CLEVELAND — After 34 ½ years on the job, one of Cleveland’s first female firefighters is retiring.
“I’m a little emotional, to be honest,” says Lieutenant Justina Saxby.
“I was at the grocery store shopping for the food for the party and got choked up at the grocery store ‘cause it’s just a shock, you’ve done something for so long you just don’t expect it to be over.”
The 61-year-old Saxby joined the department at the age of 26. She was a powerlifter, body builder, and played semi-pro racquetball.
“For me I was real athletic and it was just such a challenge to try and do this and I never wanted to be a firefighter but as soon as I started taking tests and started to understand what the job was, I was like, oh my God this is so fun,” she says.
But there were challenges too.
“It was really hard, it was really scary at times, you know we were the first women and it took a really long time for guys to accept us, but I have a really strong work ethic and I knew if I put my head down and I worked really hard that I could convince the people that were important to me.”
Saxby spent 29 years on the street until she became injured five years ago. Her departure means the department will have three women, and she says in a year there will be only one female on the job.
“I just want women to know it’s a great job, it’s a really satisfying job and not only do you have to be smart and intellectual but you also have to be physical so it’s like the best of both worlds,” she explains.
In retirement, Saxby plans to spend more time with her grandchildren and focus on her photography company.
“I’m just going to continue to do that because it’s my passion, I still shoot the fire cadets and I’m probably never going to stop doing that, maybe chase a few fires,” she laughs.