Fire, Law Enforcement, and Security : New York

Home > Career Channels > Fire, Law Enforcement, and Security> New York> FDNY Changing Application Requirements To Recruit More Minorities

Career Channel Articles

FDNY Changing Application Requirements To Recruit More Minorities

The FDNY announced Monday that it is changing its hiring requirements in an effort to widen the pool of possible candidates interested in becoming one of New York's Bravest.

Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta and Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled the new requirements at a press conference at a Brooklyn fire station.

Under the new requirements, the number of college credits applicants need will be slashed in half, down to 15 credits from 30. Six months of work experience will also qualify or full military service with honorable discharge.

"By recognizing the value of professional experience, we will create opportunities for more New Yorkers and ultimately strengthen the department by hiring candidates with a wide range of skills and life experiences," said the mayor.

The city says the new plan will raise the standards of Fire Academy graduates.

Under the new plan, the training period at the academy will be lengthened in order to better prepare recruits, and applicants will still be required to take and pass the department's written exam.

The mayor says the changes will open the door for more eligible candidates.

“Anybody that thinks we are dumbing down the requirements is making a bad mistake,” he said. “We are not going to do that. We think that if you have more people taking the test there will be more diversity because you just have a bigger group to choose from.”

The FDNY has taken a lot of heat for its lack of diversity. The U.S. Justice Department is expected to release its findings of an investigation into the FDNY's hiring practices shortly.

Of the Fire Department's more than 11,000 members, less than three percent are black and less than one percent are women.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY1’s Rita Nissan filed this report.

A new campaign has been launched to convince minorities to join the Fire Department. The city wants to increase diversity and get more people to take the entrance exam.

“Simply stated, it's the department's goal to have a workforce that mirrors the citizens that we serve,” said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta.

The application period for the next exam runs through October 13th. The test is given only once every four years.

The city is making more people eligible to take it. If you've had a full-time job for six months, you no longer need college credits to become a firefighter. Otherwise, you only need 15 college credits, down from the current 30-credit requirement.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the changes won't lower the quality of the applicant pool.

“Anybody that thinks we are dumbing down the requirements is making a bad mistake,” he said. “We are not going to do that. We think that if you have more people taking the test there will be more diversity because you just have a bigger group to choose from.”

A longtime critic of the department's hiring practices says this is a good first step, but more needs to be done.

“We don't end up getting onto the job in the same proportion that we take the test. This has to be addressed in the future if we are to see the kind of results that we want to see,” said FDNY Capt. Paul Washington of the Vulcan Society.

With its hiring practices under investigation by the Justice Department, the FDNY has spent millions of dollars on this effort. In the past five years, the department says it has tripled the number of minority hires. But out of 11,600 uniformed members, just 336 are black, and 620 are Hispanic.

Firefighter Regina Wilson applauds the new recruitment drive. She says if more people knew about the perks of her job, more would want it.

“This gives you the opportunity to see about our lifestyle, the benefits, the flexible work schedule, and why we love our jobs so much,” she said.

The mayor says the city is well on its way to becoming more diverse. So far, 33,000 people are interested in taking the exam, and 80 percent are minorities.

- Rita Nissan View Article Source:
Article Link