For the first time in the FDNY’s 150-year history, more women and black, Latino and Asian applicants have filed for the upcoming firefighter exam than white men.
The latest numbers mark a significant change for the department — which has been the city’s least diverse agency for decades, despite also being one of its largest with 10,000 members.
The filing period for the upcoming firefighter test will close Wednesday, and the FDNY has registered nearly 52,000 candidates for the fall exam.
Whites overall remain the largest group of applicants, with 23,000 applicants, or roughly 44%.
Nearly 14,000 Latinos applied for the coveted job, or 27%.