O’Neill pushes for extended hiring benefits for police and fire grandchildren

Currently, the children of police and firefighters who’ve died in the line of duty receive a service credit on their qualifying exams to follow in their parents’ footsteps.

Councilman Brian O’Neill, R-10th, has proposed expanding that benefit to the grandchildren of deceased police and firefighters.

A change of the city charter would extend the benefit, giving those grandchildren a a 10-point credit on their civil service exams, and therefor, an edge over applicants whose parents and grandparents have not died on duty.

O’Neill told KYW one of his constituents, a firefighter, suggested the charter amendment. O’Neill represents large swaths of the Far Northeast, home to many of the city’s active and retired police and firefighters.