The Fire Department is launching a $2.7 million campaign to attract more minority and women recruits to boost their paltry ranks in New York’s Bravest, officials announced yesterday.
Posters emblazoned with “Heroes Wanted” and featuring black, female and Latino firefighters will be plastered on billboards, bus stops and shop windows.
“A lot of communities just don’t realize there are opportunities in certain areas,” Mayor Bloomberg said.
Women and minorities make up just 8 percent of rank-and-file firefighters, although 12 percent of the most recent class of recruits were minorities.
“We are beginning to see some movement,” Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta said. “What we need to do is increase the pool of applicants, and that’s what this campaign is focused on. ”