Fire Department of New York swears in first female, gay chaplain

NEW YORK -- Fire Department of New York Commissioner Daniel Nigro on Tuesday appointed Pastor Ann Kansfield of the Greenpoint Reformed Church in Brooklyn as the first-ever female and openly gay FDNY chaplain.

Kansfield is the department's eighth chaplain, six of whom are Christian and one who is Jewish.

"I'm excited to have Pastor Ann Kansfield join our ranks and assume her important role in the FDNY, providing spiritual guidance and emotional support to our 15,000 uniformed and civilian employees," Nigro said. "She has demonstrated a strong commitment not only to the people of her parish, but of the entire Greenpoint community by running a soup kitchen and coordinating various local programs promoting music, the arts, and mental health. Through her work for and on behalf of others, she's a natural fit for our department and our mission to protect and serve the people of our great city."

FDNY chaplains fill a central role in the spiritual life of the department, including opening and closing all FDNY ceremonies with invocations and benedictions at centennials, plaque dedications and other departmental events; assisting in arranging services for deceased members of the Department; aiding fire, EMS and civilian families by providing solace and comfort and maintaining contact with the kin of deceased members; responding to major fires and other emergencies where members are seriously injured; and visiting firehouses regularly to provide spiritual guidance and direction.

The swearing-in ceremony for Pastor Kansfield was held at a ribbon-cutting event in Brooklyn, officially opening a new facility that will serve as EMS Station 59 and the Special Operations Command (SOC) readiness deployment center.

Pastor Kansfield was joined by her spouse and members of her community.

Chaplains work part time.