New York City Fire Department suffers from nepotism: it had to be officially banned

The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) has published its first-ever anti-nepotism policy, reports NY Daily News... The decision has led to a wave of criticism from those who believe that the "FDNY family" is more than just a pretty phrase.

The agency's anti-nepotism program is two pages long and was released on October 14 following a directive from the City's Department of Investigation (DOI). The department recently investigated two allegations of nepotism at the FDNY.

In one incident, investigators discovered that the fire chief was his brother's immediate supervisor. He signed timesheets and overtime requests for his brother. In another case, the family relationship between two colleagues was not disclosed by the Department. Further details of the second incident are not yet available.

The DOI's findings included a recommendation by the FDNY to establish anti-nepotism rules, which led to the development of a new agency policy.

“Simply put, employees cannot hire or control anyone close to or related to them,” reads the directive circulated to all FDNY and EMS members.

“No employee should in any way participate in the recruitment, interview, hiring, processing, evaluation, promotion of a close relative to work as an employee, consultant, trainee or independent contractor in the department,” the document notes.

FDNY members can inform their relatives about an open position in the department. "But they should not provide them with any other assistance in getting a job," the policy says. Under the new rules, participants are not allowed to submit a close relative's resume to HR staff or discuss a relative's application with the agency.

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The New York City Fire Department is known for having several generations of the same family as firefighters. EMS and FDNY members often belong to the same family by marriage or blood.

Critics chuckle at the new rules

"This is ridiculous. The whole agency is mired in nepotism, ”said attorney Eric Sanders. He filed a discrimination lawsuit against FDNY in 2018. The lawsuit was filed for refusing to hire a colored claimant for minor misconduct, and the son of former FDNY fire safety commissioner Sal Cassano was re-hired in his place, despite being fired in the past for racist insults. The Sanders case was immediately closed. Sanders added that the nepotism in the FDNY "is still ongoing."

In his lawsuit, Sanders noted that firefighter Joseph Cassano, the son of former Fire Safety Commissioner Sal Cassano, graduated from the FDNY Fire Academy in 2018. About four years earlier, he had resigned in disgrace due to his racist and anti-Semitic tweets. After the scandal died down, Cassano re-hired FDNY. First - as an ambulance doctor, and then became a firefighter.

Nepotism was at the root of the department's past recruiting problems, Sanders said.

Sarcastic commentators pounced on the publication of information about the new policy on social networks.

"Nepotism? Isn't that how EMS defines promotion after the rank of lieutenant? One member of the group said sarcastically.