New York City took a step towards diversifying its mostly white and male Fire Department Monday as Mayor Eric Adams signed a slew of City Council bills aimed at compelling the FDNY to incorporate more women and people of color into its ranks.
The legislation Adams signed in a ceremony at the FDNY Fire Training Academy on Randall’s Island Monday morning includes bills that would mandate the department craft a plan to diversity its uninformed workforce; assess which fire houses in the five boroughs need upgrades to support all genders; report annually on the FDNY’s demographics; train firefighters on diversity and harassment; and compile a report on complaints received by the department’s employment office.