Bill to Raise Age Limit For Firefighter Spurs EMS Unions’ Concerns

A City Council proposal to raise the age limit for Firefighters is prompting legislators to simultaneously look to improve the retention at the Emergency Medical Service after union reps warned the plan would accelerate a longstanding trend of EMTs using the job as just a “stepping-stone” to the higher-paying position, THE CHIEF-LEAD­ER has learned.

Under a proposal backed by Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, chair of the Council’s Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice, the maximum age to apply to become a Firefighter would be raised from 28 to 30. The city offers the written FDNY test once every four years, which generates a list of eligibles who passed the test and must be called during the list’s four-year life to be hired.