Cassandra "Cassie" Ellen Kishi (Marks)

Born: 4/7/2039
Current age: 29
Position: firefighter and rescue specialist

Cassie is the only daughter of Philip, a fourth generation FDNY firefighter, now retired, and Keiko, the daughter of a prominent Japanese businessman. She is the only member of her family to follow in her father's footsteps; her four brothers all chose different careers. Of the older brothers – a set of triplets - Philip's a journalist, Jordan's a doctor and Byron's a banker, while youngest brother, Mark, is a member of the NYPD.

She was educated in private schools in New York City. A decent student, Cassie took up cheerleading at a young age and continued throughout her school career. She met her future husband, Alex Marks, during her sophomore year of high school. Alex earned a business degree at NYU, and the two married following Alex's graduation. Cassie was 21 at the time.

Ever since she was a little girl, Cassie wanted to follow in her father's footsteps. She joined FDNY as an EMT in the fall after her high school graduation. While working as an EMT with the 66 th Precinct, she also attended NYU to get her training for EMT-paramedic, a title she earned two years later. It was then that she applied for permanent civil service status with FDNY, the next step in her goal of becoming a firefighter. Two years after filing for it, Cassie was appointed permanent Civil Service Paramedic status. She then filed for and took the Promotion to Firefighter examination, which she passed. Her promotion came through the day before her 24th birthday.

Cassie's spent most of her working career in the city, fighting fires in confined areas and tall buildings. It has also given her plenty of experience dealing with dangerous chemicals due to automobile and factory accidents. At one point, she joined a group of FDNY firefighters who went to California, helping fight uncontrolled wildfires. It was here that she met Luke Morel, and a friendship began. Once during her career as a paramedic, she and her partner were called to the scene of a gang-related shooting. Instead of waiting for police to arrive as procedure dictated, Cassie and her partner rushed to the victim's side to try and save him. They were caught in the crossfire from the victim's gang and members of another gang. When the shooting started, the two paramedics tried moving their patient from the street to the ambulance, but during that move, Cassie got shot in the shoulder.

The first year of Cassie and Alex's marriage went well. After that, the fact that both of them were working started causing problems with their relationship. Alex complained that he never got to see Cassie due to her crazy hours as a paramedic. Her getting injured on the job gave him more ammunition. When she was promoted to firefighter, he became more upset as she pulled a lot of night shifts due to her lack of seniority. By this time, they were trying desperately to have a child. After two miscarriages, their son, Nathan, was born. Alex wanted Cassie to be a stay-at-home mom but she did not want to give up on her career.

Tragically, Nathan was killed in a car accident one evening when Alex picked him up from day care. The toddler was killed instantly while his father suffered only a broken arm. Alex blamed himself for their son's death and Cassie was grieving too much to be of any support. She found she couldn't deal with the silence and sadness permeating the apartment they shared, so, two weeks after the accident, she moved in with her brother, Mark. Alex filed for divorce a week later.

Cassie's father was a very popular and well-respected member of FDNY. He wanted his sons to follow in his footsteps, but never wanted Cassie to do so, feeling it was too dangerous for "his little girl". Cassie always felt that she had to work twice as hard to prove to her father that she belonged in the NYFD. After his career ending injury, he became more and more insistent that Cassie find work in another field. The pressure from her father, the death of her son, and her recent divorce, spurred her look for a change. She wanted to leave the city behind and start over somewhere new.

Cassie is an easygoing young woman. She may start on the quiet side but can be talkative once you get to know her. She is a great listener, and tries her hardest to make those around her happy without compromising her beliefs and dreams. She prefers dealing with people one-on-one or in small groups. Cassie does have a strong stubborn streak; once she has her mind set about something, it's very hard to persuade her otherwise. She loves to sing and play guitar and knows how to juggle - a trick she learned for her little brother's sixth birthday party. Cassie likes to read and loves comedy. She's more than happy to help pull off a prank, though she usually won't be the one to initiate it. She's also found that a good joke can be a great ice breaker when meeting someone new. Cooking is one of her hobbies, and she often bakes when she is upset.

Though raised in the United States, Cassie has embraced some of the heritage from the country her mother grew up in. She maintains contact with her relatives there as well as having learned the language and some of the customs of Japan. During a visit to her mother's home village, her uncle started teaching Cassie and her younger brother karate. Cassie has continued to keep up what she learned, using karate as a way to keep in shape. The rest of her normal workout routine includes jogging, aerobics and weight training.

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