ABC7
WASHINGTON — A plan to raise standards in the D.C. fire department is stirring up a controversy.
Some firefighters are losing their jobs because they can’t pass a tough new exam for emergency medical technicians.
The new exam is part of an agreement with the family of murdered New York Times reporter David Rosenbaum. Now the department is agreeing to give recruits more chances to pass the test just to keep their jobs.
Graduation day was a proud moment for JaQuante’ Staton. Born and raised in D.C., he always dreamed of becoming a firefighter. After six months of training, he made it.
“You have to understand, my whole family was there at graduation. They were proud of me, they were cheering for me. To have it stripped away just a couple of months later, it’s not fair,” said Staton.
Full Story: 28 percent of D.C. firefighters failed the new exam