Undermining Our Bravest: The FDNY’s Testing Flub
THE ISSUE: Fire Commissioner Dan Nigro’s goal to increase the number of minority and female firefighters.
The Post’s editorial about the FDNY possibly lowering standards on the physical test to become a firefighter was right on the mark (“FDNY Bean Counter,” Feb. 12).
The purpose of the test is to ensure the best people get hired to do the job. It’s not about making sure there are people of different races to fill a quota.
We want the best firefighters, ones who won’t put other firefighters at risk because of their inability to do the job.
Stop all this nonsense and use some common sense when hiring police, firefighters, etc. This is not about race. This is about the safety of all people. Jimmy Durda The Bronx
Watering down standards to be a firefighter for the sake of racial, ethnic and gender diversity is irresponsible.
Commissioner Dan Nigro wants more than half of the city’s firefighters to be minority members, with 15 percent to be female.
To get that, the department has already eased physical standards. If a candidate can’t run 1 ¹/2 miles in 12 minutes, he or she can opt to show fitness on a Stairmaster.
That pace is nearly a jog, and if someone can’t do that, they should not be trying to haul heavy gear up long ladders or carry a disabled fire victim out of harm’s way. It’s a bad idea. Manny Martin Manhattan
Firefighting is indeed a demanding profession — few would disagree that we should ensure the most qualified people are doing the job.
But how does that conflict with diverse hiring? If anything, hiring a broader range of people should improve the average quality of the firefighter.
The share of female applicants has doubled over the last few years, and more than half of applicants are non-white.
With numbers like that, there will be no difficulty in hiring minority firefighters who are just as capable as their white and/or male counterparts.
Commissioner Nigro is making the right choice Calvin Costic Richmond, Va.
The Democrats who are championing affirmative action in fire departments and police stations should be required to only use doctors hired through affirmative action.
Take that poll and see who’s willing. Jim Madden Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.