Paul Mannix is not only a deputy chief and 21-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department, he's also president of "Merit Matters" -- a group dedicated to combatting a federal judge's ruling that two department entrance exams intentionally discriminated against black and hispanic candidates.

"They were ridiculously simple. The answers were right in the paragraph above the question. I could give it to my 12-year-old child and he could have done better," Mannix said.

Of some 11,500 firefighters, only about 350 are black, or three 3 percent of the force. Another six percent are Hispanic.

 The black firefighters union, the Vulcan Society, blamed the tests and filed suit in 2007. Last month, Judge Nicholas Garafis ruled the tests did in fact discriminate and ordered the city to give priority hiring status to almost 300 black and Hispanic candidates.

"You should earn this job. And that's what it should be. You'll come in, you'll be respected, you'll be accepted. If you come in under a cloud, don't confuse people's genuine resentment with racism or sexism. Nobody wants to see someone handed something that they worked hard for."

Mannix has the support of the Emerald Society and half a dozen other FDNY fraternal organizations. And while he has no explanation for the low minority numbers, he points out that the department has tried to attract minority candidates for years, with programs like the FDNY Explorers and the FDNY Cadets.

The city's new fire commissioner, Salvatore Cassano, said Thursday the department is working hard to diversify and that Mannix is not the FDNY's spokesperson on the matter.

"Deputy Chief Mannix, as he calls himself, he is not speaking for the department," Cassano said.

Firefighters Union President Stephen Cassidy wouldn't comment specifically on Merit Matters, but did say that he doesn't agree with the judge's ruling either.

"I think that his argument doesn't have merit. I think he's looking at the results and therefore saying the test must be unfair. I've argued that the department should do different things in terms of recruiting," Cassidy said.