“New York’s Bravest” want to look more like New York.
The Fire Department announced a new campaign Tuesday aiming to diversify its rank-and-file with hundreds of new recruits from all walks of life in the Big Apple.
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh announced the call to arms, dubbed “All Heroes Welcome,” at the department’s Downtown Brooklyn headquarters on May 14. Officials say they are urging qualified residents to transform themselves from everyday New Yorkers into the next generation of New York City firefighters.
“We are looking for young people from around the city to do something special with their lives, looking for a job that is more than a job, a career that is more than a career,” Commissioner Kavanagh told amNewYork Metro. “This really is a high stakes, critical thinking job.”
The new recruitment effort is focused on providing opportunities to the Black and Brown communities of New York, between ages 17 and 29. Historically, the department has been made up of primarily white men — something which has led to court battles over alleged discrimination.
In 2002, the Vulcan Society, the fraternal organization of Black firefighters, brought a class-action lawsuit against the FDNY for what they cited as discriminatory hiring practices. The case led to a federal judgment against the city for violating state and city human rights laws, and a settlement in which the City of New York agreed to change the Fire Department’s recruitment goals.
FDNY officials said Tuesday that they are working to hire more men and women of color. To help get this message across about the FDNY’s opportunities, Black and Brown firefighters in attendance for the campaign launch touted the positives of the job — and the pride they feel as being recognized not only as local heroes, but also as representatives of their respective communities.
“I’m from Coney Island. There’s not really a lot of black firefighters, people stop me all the time to see I’m the first Black firefighter they know,” said Firefighter Tyrin Torres, who has two years on the job and works out of Ladder 123. “I was in front of the station house the other day and a lady pulled up and said: ‘I’ve never seen black firefighters before!’ It feels good.”
Shanah Laroche, a Black female, began her career as a member of EMS before transferring roles to becoming a firefighter. She said she was inspired when she saw another Black woman in the role, and hopes she is able to be a similar inspiration for another person.
“I had seen someone that looked like me in the fire department. So, the first time I did see one, I said: okay, this is something that I can do,” said Laroche, who works out of Engine 309 in Brooklyn and has also been on the job for two years. “The most rewarding thing is when little girls see a woman firefighter, they get very excited.”
Currently, just 28% of firefighters are minorities, with 16.5% identifying as Hispanic, 10% Black, 2.5% as Asian, and less than one percent as Native American. Additionally, 1.6% of all firefighters are female, according to department statistics.
This new recruitment rollout will see subway advertisements and job fairs, all in an effort to spread the word.
Exams are set to open on June 24. Those interested can sign up at firefighter.joinfdny.com or email recruitment@fdny.nyc.gov for information on how to register for the firefighter’s exam.
