Firefighter hopefuls' second siren call

Firefighter hopefuls' second siren call

John Taggart for New York Daily News

Many Bravest were outraged by judge's decision to allow black and Latino candidates to retake FDNY entrance exams.

They coulda' been contenders â€" and now they have a second chance.

Nearly 300 black and Latino firefighter candidates who didn’t score high enough to join the FDNY in 1999 and 2002 are getting a rare opportunity take their entrance exams again.

They’ll sit for the FDNY written exam Friday, and an intense physical fitness test will follow later.

If they can rack up passing grades on both, the job with generous pension, sick pay and other benefits could be within their grasp.

The break is part of a controversial ruling from Brooklyn Judge Nicholas Garaufis, who in July found the FDNY guilty of discrimination after a group of black firefighters and the Vulcan Society successfully challenged the methodology of its entrance exams.

Garaufis ordered the city to pay $ 187 million in damages.

He also found that 186 blacks and 107 Latinos who took the ’99 and ’02 tests might have made the grade had the process been different, and compelled the city to find as many of them as possible and give them another shot regardless of age â€" even those over 40. Usually the FDNY won’t allow anyone older than 29 to sit for an exam, with an exception for those in the military.

Many of the Bravest were outraged by the decision, which could catapult these latter-day candidates ahead of firefighters already on the job.

“Seniority was earned in the dead of night when these benefactors were home sleeping,” Firefighter Matthew Bland, a nine-year veteran, said at a fiery court hearing in October when rank-and-file aired their views with Garaufis.

“I am concerned for the future of my department,” said Chief Nicholas Corrado, the highest-ranking FDNY officer to testify. “Standards must remain high.”

But the candidates who dreamed of firefighting 15 years ago aren’t letting a little heat slow them down.

“I’m not worried about anything but passing those tests,” said Jose Ortiz, 40. “This slipped through my fingers before, but it won’t happen again. The rest will work itself out.”
gotis@nydailynews.com

Latisha Davis: Not looking for special favors

“I took the test in 1999. I was on public assistance and through the WEP program got placed in the FDNY’s recruiting department. The women firefighters really encouraged me to go for it, especially Brenda Berkman. She told me what a great job it is. I was helping the department recruit women to the job, so I thought, ‘Why not me?’ I missed the cutoff by five points. I was so disappointed.

Nicholas Fevelo for New York Daily News

Latisha Davis, 40, a medical assistant from Brooklyn, says she's here to prove herself.

“When I got a package in the mail saying I could try again I was like, ‘Holy cow!’ I figured it was a longshot but I thought you know, I’m getting a second chance, so why not go for it. When I was younger I was worried about the written test and not the physical; now it’s the other way around! But I’m not looking for special favors. I’m here to prove myself. ”

Rohan Holt: Opportunity like hitting the lottery

“My score when I took the test in 1999 was an 88, so I passed. But I was told that if you don’t get at least a 90, don’t waste your time. I never got a call back. I was upset about it, but you have to move on. I went to transit and became a bus driver. I thought about it a few times, you know, what if . . .