E.S. YOU ROCK!
Rare woman in most elite NYPD unit
This tough-as-nails cop is helping break the gender barrier in the NYPD’s most elite unit.
Emily Werfel, 27, is now just one of nine female members of the Emergency Service Unit — and was the only woman in a graduating class of 53 on Wednesday.
“It’s empowering,” Werfel, 27, of Port Jefferson, LI, told The Post.
“I hope that I set an example for other women to join,” Werfel said. “I hope I’m inspiration to other women.”
The nine female ESU members, including Werfel, are part of a unit of more than 100 members, a department spokesperson said. The ESU is the NYPD’s version of a SWAT team, dealing with high-risk situations such as hostage-takings, dangerous rescues and active shooters
Werfel, who studied criminal justice at Suffolk Community College, worked as an EMT for Northwell Health in Great Neck, LI, and then as an NYPD cop for six years in Queens before enrolling to join ESU.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” she said at the graduation ceremony at Floyd Bennett Field.
“I’ve wanted to be a cop, but since I was a kid this is always what I wanted to do.”
Werfel’s sister is a city paramedic and her brother is a city EMT. Her mother is a registered nurse.
“This is a family dedicated to public service,” said proud mom Karen Werfel. “We are so proud of her and our children for picking this path.”
The new ESU class graduated Wednesday, following eight months of grueling training.
Emily Werfel, an amateur boxer who has a black belt in karate, said her favorite part of the training was learning how to climb the Brooklyn Bridge in case of an incident.
“My goal is keep others safe and do as much as I can to protect and help,” she said.
Police Commissioner James O’Neill said: “After completing this training, they are some of the most respected and welltrained law-enforcement professionals anywhere.
“That is a direct reflection of the incredibly skilled instructors in our commission and specialized training schools who dedicate themselves in preparing the next generation of EMS, cops and supervisors.”