This month marks one year since a specialist with the Air Force from Elsmere suddenly died.

Heidi Rukwid was a veteran and a trailblazer. She was the first female volunteer firefighter with the Elsmere Fire Department in Bethlehem.

The department now has four women volunteers – all following in Rukwid’s footsteps.

However, Rukwid’s service did not end there. She joined the Air Force as a transportation specialist. She also beat cancer.

Heidi eventually became a school bus driver in Colonie.

Sadly, she died of a heart attack on New Year’s Eve in 2022. She was just 56 years old.

Rukwid’s brothers fondly remember her as someone who was just as tough as them, if not stronger.

Hear them talk about their sister by watching the video of Subrina Dhammi’s story.