AFD’s newest trailblazer

Lt. Christy L. Bengis is a native of Albany and the daughter of Susan and Richard “Spider” Bengis.

Christy began her employment with the City of Albany’s Recreation and Parks Department at 15 years old.

She said she always knew she didn’t want to sit behind a desk and her admiration for her father, a former Firefighter for the City of Albany, motivated her to follow in his footsteps.

She said she couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Lt. Christy applied for the position of Firefighter in 2002, but there weren’t any openings at the time, and she was called to be a meter reader for a few months until a Firefighter position opened up.

In 2002, Lt. Christy started her journey into what would evolve into her current career, she became a Firefighter. Lt. Christy held the position of Firefighter until 2010 when she was promoted to Relief Driver.

This position allowed Lt. Christy to fill in as a driver for the Albany Fire Department.

In 2018, Lt. Christy moved up to the position of Apparatus Operator Engineer (AOE) Driver and in 2022, she became the first female Lieutenant for the Albany Fire Department.

Lt. Christy said she believes that without the support of her family, friends and co- workers, she would not be where she is today, and she can’t thank them enough for their unwavering support.

She said she plans to continue to strive for excellence and exemplify that there is no goal that is unattainable if you just try.