The Boston City Council approved a measure that would cut the required training for fire cadets in half, from two years to one, to attract more recruits and diversify the ranks, over concerns that such a change would impact firefighter safety.

The home rule petition put forward by Council Vice President Brian Worrell was approved Wednesday via a 10-3 vote, and, if green-lighted by the mayor and state Legislature, would allow some cadets to enter the Boston Fire Academy after a year of training instead of the two years currently required.

The change would make the inaugural group of 31 cadets, who started training last year, eligible for the next academy class. The program was created by a home rule petition signed into law by the governor in December 2021, and aimed to “expand opportunities for underrepresented communities” to become city firefighters.

“The current system, in which cadets have to work for $32,000 a year before being eligible to become a firefighter, is a big barrier for so many folks who come from low-income families,” Worrell said. “This change would help diversify the ranks and help us fill any open firefighting jobs with capable cadets as soon as possible.”

The Boston Fire Department has faced criticism in recent years for its lack of gender and racial diversity, with some lawsuits around issues in the workplace.

City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune and Tania Fernandes Anderson, who co-sponsored the petition, and Councilor Gabriela Coletta, who recommended its passage after chairing a hearing on the matter, issued statements of support after the day’s approval.

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“Being a firefighter is a noble career in public service, and we want to make sure that kids from every neighborhood can stand up for our city,” Louijeune said.

The change was strongly advocated by Fire Commissioner Paul Burke, who, speaking on behalf of the Wu administration, said that it would give city kids access to “one of the most sought-after jobs in the city.”

It was criticized, however, by the president of the Boston firefighters’ union, Sam Dillon, who was concerned that it would negatively impact the vetting process and firefighter safety in a “very dangerous job.”

Cadets must be city residents for three years and range from 18-25 years old and may receive preference to join the academy over other candidates on the civil service exam list, but can only account for one-third of the class, city officials said.

The three councilors who voted against the petition, John FitzGerald, Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy, cautioned against a move to slash cadet training after just a year into a new program.

Flynn said the voices of veterans, who received civil service preference, should have been included in a debate that would significantly impact hiring practices.

“I am an avid supporter of the Boston Fire cadet program and the pathway it creates for city kids to get city jobs,” FitzGerald said. “However, I feel that it is too soon in its infancy of the program to make drastic changes without seeing the initial cohort through its first two years.

“I would prefer to see a full cycle of the class make it through before amending this home rule, which I am open to in the future,” he added. “In the meantime, more training for those young individuals who intend to run into a burning building is never a bad thing.”