Danae Mines, one of 41 women in the New York City Fire Department, just made history as the first to grace the pages of the FDNY Calendar of Heroes that famously features bare-chested firemen, reports the New York Daily News.
The 11-year veteran of Engine Co. 60 in the South Bronx, N.Y., is Miss March.
Mines, who had dreamed of becoming a firefighter since the age of 10, tuned out the naysayers who said she would never get her moment to shine. “I was told that it was all guys,” she told the Daily News. “They said if I made it in the calendar, I would look like a pinup girl.”
Undeterred by the haters, Mines auditioned for the open call, competing for the 13 calendar spots against 100 men. She said of the experience, “I was a little scared. I was the only female.”
For the calendar shoot, Mines was casually demure in a gray FDNY tank, red suspenders, utility belt and green khakis.
The $17.95 calendar was shot by nightlife photographer Patrick McMullan, and its proceeds will benefit the FDNY Foundation to provide fire-safety education, training and equipment for firefighters.
Mines hopes her audacity to challenge norms will inspire more girls to follow in her footsteps.
“I wanted my picture in the calendar so that young girls and young women can see me and know that they can do this job,” she said, reports the Daily News.
Read more at New York Daily News.