VIDEO: It’s National Women’s Day, and Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR) is honoring the courageous women who help their department thrive. In 1979, AFR hired its first female firefighter, Joanna Sieben. She earned her place and paved the way for all who followed. In 2023, more than four decades later, Fire Chief Emily Jaramillo became the first woman to lead AFR in its 123-year history.
Then, in September of 2025, AFR fielded its first all-female crew, not as a symbolic gesture, they say, but instead as a reflection of daily staffing and an example of the progress the department has made since 1979.
