A Fairfield woman who made national news while running for state representative back in 2018, is back in town breaking the glass ceiling.

Caitlin Clarkson Pereira became the first woman sworn into the Fairfield Fire Department in about 25 years.

It's not the first time she's broken barriers. After her run for state House in 2018, Pereira filed a lawsuit against the state after they rejected her bid to use public campaign dollars for child care.

Pereira, who was known to campaign with her young daughter at the time, won the lawsuit -- now allowing campaign funds to be used for child care reimbursements.

She's hoping to continue pushing the limits in her new role at the fire department.

"What's most important to me as a mom is for her and her peers to realize they can do anything they can be anything," said Pereira. "Truly the sky is the limit, so I try my best to lead by example for her. So that when she gets older she knows that whatever she wants to do is within reach."

The department says they plan on adding another woman to the squad in February.