Int. No. 516-A
By The Speaker (Council Member Adams) and Council Members Abreu, Ung, Avilés, Restler, Won, Bottcher, Brooks-Powers, Velázquez, Krishnan, Farías, De La Rosa, Sanchez, Hudson, Narcisse, Menin, Riley, Cabán, Stevens, Lee, Hanif, Richardson Jordan and Mealy
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to establishing a recruitment and retention plan for firefighters
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Title 15 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 15-144 to read as follows:
§ 15-144 Recruitment and retention of firefighters. a. The department, in consultation with the department of citywide administrative services, shall develop and implement a plan regarding the recruitment and retention of firefighters. Such plan shall address the recruitment and retention of individuals from populations that are underrepresented within the rank of firefighter. Such plan shall include, but need not be limited to:
1. Identifying and remediating obstacles faced in the recruitment, examination, training, hiring and retention of individuals from populations that are underrepresented within the rank of firefighter, including but not limited to considerations of racial and gender equity;
2. Recommending recruitment campaigns, including the use of online, print and billboard advertisements, that encourage individuals from populations that are underrepresented within the rank of firefighter to apply to the open competitive firefighter exam; and
3. Providing, through the office of recruitment and retention, support for the recruitment and retention of individuals from populations that are underrepresented within the rank of firefighter, assistance and support for firefighter candidates and mentorship programs for firefighter candidates and probationary firefighters.
b. Reporting. The department shall post a report on its website by March 1 of each year regarding the department’s efforts to implement the provisions described in subdivision a of this section during the preceding year. Such report shall include but need not be limited to:
1. An overview of the department’s efforts to recruit and retain individuals from populations that are underrepresented within the rank of firefighter, including reference to expenditures for such efforts and staffing of the department’s office of recruitment and retention.
2. The projected changes in the percentage of firefighters from populations that are underrepresented within the rank of firefighter following each of the upcoming three testing cycles, disaggregated by gender, race and ethnicity, or other such factors indicative of the department’s efforts to recruit and retain individuals from populations that are underrepresented within the rank of firefighter;
3. The number of recruitment events that department employees attended or held on behalf of the department;
4. The number of recruitment contacts made with prospective firefighters at any such recruitment events described in paragraph 3 of this subdivision;
5. The number of individuals who participated in department programming offered to support individuals in preparing for the fire academy and the candidate physical ability test, disaggregated by program offered and by the percentage of individuals who self-identify as members of populations that are underrepresented within the rank of firefighter; and
6. The percentage of probationary firefighters within the fire academy who participated in mentorship programming, disaggregated by the percentage of individuals who self-identify as members of populations that are underrepresented within the rank of firefighter.
§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.
Session 12:
LS 9477
JDK
5/25/2022
Session 11:
Int. 1740-2019
LS #8512; 8513; 11089; 11090; 11091