About Pat Lynch

Patricia Lynch, or Pat as she would have you call her, was working in the shoe section of Hills department store when her father suggested a different line of work. He was a firefighter in the Elmira Fire Department and knew of their specialized cadet program to recruit firefighters. The cadet program was started in order to help women and minorities become firefighters. The cadets spent a year learning the ropes and acting as firefighters, with a test at the end of the program. The top six scorers would move on to become career firefighters for the department. Excited by following in the path her father and uncle had taken, Pat seized the moment and began her journey to becoming the first female firefighter in Elmira. The road was not without bumps, however. At the conclusion of the program, Pat scored very well on her test but ranked seventh, one spot away from being a firefighter. As fate would have it, however, one of the top six decided against taking the position and it was offered to Pat. Pat has made an invaluable contribution to the Elmira Fire Department thanks to her opportunity with the cadet program. Today, the cadet program has just about ceased to exist.

"I tell you what. When you go to a fire and you come out you're climbing ladders, you're coming down, you're pulling ladders, you're carrying stuff, you're going in and out with hoses. You're doing a lot of twisting and turning and up and down."

She had many barriers to overcome in order to prove herself worthy of what had been considered a man's job. Being a firefighter requires both physical and mental strength. She had to work overtime in order to keep herself physically fit for the job. Working out three hours a day was the only way for her to keep on top of her game. Besides working full time as a firefighter, and working out three hours a day to remain physically fit, Pat also had a daughter to raise. As her daughter became older Pat realized she needed to spend more time with her family. After seven years of towing the line, Pat knew that it was time to take on another position. Not only did her job take time away from her family, it began to take a toll on her body. Pat began to lose her upper body strength as she got older. She knew that if she was not physically able to pull someone out of a fire, then she should no longer be on the line. An opening in fire prevention became available and Pat took this opportunity. She has been working in fire prevention ever since.