By GINGER ADAMS OTIS and ANGELA MONTEFINISE
Posted: 4:14 am
June 29, 2008
A nonprofit group with ties to Bronx City Councilman Larry Seabrook received more than $300,000 in city money to improve firefighter diversity - a program that did little beyond burn cash, sources said.
The "Firefighter Advocacy Program" - run by the Northeast Bronx Redevelopment Corp. - was supposed to "produce up to 25 members of the NY Fire Department each year," increase "the number of minority applicants and firefighters" and provide "information and services . . . [for] minority recruitment," according to the organization's proposal.
In 2006 the group received $310,000 for the effort - with $205,000 earmarked for staff salaries.
Two years later, the FDNY says its only contact with the group was a request to provide free posters and recruitment materials - which it was asked to leave in Seabrook's office.
A source affiliated with the group said it did print recruitment materials and do community outreach, but steered most applicants into already established training programs run by the Vulcans, the FDNY's association of black firefighters, and John Jay College. The group also gave about $15,000 to the Vulcans for study materials.
But it's unclear where the bulk of the $310,000 went - the group's proposal shows it filled two of 12 funded positions. One was an administrative assistant. The other was the $25,000 "executive director" position, which went to Gloria Jones-Grant - who reportedly already receives a $71,000 salary from the Northeast Bronx Redevelopment Corp.
The proposal also included $42,000 for rent - even though Northeast Bronx said it would work out of its existing offices.
Seabrook has long been linked to the organization, once located in the same building as his office. In March, the city froze his request for $912,000 to the obscure Bronx African American Chamber of Commerce, also in that building.
Jones-Grant and Seabrook did not return multiple calls for comment.
gotis@nypost.com
