United States (New York) - Mayor Bloomberg yesterday fired back at a federal court ruling blasting an intentional FDNY pattern of racial discrimination against black firefighters insisting the city was forced to use a controversial hiring exam to fill depleted firefighter ranks after the 9/11 attacks.

The mayor said federal Judge Nicholas Garaufis erred Wednesday when he lambasted the city for using two FDNY entrance exams to promote firefighters when the city had reason to know those tests were discriminatory and failed to take corrective measures.

"We think the judge was wrong on the law," Bloomberg insisted.

The mayor argued that when he assumed office in January 2002, the city had to bolster the FDNY ranks devastated by the loss of 343 firefighters. "When I came into office, it was right after 9/11, so we used the old test because we had to recruit right away. We didn't have the luxury of revisiting and starting the process of building a new test base."

Meanwhile, Richard Levy, the lawyer for one group of plaintiffs, the Vulcan Society, a fraternal organization of black city firefighters, said he was hopeful of settling the case "in a meaningful way."

Originally published by KEVIN FASICK and DAVID SEIFMAN.

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Written by The New York Post