally with their male
counterparts.
Following her retirement from the FDNY after 25 years of service, Capt. Berkman's interests
have shifted to printmaking and volunteer work. She continues to advocate for women
firefighters globally while promoting and supporting other non-traditional roles for women.
Berkman was instrumental in the successful donation by the non-profit all-volunteer group
Monumental Women of the first statue of real women (the Womens Rights Pioneers Monument
of Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton) in the 167-year history of
NY’s Central Park unveiled in 2020 (and coordinated the monument’s Talking Statues app). As
MW’s Vice-President she is also leading the creation of a monument honoring the Harlem
Renaissance sculptor Augusta Savage and working to improve Monumental Women’s virtual
NYC Women’s Rights History Walking Trail as part of their 250 th Unfinished Revolution
commemorations. She volunteered as a walking tour guide at the 9/11 Memorial for the 9/11
Tribute and is now a volunteer docent at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum to honor her friends
and colleagues who were lost on that day, and to help educate visitors.
Berkman received St. Olaf’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999 and has established a
scholarship for Oles for the New York City ArtJ-term program.