FDNY Recruiting A Success

The Fire Department's efforts to recruit more minorities and women for the upcoming Firefighter test were successful, given that 40 percent of those who signed up were minorities and the number of women who applied jumped 60 percent compared to those filing for the 2002 exam.

Some critics of the department's hiring practices contend that the real proof of the success of the campaign will be seen in the results of the exam. We respectfully disagree.

The FDNY has taken what steps it can to ensure a level playing field for all candidates, acknowledging that it is desirable to have greater diversity in a firefighting force that is 99-percent male and 91-percent white.

Besides extensively recruiting, it has offered a seven-week free tutorial to candidates, realizing that those who were less numerous in the department would be less likely to know the value of, or be able to easily afford, the paid tutorials that generations of firefighters have used to prep for the exam. It is also using a modified physical test that has had good results in other parts of the country, although some critics say it blurs differences in the achievement levels of the competitors.

Taking these steps has done as much as could be expected to offer candidates an equal opportunity. The FDNY cannot guarantee equal success to the under-represented groups, nor should it be expected to. It has done its job; now it's up to the candidates to prove their aptitude.