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Fire Department of New York gets first female, openly gay chaplain

The Fire Department of New York has sworn in its first female and first openly gay chaplain. The Rev. Ann Kansfield was sworn in on Tuesday. She is the department's eighth chaplain.
By · Updated on March 5, 2015
Fire Department of New York gets first female, openly gay chaplain
FDNY
Rev. Ann Kansfield (left) takes the Oath of Office from Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro. Her wife, Jennifer Aull, held the chaplain’s family Bible. (Credit: FDNY)
Rev. Ann Kansfield (left) takes the Oath of Office from Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro. Her wife, Jennifer Aull, held the chaplain’s family Bible. FDNY

NEW YORK – The Fire Department of New York has sworn in its first female and first openly gay chaplain.

The Rev. Ann Kansfield was sworn in on Tuesday. She is the department’s eighth chaplain. Six others are Christian and one is Jewish.

Kansfield is a pastor at Greenpoint Reformed Church in Brooklyn.

The duties of FDNY chaplains include providing counseling to firefighters and department personnel and performing blessings and invocations. They work part time.

Kansfield tells The New York Times it would be great if she can be part of the effort to diversity the FDNY.

© 2015, Associated Press, All Rights Reserved.
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