Firefighter Kristal Payne Celebrates 20 Years of the FDNY High School

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Captain Vernon A. Richard High School for Fire and Life Safety. To commemorate this milestone, Join FDNY is celebrating the exceptional alumni who have continued their journey by joining the FDNY’s life saving mission.

Kristal Payne is a 2013 graduate and is the school’s first and only female firefighter. She is currently assigned to Engine 304 in Queens Village. “I’ll go to the high school still, and I’ll talk to the students. The women there are like, ‘Oh, I can’t do that, I’m too small.’ I tell them that they can do this too,” said Payne. “You have to be a person who knows what they’re doing, you need the physical capacity to do it but it’s not that hard if you put your mind to it.”

She says her childhood dream of becoming a firefighter kept her motivated. Her father was a firefighter in Barbados which inspired her to pursue a similar path in New York. She recalls attending a high school fair and once she found out about Capt. Vernon A. Richard High School, then called FDNY High School, she knew where she was going to spend her high school years.

“I remember telling my mom, this is it. I don’t want to see any other schools,” said Payne. “When I started at the school, I felt like it was made for me. I honestly couldn’t imagine going to any other school. They really focused on working together, being dependable because in this field, people need to be able to rely on you.”

After graduating from high school, Payne entered the Youth EMS Academy (YEMSA) where she earned her EMT certification. She graduated from the FDNY EMS Academy in 2016 and the FDNY Probationary Firefighter School in 2020.

“Sometimes when I’m on a run, it’ll hit me that I did it,” said Payne. “My biggest piece of advice for other kids is to stick it out. Things may get tough but it’s really preparing you for the future. If you persevere and fight for the things that you want, you’ll get it.”