Wednesday, August 09, 2006

FDNY Attempts to Diversity

Appearing at a news conference at a firehouse in Brownsville, Mayor Bloomberg yesterday announced plans to change FDNY entrance requirements in an effort to diversity a fire department that is overwhelmingly white and male.

The FDNY reports that their current demographics are:
  • RACE: 91% White, 5% Hispanics, 3% Blacks, .6% Asians
  • GENDER: 99.7% Men, .3% Women
The department will lower the number of college credits required from 30 to 15. Applicants with military service, or who have held a paid, full-time job for six months, will not be required to have any college credits.

The department also plans to embark on a broad, multilingual publicity campaign to get the word out, and increase training for probationary firefighters.

Capt. Paul Washington, president of a group of black firefighters, expressed concern that these steps, while welcome, might not be sufficient. "Those that take the test tend to get on the list in equal numbers, but the problem is that blacks tend to be at the bottom of the list and don't get reached as well as their white counterparts," he said. The Department of Justice has an ongoing investigation into possible hiring discrimination in the FDNY.

The next FDNY test in January 2007 will guide hiring for the next four years.

More: Newsday, New York Daily News article and editorial, Staten Island Advance.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am 33 and currently living in the midwest after living in the city for 18 years. "back before litigation" a black firefighter allowed me to ride along and sleep over at the firehouse many times. His father was a firefighter. As a non biased white guy who has kept up on FDNY issues these tests are NOT geared to discriminate against blacks! PERIOD. Blacks and minorities have the same ability to purchase study guides and other on-line materials that whites do. They can go to the same prep groups and the public library does have the internet! They also have the ability to go to this "black firefighters group" to gain information about the testing process and preperation. If they further have interest in the job they can BUFF and find a peer role model within FDNY to guide them through the process. So it is very clear that there are PLENTY of avenues besides crying racism. LETS NOT FORGET.... that once you pass and qualify from the initial exam there is the multiple choice psych exam that usually bashes over 50% of the applicants on the first try regardless of their color! I would hate to see the FDNY go to hell because those guys were real good to me (a company in B-11). I just regret that I spent to much time listening to my family who did not encourage me to persue what *I* wanted to do and now I am a year too old :( I could always take my paramedic cert to FDNY but I would be Jealous of the guys on the job while I sat in a bus, on a street corner, breathing fumes from traffic. GOOD LUCK, FDNY IS *THE BRAVEST* FOR A REASON!

Anonymous said...

Non Whites, and Blacks in particular have less cognitive abilities when compared to Whites.
The average Black IQ (intelligence quotient) is 85 points. In comparison to the average White IQ which is 103 points. This all means that there is a substantial difference in the way Blacks think compared to the way Whites think.

If you are interestedin learning the truth about race and intelligence,go to:

http://www.amren.com/
http://www.stormfront.org/

Anonymous said...

Hey all you anonymous racists out there - how 'bout having the balls to post your real name?