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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2002
PR-135-02
www.nyc.gov


MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG AND FIRE COMMISSIONER NICHOLAS SCOPPETTA ANNOUNCE FIREFIGHTER RECRUITMENT INITIATIVE

Recruitment Campaign Aims to Attract Minorities and Women


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta today announced a new $2.7 million ad campaign aimed at encouraging minorities and women to join the ranks of the FDNY. The recruitment campaign is called "HEROES WANTED" and is being funded by the multi-cultural marketing and communication company PASS. PASS co-founders Steven Stoute and Peter Arnell, who jointly created the pro-bono project, joined Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Scoppetta for the announcement at Engine 230 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.

"As we rebuild the Fire Department, we are committed to filling its ranks with qualified men and women who represent the City's different communities," Mayor Bloomberg said. "The FDNY offers challenging and fulfilling career opportunities, and we encourage all eligible New Yorkers to apply to become part of New York's Bravest. We thank Steven Stoute, Peter Arnell, and PASS for their continued efforts, support, and generosity."

"This recruitment campaign is critical to ensuring that the Fire Department's ranks reflect the communities they serve," said Commissioner Scoppetta. "We are confident that the campaign will spur great interest and encourage the many diverse groups that make up our City to apply for the upcoming firefighter exam."

"This is going to be an intensive outdoor campaign targeting young adults between the ages of 18-28," said Stoute. "We will saturate the City with ads on bus shelters, billboards, and telephone kiosks in high traffic, ethnically diverse areas."

"With New York City in its current fiscal crisis, we are proud to be able to offer the FDNY our services to help strengthen its ranks, particularly among underrepresented communities," said Arnell, the creative director of the ad campaign. "We are honored to be able to participate in such an important initiative for the Fire Department and the City of New York."

As part of the new recruitment strategy, the FDNY will conduct an extensive ad campaign, placing posters on billboards, in bus shelters, and in telephone booths. PASS is funding every stage of the ad campaign, from the conceptual phase to the production and placement of the ads. The Fire Department will also provide a link to its website, where potential candidates can download the application and obtain information about the exam. In addition, CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein has offered to provide a link from CUNY's various websites to the FDNY website. This will allow the Fire Department to connect with more than 250,000 students enrolled in City Universities to a specially designed website containing filing information.

Potential candidates can file for the written exam from July 1 to September 30, 2002. To be eligible, candidates must not have passed their 29th birthday by July 1. The next firefighter exam will be administered on November 23, 2002. Potential applicants call (718) 999-FDNY (3369) or visit the FDNY website at www.nyc.gov/fdny.

 

www.nyc.gov

Contact: Edward Skyler / Jerry Russo
(212) 788-2958
Francis X. Gribbon (FDNY)
(718) 999-2056