Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Deputy Chief Paul Mannix, head of the group “Merit Matters,” disbanded the group last week, according to reports.
The Chief/Civil Service Leader reproted that Mannix was docked 50 days pay for breaking FDNY rules, with violations including “bringing reproach or reflecting discredit upon the department.”
Mannix was the leading voice of opposition to the Federal hiring-discrimination suit that New York City Mayor de Blasio settled for $98M in March 2014, the report said, but the charges against him were reportedly about a series of leaks to the press about firefighter performance. The New York Post has run a series of pieces on how certain recruits managed to become firefighters despite not being able to pass certain physical standards formerly required by the FDNY.
Earlier this year, a veteran FDNY firefighter was fired after getting into hot water over the wearing of “Merit Matters” T-Shirts. The group was dedicated to advancing the case for merit in hiring and against the affirmative-action policies the department had enacted.
“Firefighting is not a job that can be handed out without regard for merit or qualifications,” wrote New Haven (CT) Fire Captain Frank Ricci in a blog post on Mannix’s situation. “Achievement is neither limited nor determined by one’s race or politics, but is determined by one’s skills, knowledge, abilities, dedication, commitment, and character.”
Read more about the situation at http://thechiefleader.com/news/news_of_the_week/under-fdny-pressure-merit-matters-chief-disbands-the-group/article_12c578aa-346c-11e5-a84b-a36017a6c7dd.html.
