Title
Honoring the Life of Joyce Craig-Lewis.
Body
WHEREAS, The Council of the City of Philadelphia deeply mourns the loss of Joyce Craig-Lewis, the first female member of the Philadelphia Fire Department to die in the line of duty; and
WHEREAS, in the early morning hours of Tuesday, December 9th, Firefighter Craig-Lewis was part of a team of first responders to a house fire on the 1600 block of Middleton Street in the West Oak Lane section of the City; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Craig-Lewis and other members of her fire crew were confronted with heavy heat and smoke conditions from the basement fire that posed significant tactical challenges and yet their bravery helped to save the life of Shirley Byrd, the elderly widow that lived in the home; and
WHEREAS, on Tuesday, Firefighter Craig-Lewis was not scheduled to work but as a dedicated public servant chose to work overtime at Engine 73 in Mt. Airy and her bravery and dedication were consistent throughout her 11 year career. Eight years ago while battling a fire, she suffered significant burns that required skin graft surgeries and was bedridden for two months; yet, and after she recovered, she refused to be assigned to desk duty and went back to firefighting; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Craig-Lewis was one of five children and as a child wanted to be a firefighter and was not deterred when people told her that just men were firefighters. She was a 1995 graduate of Murrell Dobbins Vocational High School and previously worked as a driver and dispatcher for SEPTA's CCT paratransit service for seniors and people with disabilities. In order to realize her childhood dream, Ms. Craig-Lewis took a pay cut and waited 18 months to be accepted into the Fire Academy and she started her career at Engine 9 in West Mount Airy and then served for many years at Engine 45 in North Philadelphia (one of the City's busiest stations) before transferring to Engine 64 in Lawncrest; and
WHEREAS, Fire ...
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