Biography · Biography & Culture
Brenda Cowan
1963–2004
United States
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Biography
Brenda Denise Cowan (May 9, 1963 – February 13, 2004) was Lexington, Kentucky's first black female firefighter. According to Women in the Fire Service, Lieutenant Cowan is the first black female career firefighter ever to die in the line of duty. She had served with the Lexington Fire Department for twelve years.
Sources & collection details
Wikipedia contributors — original record ↗
Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13