The legacy lives on for a Lexington firefighter who was shot and killed in the line of duty while responding to a call 16 years ago today. The school named in her honor, Brenda Cowan Elementary, held a special commemoration on Thursday. School officials and firefighters gathered for the dedication ceremony, declaring it ‘Brenda Cowan Legacy Day.’ Firefighters from across the city spent time throughout the day reading to students. Cowan had many accomplishments as the city’s first African-American female firefighter and had just been promoted to lieutenant before being gunned down while trying to help a shooting victim in the front yard of a home.