Richard W. Harris is hoping the city will take a hard look at some of what he sees as barriers that could be hampering efforts to finally diversify the 126-member fire department.
"You don't want unnecessary requirements in place that discourage people from becoming firefighters and you want to create an environment where we want minorities in the fire department," said the retired New York City fire lieutenant Friday during a discussion at City Hall about a program aimed at boosting the paltry number of minorities currently among Schenectady's ranks.
In Schenectady, a person needs to have at least 60 college credits, be certified as a paramedic, and pass the civil service exam to become a firefighter paramedic. Ron Gardner, Schenectady's affirmative action officer, said that it could take upwards of two years to complete all those prerequisites, which he said can be challenging.