Black and female members experience harassment and uncivil treatment at three times the rate of others in the department.
CBS 2 NY reports those facts come out of a survey administered by the FDNY to firefighters.
More than 4,000 members responded to the survey, which asked, among other things, about FDNY workplace culture, equality, civility, discrimination and harassment.
The survey found people who are victims "seldom report their experiences" and the majority of those who said they do "indicated they faced repercussions for doing so."
Other findings showed inaccurate information about testing and performance standards contributed to the negative experiences of Black and female firefighters.
They want testing standards to be more transparent.
"For me, it's just unfortunate that it took this survey to move when we've been having these outcries from our members for years," said Regina Wilson, the president of the Vulcan Society, the fraternal organization of Black firefighters. "It's time for us to end these racist policies, these racist practices in this department ... and for the public to truly understand that bringing more Black people and women on this job does not mean that we are lowering standards."
In a statement, Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said the survey "has given us the tools to work across all ranks... to create solutions that make our members safer, happier and healthier."
Chief of Department John Hodges wrote, "The issues raised in this survey are difficult, but we are prepared to meet this challenge as we always do."
The FDNY says the plan will involved leadership training, education and transparency.
