Councilwoman Joann Ariola hosted a City Hall reception on Friday, Sept. 23, to honor the 40th anniversary of the first female firefighters joining the FDNY.
Several members of the United Women Firefighters and FDNY leadership joined council members to mark the occasion and learn more about a package of bills that were announced days earlier to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the department.
“It was only 40 years ago when those pioneering women won their lawsuit and became the very first female firefighters to join the FDNY,” Ariola said. “From those initial 40 women, we’ve seen the number of women on the job growth with each passing year. Today, there are over 130 female members of the fire department, with women holding positions of captain and battalion chief and, now with Laura Cavanaugh, even acting commissioner. Women are at every level of the department and it is all thanks to the efforts of these trailblazers.”
Ariola sponsors a measure, Intro. 519, legislation that would survey all firehouses to determine the permanent facility upgrades necessary to ensure a safe working environment for a mixed-gender workforce. After issuing a public report of the findings, the FDNY would be required to complete the necessary upgrades. Intro. 516, sponsored by Speaker Adrienne Adams, would require the FDNY to develop and implement a plan for ensuring that the racial, ethnic and gender demographics of the department’s firefighters reflect that of the city’s population as a whole.
“No one can doubt the incredible work the New York City firefighters undertake every day,” Adams said. “In addition to fires, our heroic FDNY firefighters respond to vehicle collisions, downed wires and floods. Unfortunately, the makeup of the FDNY is still not representative of our great city. This council remains committed to efforts that ensure we make progress toward a diverse and representative FDNY. Despite previous efforts to boost diversity amongst firefighters, there is clearly much more work to do.”
According to a report by the Council’s Committee on Fire and Emergency Management, currently 76% of FDNY firefighters are white, while just 8% are Black, 13% are Hispanic and 2% are Asian. Less than 1% of the department’s firefighters are women, amounting to only 137 of the FDNY’s firefighting force of 11,000.
“Diversity in the FDNY has been an increasing concern,” Councilwoman Nantasha Williams said. “We have heard multiple complaints from minority groups stating that they have been overlooked for promotions and leadership positions as well as being routinely discriminated against. I am proud to have introduced a bill [Intro. 560] included in this package that would require the FDNY to annually report in equal employment complaints. This will ensure that we are holding the FDNY accountable, and expect the department to take these concerns seriously.”
Bronx Councilman Kevin Riley, the co-leader of the Black, Latino and Asian Caucus sponsors the two remaining bills in the legislative package: Intro. 553, which would require the FDNY to provide training and education to all members and staff regarding harassment, diversity and inclusion, and Intro. 560, which would require the department to annually report on the gender and racial or ethnic demographic breakdown of the uniformed forces at firehouses, and as well as the number of individuals who reside within the geographic area that each firehouse covers.
“As it stands now, the department’s demographics, practices and facilities systemically do not uplift our Black and brown communities nor does it support gender equality for all,” Riley said. “Planning and partnership is the only way to produce outcomes that diversify the workplace. I am proud to lead with my colleagues and to partner with all stakeholders in a movement that requires a sustainable plan for enveloping equality for all FDNY members and expand opportunities that include underrepresented communities in our city.”
