FDNY officials announced Tuesday that the number of minorities that took its firefighter exam were the highest it's ever been.
The exam was recently overhauled after Brooklyn Federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis ruled that two prior written exams were biased against minorities.
A court-ordered monitor has since been put in charge of overseeing how the FDNY tests and hires applicants.
A record-breaking 19,260 minorities were among the 42 ,161 people took the 2012 firefighter exam, which is a 130 percent increase over the previous exam given back in 2007.
Also, 1,952 women took the test, which is than the total combined in the three previous tests given in 199, 2002 and 2007.
The exam was administered between March 15 and April 20 with a makeup date on April 26.
"Firefighting is a team effort -- and this was definitely a team effort," Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said during a press conference at Engine 37/Ladder 40 in Manhattan.
Approximately $1 million was spent on advertising in more than 60 community and ethnic newspapers as well as radio ads on urban and Hispanic stations as part of the FDNY's efforts to improve diversity in its ranks, according to officials.
For more information, click here
