Hope to Add Minorities: College Requirement Reduced by FDNY

Hope to Add Minorities
College Requirement Reduced by FDNY

The Fire Department Aug. 7 announced that it has changed its hiring criteria in an effort to increase the number of minorities who pass the next civil-service exam for Firefighter.

The Chief-Leader/Michael O'Kane READY TO DIVERSIFY: Mayor Bloomberg defends a change made by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services that cuts in half the number of college credits needed to qualify as a candidate for Firefighter. Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta (far left), Deputy Commissioner Douglas White and FDNY Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano listen as he explains that the eased requirement is meant to bring in minority candidates without 'dumbing down' FDNY standards.  The college-credit requirement has been slashed - down to 15 from 30 - and any candidate with a valid high school diploma and at least six months of full-time paid work at any type of job can waive the requirement entirely.

Military Exemption

In addition, candidates who have served at least six months in the military are exempt from the college requirement, as long as they can show proof of honorable discharge. The FDNY announcement, made at a firehouse in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, coincided with the start of filing for the Firefighter exam, which is scheduled to remain open until Oct. 13. The exam is given once every four years.

PAUL WASHINGTON: 'Small but positive step.' "The department's goal is to have a work force that mirrors the citizens we serve. In the past five years we have tripled the number of minorities in the FDNY, but there's more to do," said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta.

The FDNY also plans to lengthen the training period that new hires get at the Randall's Island Fire Academy from the current 13 weeks.

Mayor Bloomberg, who also attended the press conference, didn't offer specifics but said the training "would be made tougher."

'No Dumbing Down'

He said the changes in the hiring criteria were made after the Department of Citywide Administrative Services hired an "outside expert" to advise it on ways to better reach minority candidates.

But he was quick to add that the FDNY was not "dumbing down" its force in the name of diversity.

STEPHEN J. CASSIDY: Demands more details. "I am adamantly opposed to programs that reduce hiring standards. This enhances our standards, because it will get more people to take the test, and the more that take the test, the better applicant pool the city has to draw from," Mayor Bloomberg stated. "At no time are we going to reduce the level of protection afforded to the city."

DCAS spokesman Mark Daly said the decision to change the hiring criteria was not made lightly. "The requirements for Firefighter Exam 6019 were based on an appropriate job analysis conducted by specialists at DCAS. The job analysis included interviews and surveys of hundreds of firefighters, their supervisors and trainers, and consultation with experts in testing methodology," he explained.

Under Federal Scrutiny

The FDNY is currently being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations of discrimination in its hiring practices. The DOJ probe stemmed from a claim filed by the Vulcan Society, an organization of black firefighters that has criticized the FDNY for not doing more to diversify its ranks. The Mayor, when asked if the changes were related to the Justice Department investigation, said that the Federal Government had requirements about minority hiring that were "somewhat subjective," and that city lawyers were talking with the DOJ.

But he insisted the real push was coming from within his administration and the Fire Department.

"We are targeting communities that haven't been well-represented traditionally. We want people to know that this is one of the greatest jobs in the world with the best benefits in the world," he said.

'An Artificial Barrier'

Vulcan Society President Paul Washington commended the Mayor and Commissioner Scoppetta for removing what he said was "an artificial barrier" that kept many people from applying. He added that it was a "small step, but a positive one."

Anna Schermerhorn-Collins, president of United Women's Firefighters, said it was a good start toward solving a layered problem.

"I am glad to see that DCAS is looking at this issue and attempting to make some positive changes," she said. "I think [lowering the college credits] is probably welcome to many groups, not just the under-represented ones." Women are currently among the least-represented of all minority groups in the FDNY, which is 93 percent white and 99 percent male.

Uniformed Firefighters' Association President Stephen J. Cassidy reserved comment. "It sounds like the FDNY hasn't come clean with the information about how this exam will be given or graded. I can't really comment until I know more," he said. Uniformed Fire Officers' Association President Peter L. Gorman couldn't be reached as of press time.

Need Credits When Hired

FDNY spokesman Frank Gribbon said candidates will need to have the 15 college credits before being appointed. Appointees will not be able to use credits earned during their training to substitute for the education requirement. The Firefighter exam will be administered in 2007. Commissioner Scoppetta was also in Brownsville to launch a marketing campaign to alert minority communities about the upcoming Firefighter exam and the need to file before Oct. 13. The department will run eight different print ads in four languages (English, Spanish, Korean and Chinese), and air bilingual radio and television spots.

Free Test Preps

Its Recruitment Unit has also set up a phone bank in Long Island City to answer questions from potential candidates and provide additional information. The FDNY is giving free tutorials in all five boroughs for the written exam and physical training will be offered through a continued partnership with New York Sports Club. Free access to physical training facilities at the Fire Academy on Randall's Island is also provided.

Teams of firefighters were sent to 1,500 community events since January, and collected more than 33,000 names from interested individuals, Commissioner Scoppetta said. Eighty percent of them are minority, and 25 percent are women.