BRIDGEPORT — Sixteen people, including nine Hispanics and five blacks, have been hired as city firefighters — a class of recruits that a minority firefighter group called "history in the making."

The rookies, part of a diverse class that also includes three women firefighters, were among the top scorers on the Fire Department's entrance exam administered in 2002.

They are training at Joseph Elias Fire Training Center in Fairfield before they begin rotating through the city's fire stations, City Personnel Director Ralph Jacobs said.

The new hires are paid a base salary of $37,742. They are on probation for the next year, Jacobs said, as they complete their training. Ranked first on the hiring list was Samuel Muhammad.

Other new hires, in order, were Montique Pettway, Nancy O'Donnell, Nathaniel Quiles, Pedro Gonzales Jr., Charles Deer, David Rivera, Erwin Ayala, Sheilyan Santiago, Robert Errichetti, Anthony W. Hayes Sr., William Alicea, Franklyn Green, Richard Rivera, Luis M. Mazza and Ronald Reed.

They were officially hired April 3. The hiring list expires two years after the date of the first hire.

Jacobs said he does not know if more will be hired.

Ron Mackey, president of the Firebirds Society, which serves black firefighters, said the rookie firefighter class is "history in the making" because it contains nine Hispanics and five blacks. Of those minority candidates, three are women.

"This is the largest class of black and Hispanic firefighters in the city's history to join the Bridgeport Fire Department without being ordered by a court order," said Mackey, who is black and a retired Bridgeport firefighter.

In the 1970s and the 1980s, several lawsuits by minorities resulted in the city hiring more minorities as firefighters and scrapping a promotion exam for lieutenant.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed by 19 white firefighters contesting the 2002 test scores is wending its way through the federal court system.

The suit seeks to have the scores tossed out and to halt further hiring.

It was not clear what would happen to the 16 rookies if the suit succeeds.

The test being challenged in the suit was administered Sept. 14, 2002. The previous test was held in 1997.

Aaron Leo, who covers regional issues, can be reached at 330-6222.