Case Study: FDNY achieves more diverse firefighter applicants with Civis Analytics

How the FDNY used data to meet recruitment goals

FDNY partnered with Civis Analytics to help recruit a more diverse pool of firefighter exam applicants in 2017. Because the exam is only offered every four years and the role is highly competitive, FDNY needed a better understanding of who was likely to register and move through the process.

Civis Analytics built a statistical model using FDNY data and Civis Data to predict which interested candidates would register, including patterns across demographic groups such as women and African-Americans. FDNY then used the model to focus recruiting resources more effectively, contributing to the most diverse applicant pool in department history: female applicants increased 115%, and for the first time, a majority of test takers were people of color.

FDNY

Laura Kavanagh

Deputy Commissioner