A 37-year-old Navy SEAL who was denied a position with the New York City Fire Department because of his age has gotten job offers from more than a dozen fire departments from all over the country.
Shaun Donovan served four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and is leaving the military in 2020. He applied to be a firefighter in New York City, scored in the top 1% on his entry exam, and passed a physical exam. But a background investigator told him he wasn’t eligible for the position because he was six months and 25 days too old to qualify.
Although Donovan is still fighting to gain entry into FDNY, he now has many other options.
Upon hearing his story, fire departments, including the Denver Fire Department and the San Francisco Fire Department, have contacted Donovan about working for them instead.
New York City Fire Department’s age requirement for those who have served in the military is 35 — much younger than other fire departments across the nation. Cities including Philadelphia, Miami, and Los Angeles do not have maximum age requirements.
“If the hiring process that Shaun is going through is not going to honor his service and recognize his capability, I want him to know that we will,” Denver Fire Department’s head recruiter Greg Pixley, also a veteran, told the New York Post. “That’s the kind of person we want.”
“We believe that if someone has the physical and mental prowess to perform the job, they should be given the respect and the opportunity to be a firefighter,” Pixley said.
San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Jonathan Baxter said that Donovan should apply to work for his city’s fire department. “We’ve had individuals in their 50s go through our fire academy, which is very extensive and difficult, both physically and mentally,” he said.
Donovan has appealed the New York City Fire Department’s disqualification to the city Civil Service Commission. According to attorney Kevin Carroll, Donovan is “committed” to FDNY and may file a lawsuit in the event the commission denies his appeal.
