By Louis Chan
AsAmNews National Correspondent
Were you one of those kids that pretended to be a firefighter?
Did the sight of a fire engine and sound of a siren get you excited?
Maybe you dressed up like a firefighter for Halloween.
You no longer have to pretend. New York City has unveiled “an unprecedented $10 million recruitment campaign for new applicants.
It wasn’t that long ago that Danny Chan of Ladder 109 in Brooklyn took the exam to be a firefighter which only happens once every four years. The former Marine and 18-month veteran of the FDNY knows the importance of serving the public.
“I like to give back to society,” Chan said in response to questions from AsAmNews. “I think its very important, being a first generation Asian American, I felt like I had to give back. I know to call yourself American you should be able to give back.”
As part of its recruitment drive, Chan is one of four members of the FDNY featured on recruitment posters that will be displayed outside all of its firehouses.
“With these recruitment banners visible outside all of our 217 firehouses, New Yorkers will see the tremendous opportunity and great responsibility that comes with a career as a New York City Firefighter,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro.
The filing period for the FDNY Firefighter open competitive exam opens on April 5, 2017. According to Chan, the exam is basically an aptitude test. No inside knowledge of fire related terms are necessary, he said.
“They don’t use anything you have to know before hand. They just make a scenario and see if you can learn,” said Chan.
Firefighters can earn five weeks vacation and a salary of $100,000. For more information on the exam, you can go to the FDNY’s recruitment website.
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