NEW YORK – Most of the time when you read about an ex-porn star’s past being discovered by their new, non-porn employer, the article will include something about the ex-porn star in question losing his or her new job or suing for reinstatement to a job already lost.

As such, it’s more than a little refreshing to hear the FDNY is going to take no such action with respect to rookie firefighter Jonathon Jesensky, formerly known as gay porn star Jonathan West.

“There will be no discipline for this individual,” FDNY spokesman Jim Long said. “Since he became an EMT and advanced to being promoted to paramedic, then to becoming a firefighter, he has performed admirably.”

I’m stunned. An ex-porn star’s new employer is more concerned about their actual merits as an employee than their past as a sex worker? I’ve been watching and writing about this industry for almost 20 years, and I’m hard-pressed to think of a single instance of such rationality in the past (within the borders of the U.S., at least).

Sure, in some very rare cases, we’ve seen women like Ilona Staller (AKA Cicciolina) achieve unlikely mainstream success following a career in porn, but we all know it’s not the norm. The norm is being run out of your new job as a porn-tainted pariah.

Also an ex-Marine, Jesensky first joined the FDNY as an EMT in 2012, moving into his new role as a firefighter just last month. Some media reports indicate there was a stir of controversy when Jesensky’s past came to light. Where the FDNY is concerned, though, if there has been any controversy or angst, it appears to have been kept under wraps.

FDNY spokesman Long said the department is “aware of his work history,” but is more focused on the strength of his service record and his positive performance evaluations than his appearances in films like Semper Bi or Paramedics.

“His evaluations and his record are very strong,” Long said. “The FDNY, we’re proud of our veterans.”

Some in the media have noted past incidents in which the FDNY and NYPD have terminated employees for appearing in porn, but in each of those cases, the employees appeared in porn while working as employees of the city and their performances included elements of their uniforms, badges and other items which were property of the city.

In those instances, even if you believe the punishment was too harsh (which I do not; people need to read the employment contracts they sign and honor the personal conduct policies therein as they have agreed to do), you have to recognize the circumstances were completely different than Jesensky’s current “controversy.”

Also refreshing are the comments offered by Jesensky’s fellow firefighters. When the New York Daily News asked one of them about Jesensky’s porn past, his response was the verbal equivalent of a casual shrug.

“Whatever, I don’t care,” the firefighter said. “I haven’t met him yet, but I don’t care.”

You know what? The Marines Jesensky served with probably wouldn’t care about someone’s porn past, either. When it comes to their counterparts in foxholes or fires, people like Marines and firefighters tend to care about one thing: Will he do the motherfucking job?

The rest is just noise, irrelevancies from the outside world which simply don’t matter once the bullets are flying or the building is burning. These men care about valor, they care about gumption and they care about competence. The vast majority probably don’t give a single rat’s ass if you once sucked cock on film for money.

I, for one, am damn pleased to hear the FDNY shares this results and performance-focused perspective – and I’m pretty sure Jonathan Jesensky appreciates it, too.