After years of court rulings, oversight and legislation, the FDNY is still working to make its rank and file more diverse.

At last count, more than three-fourths of uniformed firefighters were white. The newest class graduating from the Fire Academy is a step towards a more diverse force.

What You Need To Know

  • More than 300 graduates of the FDNY Training Academy walked across the stage during a ceremony as part of the newest crop of city firefighters

  • The graduating probationary firefighters included people whose family members went through the same training decades ago

  • The class included 11 women, 67 veterans from branches of the military and three probationary firefighters who are children of FDNY and NYPD members who lost their lives in the line of duty on 9/11 or of 9/11-related illnesses

During a graduation ceremony Tuesday, 303 probationary firefighters begin their firefighting careers when they graduated from the FDNY Training Academy.

This particular graduating class includes three 9/11 legacies, people whose parents served the FDNY or NYPD and died in the terror attacks on 9/11 or afterwards from a 9/11-related illness.  Among them is Joseph Maloney.

“Knowing that my father sat here 20, 30 years ago doing the exact same thing,” said Maloney. “Part of his probie school, it’s just exciting.”

Maloney was in fifth grade when his father, Firefighter Joseph Maloney of Ladder 3, died responding on 9/11. Now he's a father himself with a two-month-old baby.

“He passed away that fateful day, which led me to a passion to become a firefighter,” Maloney said. “The passion has never left. I’m very excited to make him proud and continue what he started.”

“As you know, we’re still losing members from 9/11 so it’s both a reminder but also an incredibly moving moment for them to follow their parent, despite knowing the dangers of this job all too well,” said FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh.

The 18 weeks of FDNY training included all aspects of firefighting, including fire suppression and medical response, hazardous materials and collapse and confined-space rescue training.

FDNY officials said the department was intentional about making sure this graduating class represented a diverse group of probationary firefighters.

“I’m from Bed-Stuy Brooklyn,” said probationary firefighter Christopher Murden. “I don’t see a lot of firefighters that look like me, so this is something that’s a great accomplishment for myself, my family and my community.

This year, 46 percent of graduates identified as people of color, with 27 percent identifying as Hispanic, 15 percent as Black, and four percent as Asian American.

“A great accomplishment to be viewed as a real life superhero,” Murden said. “And it’s something that I feel that all children should aspire to see people that look like them.”

Sixty-seven veterans from various branches of the military and 11 women also graduated from the academy.

“It’s invigorating to get new people into your fire house,” said Chief of Department John Hodgens. “It makes everybody focus a little bit more.”

With their training complete, the hard work begins.

“I’m just happy to go out and finally become a firefighter, same as my father,” Maloney said.

After 18 months on the job, the probies will lose the probationary title in their rank and will simply be called, firefighter.