The New London Fire Department, which, like so many departments throughout the region and Connecticut has consistently fallen short on employing minorities, finally is taking an important step toward diversification by modifying its traditional hiring practices.

This newspaper applauds Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio’s decision, backed by the City Personnel Board, to suspend the so-called “rule of three” in which only a top trio of candidates could be considered for employment. By expanding the pool of applicants the city now will be able to hire minorities who may not under the old rules be among the top three candidates but nevertheless are all well qualified, based on a series of tests administered by the city.

Mayor Finizio has announced that he intends to hire six new firefighters and that preliminary offers have been extended to two African Americans, one Latino and three whites. All will have to be screened and undergo background checks before final offers are made.

In addition to helping diversify the department – assuming the minority candidates pass background checks, complete any required training and accept job offers – the new positions will help reduce overtime expenses caused by low staffing levels. Mayor Finizio’s move also could make it easier for his successor, Michael Passero, by taking care of a thorny matter before Mr. Passero takes office next month.

Mr. Passero, a 31-year veteran of the fire department, defeated Mr. Finizio in a Democratic primary to secure the party’s mayoral nomination and went on to win the citywide election Nov. 3.

The acute shortage of minority firefighters has been a shameful blemish for a city whose makeup is about half white, 30 percent black and 15 percent Hispanic, with the rest divided among other minorities.

The addition of three minorities may not completely bring the fire department into a suitable racial balance, but it is a significant and worthy step.