AN EXPLORATION OF THE JOB REQUIREMENTS AND RECRUITING PRACTICES IN OMAHA, NE

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

BY: Joe Mancuso Omaha Fire Department

Omaha, NE

An applied research project submitted to the National Fire Academy as part of the Executive Fire Officer Program

JULY, 29 2007

Appendices Not Included. Please visit the Learning Resource Center on the Web at http://www.lrc.dhs.gov/ to learn how to obtain this report in its entirety through Interlibrary Loan.

CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of

others is set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where

I have used the language, ideas, expressions, or writings of others.

Signed:_______________________________

1 Abstract

The problem was the efficacy of the Omaha Fire Department’s (OFD) recruitment

efforts was not known. The purpose of this research was to evaluate two related items on

the OFD; 1.) The minimum requirements to receive employment with the OFD and, 2.)

The recruiting practices associated with developing a hiring list. This descriptive research

attempted to answer the following research questions:

1. What were the minimum requirements for employment with the OFD and how did

they compare to other departments?

2. What was the numerical interest in becoming a firefighter in Omaha, NE?

3. What did other departments do to recruit qualified employees?

4. What did the OFD do to recruit qualified employees?

The OFD will experience a relatively large turnover in the next three years and the

number of apparatus and a contractually- required staffing level dictated the compliment

of personnel. There were common best practices in recruiting and the raising or lowering

of minimum requirements had an effect on the number of qualified applicants as well as

the diversity of the talent pool.

Several different methods were used to address the research questions in this

project, including personal interviews, Internet searches, interoffice requests for

information, and a questionnaire. The results showed Omaha’s minimum requirements

were comparable to other communities, but lost viable candidates throughout the hiring

process, which in Omaha’s case took over eight months to complete. Recruiting strategies

in Omaha also compared favorably to departments that actively recruited for new

employees. But, Omaha lagged in maintaining contact with potential candidates and did

not dedicate the recruiter solely to recruiting duties, but used that resource almost three

times as often in public education duties.

2 Based on the results of this research, the author recommended that Omaha develop

a written mission statement with measurable recruiting goals. He also recommended that

Omaha invest monetary resources into the recruiting budget to include more web-based

tactics, i.e. mass emailing and web-site maintenance.

3

Table of Contents Abstract 1 Table of Contents 3 List of Tables 4 Introduction 5 Background and Significance 5 Review of Literature 9 Procedures 13 Results 15 Discussion 19 Recommendations 21 References 23 Appendix A 26 Appendix B 27 Appendix C 28 Appendix D 30 Appendix E 32

4

List of Tables

Table 1 Omaha Fire Department Personnel 2007 6 Table 2 Retirement Eligibility 2007-2010 7 Table 3 Hiring Requirements and Process 16

5

Introduction

The quest for quality employees is becoming more and more competitive in

professional circles. Entry level employees are better-educated, more prepared than

twenty years ago, and there is no indication that it will change in the next twenty years.

Accordingly, motivated and educated young people are more discerning when it comes to

entry level positions in the work force. The fire service is also experiencing a “brain

drain” as the baby boom generation prepares for retirement. These factors produce an

environment where the fire department must work extra hard to attract quality employees

to fill the void left by its retiring members.

The problem is the efficacy of the Omaha Fire Department’s (OFD) recruitment

efforts is not known. The purpose of this research is to evaluate two related items on the

OFD; 1.) The minimum requirements to receive employment with the OFD and, 2.) The

recruiting practices associated with developing a hiring list. This descriptive research

attempts to answer the following research questions:

1. What are the minimum requirements for employment with the OFD and how do

they compare to other departments?

2. What is the numerical interest in becoming a firefighter in Omaha, NE?

3. What do other departments do to recruit qualified employees?

4. What does the OFD do to recruit qualified employees?

Background and Significance

Recruiting the right people for entry level positions is an emerging issue in the

fire service; therefore this research attempts to draw a baseline picture of the OFD

recruiting efforts to address this emerging issue. The United States Fire Administration

6

has determined, “To respond appropriately in a timely manner to emerging issues,” as

one of five operational goals. (National Fire Academy, 2003, p.II-2.) This work also

applies to Executive Leadership, Unit 7: Succession/Replacement Planning Terminal

Objective, “Given experiences and models from industry, the students will be able to

develop an appreciation for workforce planning, development, and succession planning.”

(National Fire Academy, 2006, p. SM 7-2)

The OFD response territory is over 190 square miles separated into six battalions,

each supervised by one battalion chief. Operations are conducted by twenty-five engine

companies, nine aerial companies, two technical rescue/Hazardous Materials Response

Teams (HMRT), fifteen Advanced Life Support medic units, and one support vehicle.

One intermediate supervisory position, the Paramedic Shift Supervisor, assists the

battalion chiefs in administering the Emergency Medical response personnel.

According to the city charter amendment of 2000, the OFD must have four

personnel on every engine, aerial, and technical rescue/HMRT as well as two paramedics

on each medic unit. (City of Omaha, NE 2000.) The support apparatus must also have

two personnel trained to service self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and the re-

filling of the air tanks used on the SCBA. Therefore, each shift is staffed by at least 183

suppression employees; multiplying this by three shifts requires 549 members assigned to

suppression duties.

According to the Local 385 agreement with the city of Omaha, twenty-seven extra

employees per shift, or eight-one total, are required to fill in for the various types of leave

city employees may utilize. (City of Omaha, NE, 2004.) Additionally, the contract

provides for one roving Battalion Chief and two roving Captains per shift, or nine total

7

extra personnel. This raises the required number of suppression personnel to 639

employees.

In addition to suppression personnel, the OFD maintains six administrative

bureaus with six Battalion Chiefs, one Drill Master, two Assistant Fire Marshals, twenty-

eight Captains, two Fire Apparatus Engineers, and three Firefighters. The OFD’s bureau

compliment is 42 employees. Consequently, the contractually required number of sworn

personnel on the OFD equals 682 members.

Currently, the OFD consists of 685 sworn members. Several non-sworn

individuals assist with clerical and office duties. Table 1 shows the personnel breakdown

of the OFD.

Table 1: Omaha Fire Department Personnel 2007

Rank/Class Actual Authorized by 2004 Contract for 2007

Added due to Elkhorn Merger 3/2/07*

Fire Chief 1 1 Asst. Chief 3 3 Batt. Chief 27 27 Drill Master 1 1 PSS 3 3 AFM 1 2 Captain 182 178 6 FAE 112 107 3 FF** 356 339 9 TOTAL 686 661 18 Table 1. The personnel on the OFD occupy an extensive rank structure. Data supplied by OFD Timekeeper Cindy Bryant from interoffice request. *The City of Elkhorn maintained a small professional fire department. The City of Omaha annexed Elkhorn on March 2, 2007 and assumed the extra 15.5 square miles of territory as the primary response agency. **There are several sub-classifications of firefighter on the OFD. Members move up the pay-scale as they accrue seniority.

8

The Omaha Fire Department (OFD) will experience significant turnover in the

next three years. Several recruit classes in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s contained

dozens of firefighter recruits. In order to receive the maximum retirement benefit, a

member must reach the age of 50 and have 25 years of service (Collective Bargaining

Agreement between the City of Omaha and IAFF Local 385, 2004.) Table 2 shows the

number of eligible candidates for full service retirement benefits in the next three years.

Table 2. Retirement Eligibility 2007 - 2010

RANK FULL RET. ON 07/01/07

FULL RET. ON 07/01/08

FULL RET. ON 07/01/09

FULL RET. ON 07/01/10

Total

Assistant Chief

2 1 0 0 3

Battalion Chief

5 5 0 8 18

Drill Master/ Paramedic Shift Supervisor

2 0 0 0 2

Captain 5 5 0 29 39

Fire Apparatus Engineer

3 2 0 8 13

Senior Firefighter

3 0 0 3 6

Total 20 13 0 48 81

Table 2. Numbers of OFD employees with 25 years of service and minimum retirement age that can retire with full retirement benefits. Eighty-one members represent nearly 12% of the 683 sworn members on the OFD.

The OFD maintains a full-time recruiting position. The collective bargaining

agreement of 2004 between the city and the International Association of Firefighters,

Local 385, provided the creation of a Captain’s level position devoted solely to recruiting

new employees. OFD management placed the new position under the supervision of the

9

Fire Prevention and Education Bureau (FPE). One Battalion Chief, who oversees two

Assistant Fire Marshalls, eight captains, and one firefighter, administers the FPE. The

base salary of a captain on the OFD is $65,145; after the satisfactory completion of a six-

month probationary period, the yearly base salary becomes $66,306. (Local 385 contract,

2004.)

The Human Resource Department of the City of Omaha, with assistance from the

OFD Training Bureau, creates a list of potential entry-level firefighters that is certified

for a period of two years. The testing process lasts approximately 6-8 months. The

minimum requirements for Omaha Fire applicants are shown in Appendix A.

There are many steps to becoming a firefighter in the city of Omaha. In October

2006, the city of Omaha posted a notice they were accepting applications for the entry-

level firefighter position and received applications for over thirty days. The multiple-

choice, civil service test was administered the weekend of November 18-19, 2006. After

several other steps, a list of potential candidates was certified on April 18, 2007. A

timeline of the steps necessary for the creation of this list is shown in Appendix B.

The city of Omaha will soon be hiring a class of firefighter candidates in order to

address the inevitable spate of retirements that will occur in the next three years. The

OFD is in a particularly advantageous position to evaluate how it creates interest in a job

with the department and how it handles the applications it receives.

Review of Literature

Today’s fire fighting forces no longer exclusively fight building fires, but are

required to perform various emergency operations including hazardous materials

response mitigation, technical rescue, and deal with other multi-hazard environments.

10

Therefore the minimum requirements to become a firefighter would naturally change

over time. The purpose of this review of literature is to lay the foundation for an

inspection of the OFD’s minimum requirements and their recruiting policy and practices.

This review focuses on the two main themes contained in the research questions: 1.)

Entrance requirements for the fire service, and 2.) Common “best” practices associated

with recruiting qualified employees.

First of all, the Omaha Fire Department has an extensive list of requirements in

order to become a firefighter. It would appear Omaha is not unique in this respect.

According to firerecruit.com minimum requirements are as varied as departments, but

several aspects are common to most departments. The youngest minimum age is

typically 18; some departments exclude those over a certain age, typically 35, with some

as low as 29 (New York). Other common requirements are a high-school education and a

valid driver’s license. (firerecruit.com)

Since 9 out of 10 firefighters in the country are employed by municipal or county

fire departments (United States Department of Labor, 2004), it follows that the

application requirements should be very similar throughout the country.

The competition associated with becoming a firefighter will not get any easier in

the future; therefore several recommendations are suggested to improve one’s likelihood

of getting hired. (United States Department of Labor, 2004.) Among the most common

suggestions are obtaining some post-secondary education, perhaps in fire science or

emergency medical certification. The California Employment Development Department

recognized a need for advanced education for potential recruits in 1998 when it projected

11

a 22% growth of firefighter positions statewide during the period between 1993 and

2005. (Labor Market Information, 1998).

Making entry level firefighter minimum requirements obtainable to a wide range

of individuals provides an avenue for a large number of applicants. Many times fire

departments find themselves relaxing the minimum requirements to include a more

diverse group of candidates, as what occurred in a highly publicized shift in New York.

(Firehouse.com, 2006) According to the New York Daily News, the shift in job

requirements and preference points produced a relatively large number of minority

applicants (35% out of roughly 20,000 applications) for a department of over 11,000

members that is 91% white male. (New York Daily News, October, 2006.) Developing

a diverse workforce is not strictly an American problem; efforts are being extended in the

United Kingdom to attract women and minority populations to fire service careers (C3

Consulting, 2000.)

On the other side of the issue is paramedic certification as a prerequisite for

employment. This is a requirement that traditionally excludes large numbers of people

signing up for fire service employment. Fisher (2005) found, “tougher requirements for

firefighter applicants have created major problems in recruitment and retention,”

throughout Oklahoma.

But, adequate numbers of qualified candidates in the workforce are merely one

side of a multi-faceted issue. Another side is developing public interest in a certain

position and maintaining a qualified list of applicants throughout the hiring process.

Many times, this job falls into the recruiter’s lap.

12

Business has found several areas to improve recruiting outcomes. Kevin Wheeler

presented a focused effort produces the best chances of recruiting success (2007.) This

agrees with Grote’s finding concerning the importance of a written mission-statement.

(2002). Among Wheeler’s findings are focusing and prioritizing efforts on the target

population, using technology, and holding candidates responsible for certain steps in the

process serves to streamline the process and create positive results. Kathie Sandlin also

holds the focusing of efforts on minority (or protected classes) will increase the

likelihood of a diverse talent pool. (2007)

Grote (2002) found the development of a comprehensive strategic plan to recruit

qualified firefighter candidates to be sorely lacking in Kansas City when he inspected

their recruiting practices. He suggested this as one recommendation that would focus

recruiting efforts as well as place responsibility for the evaluation of the recruiting

function within a fire department.

The historically most common way to advertise job postings has always been the

newspaper want-ad (Grote, 2002.) But an area of interest in today’s business world is

recruiting using Internet resources. Utilizing the Internet when soliciting interest in a

position has been found to be very effective. Recruiting Specialist Steven Rothberg holds

targeted emails are more productive and much more cost effective than typical banner

advertising. (2007.) When actually looking at the number of candidates who complete an

application the cost for a targeted email is roughly $2.00 compared to around $80 per

application with banner ads. This makes the targeted email much more effective than the

banner ad when considering a tight recruiting budget.

13

In summary, the job of firefighter tends to be an attractive occupation in many

communities, but the problem exists in setting a pre-entry level of competency in a

position that avails itself to the largest number of qualified candidates. Additionally, the

task of recruiting qualified individuals that will outlast the tedious nature of the hiring

process appears to be affected by the initial requirements for the fire fighting position.

Procedures

Several different methods were used to address the research questions in this

project, including personal interviews, Internet searches, interoffice requests for

information, and a questionnaire.

In order to answer research question number 1, the author obtained a copy of the

City of Omaha, and Human Resources Department position posting dated October 2,

2006. The experience/training and job requirements are included on the informational

posting. In order to compare Omaha’s job requirements with others, an internet search

was conducted using the popular search engine “Google.com.” The key words

“firefighter” and “application” were used and the result yielded over 2.1 million citations.

This paper considered five cities based on relative size of the city and the ease of website

navigation to obtain the necessary application information. The requirements were then

compared to Omaha’s. The cities selected were Austin, TX Fire Department (FD), San

Antonio, TX Fire Department (SAFD), Champaign, IL Fire Department (CFD), Bowling

Green, KY Fire Department (BGKY), and Kansas City, MO Fire Department (KCMO).

To answer research question two, the author solicited information from the City

of Omaha Human Resources Department regarding the most recently certified hiring list.

14

The author received the information by way of an interoffice email from Human

Resources Specialist I Jim Begley. The Examination Analysis is presented as Appendix

C.

To answer research question number 3, the author developed a questionnaire

while at the National Fire Academy in October, 2006. The questionnaire is included as

Appendix D. The Executive Leadership class was given the questionnaire and every

student returned it complete. Another Executive Fire Officer class was seated during the

same two weeks; the Executive Development class was also given the opportunity to

respond. Every member of the class completed the survey.

In order to ascertain the recruiting practices in Omaha, NE, thereby answering

research question number 4, an interview was conducted with Captain Marvin Ervin, the

Omaha Fire Department Recruiting Coordinator. The interview was conducted on March

3, 2007. The purpose of the interview was to determine the policies and practices of the

OFD recruiting program. A list of the questions posed to Captain Ervin, and his

responses, is shown in Appendix E.

Limitations

This study did not attempt to compare the numbers of applicants from previous

hiring lists. It was beyond the scope of this research to compare the number of applicants

associated with a recruiting program and the number of applicants from an era without a

recruiting program.

This study surveyed executive fire officers from departments represented at the

National Fire Academy. The assumption is made that EFO participants may be

considered progressive; the common perception is EFO students are, at the very least,

15

introduced to cutting edge issues in the fire service. Therefore the methods used to

recruit new employees listed in the survey can not be considered exhaustive. No attempt

was made to survey departments not represented by executive officers at the National

Fire Academy. This research collected anecdotal evidence from a select population.

The Google search that was conducted to determine application requirements is

less than scientific at best, and, at worst, misleading. The rationale the author used to

determine which departments to list was based on the attitude a common high school

graduate may use. In fact, the author’s 22 year-old son-in-law (high school graduate and

1 year junior college) was used as the subject when asked, “If you wanted to be a

firefighter somewhere in the central part of the United States, how would you find a job?”

One thing is indisputable based on the results of the search; a plethora of opportunities

exist in the fire service listed on Google.com (more than 2.1 million citations.)

This research did not attempt to compare the salary and benefits packages of area

departments. The number of applications a fire department receives for open positions

can be assumed to be affected by salary and benefits packages.

Results

The OFD’s minimum requirements are listed in Appendix A. The results of the

non-scientific internet search are summarized in Table 3. The OFD has three

requirements not found in the other five jurisdictions; an applicant must be able to read at

the 11th grade level, must pass a credit history review, and must agree to refrain from all

tobacco products for the first year of employment. The position posting did not

communicate how an applicant’s reading level would be assessed. Whereas San Antonio

was the only department to require Hepatitis B vaccination, only Bowling Green, KY had

16

the same number of unique steps as Omaha; a testing fee, a residency requirement, and a

nepotism clause eliminating an applicant with a close relative in a city supervisory

position.

Table 3. Hiring Requirements and Process

DEPT OFD AFD SAFD CFD BGKY KCMOUS CITIZEN X X^ X X X X COMPLETED APPLICATION X X X X X X HS GRAD/GED EQUIV X X X X X X READ AT 11 GR. LEVEL X VALID VEHICLE LICENSE X X X X X 18 YEARS OLD X X VISUAL ACUITY AT LEAST 20/30* X X X EMT-B CERT** X X X X WORK VARYING SHIFTS X X X PASS MEDICAL EVAL X X X X X X PASS PSYCOLOGICAL EVAL X X X X X X SUBMIT TO RANDOM DRUG TESTING X X X X NO TOBACCO FOR ONE YEAR X PASS WRITTEN TEST X X X X X X PASS PHYSICAL TEST (CPAT)*** X X X X X VIDEO TEAM TEST X CRIMINAL BACKGROUND REVIEW X X X X X X REFERENCE CHECK X X X X X X CREDIT REVIEW X NO FELONY CONVICTIONS X X X X X MANDATORY ORIENTATION X TESTING FEE**** X RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT X NO CLOSE RELATIVE IN MANAGER POS. X POLYGRAPH TEST X X BOARD INTERVIEW X X X CHIEF'S INTERVIEW X X MAXIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT X(36) X(34) X (35)

17

HEPATITUS B VACCINE X

Table 3. The OFD compared to five other departments. All options were included in the table. ^Austin FD allows non-US Citizens to apply with proof of Immigration Permit to Work.

*Uncorrected far-visual acuity at least 20/100. Also must be able to distinguish colors and peripheral. **All departments require successful Emergency Medical technician – Basic completion post-hire. ***CPAT recommended by the International Association of Fire Chiefs. ****Ten dollar refundable fee.

Research question two asked, “What is the numerical interest in becoming a

firefighter in Omaha, NE?” From October 2 to November 8, 2006 the city of Omaha

received 1321 completed applications; of those, 1318 were accepted. No explanation was

given why three were unacceptable.

The written test was administered on November 18 and 19, 2006. Of the 1318

accepted applications, 950 applicants competed in the 100 question multiple-choice

examination. Seven hundred thirty-eight passed the exam and 633 were invited to

participate in the physical agility portion of the test. Once again, city of Omaha Human

Resources personnel provided no explanation for the 105 applicants that were not invited

to the physical agility portion of the testing process. Of the 633 invited to the physical

agility test, 442 actually competed in this portion of the test. Three hundred eighty-two

passed.

The final phase of the testing process in Omaha is a Video Team Test, which is a

human-relations test that assesses the ability to respond appropriately, using judgment

and common sense. All 382 who passed the previous portions of the testing process were

invited; two did not compete and ten others failed, leaving a final certified list of 370.

18

The hiring list was certified on April 18, 2007. As of the writing of this paper, candidates

are progressing through the background check phase of the hiring process. There is no

tentative date for the seating of a 2007 recruit class.

Research question three is geared toward determining what other departments do

to recruit employees. Thirty-nine questionnaires were returned; twenty from the

Executive Leadership class and 19 from Executive Development. Of the 39 departments

questioned, 28 were “Professional Only” and 17 of the 39 contained over one hundred

sworn employees. Thirty-three (33) of the 39 departments “actively recruited” for

firefighter positions. Only those departments that “actively recruited” were considered

for this study.

It was found that of the 33 departments that actively recruit for firefighter

positions, only 7 staffed a full-time position devoted to recruiting while 26 did not have

employees designated solely to recruiting. The responsibility for recruiting employees in

the those departments without a full time recruiter fell to the Human Resources

Department (13) and various fire department employees (9). The other four did not reply

or did not know who performed recruiting duties.

Newspaper advertisements (28), public notices on city websites (23), job/career

fairs (19), brochures/flyers (17), and college/university counselor contact (17) were

named as recruiting activities in over half of those who identified their departments as

active recruiters. Interestingly, only one department of the 33 who actively recruit

responded they use television advertisements to recruit firefighter applicants. Another

relatively untapped resource was contact with high school counselors. Only 4 of the 33

responded they regularly contact high school counselors.

19

In summary, 32 out of 39 respondents do not have a full-time recruiter; 23 out of

28 career departments do not have a full-time recruiter; 11 of the 17 departments over

100 members do not have a full-time recruiter; 10 of the 11 departments from 51-100

members do not have a full-time recruiter. Also, only 2 departments use television as a

means of creating interest in a firefighter position.

The answers provided by Captain Marvin Ervin are considered to be truthful and

complete. The transcript is contained in Appendix E. The results of the interview show:

• Whereas the OFD has a written Recruiting SOG, there is not a mission statement

with clear objectives in order to evaluate the relative success of the program.

• Although Captain Ervin is considered to be the OFD Recruiter, his duties

included public education responsibilities. Out of the possible 1080 hours worked

in 2006, only 258 career-fair hours, or 23.9%, can be verified by OFD

documentation procedures.

• The OFD spends roughly $2000 on recruiting literature and career fair

participation. Captain Ervin attempts to stretch the value of the recruiting budget

by partnering with other city departments to share the cost of career fair fees.

Discussion

The results show OFD’s hiring requirements to be in line with other departments.

Although there were few differences, the basic requirements of minimum age, a high

school education, and driver’s license is present (U.S. Dept. of Labor, 2004.) While other

departments experienced a drop in applicants due to paramedic certification requirements

(Fisher, 2005), Omaha has no such requirement, and there is no indication Omaha will

raise minimum requirements any time soon.

20

Prioritizing efforts to target groups, leveraging technology, and holding the

candidates responsible for some aspects of the process are areas not normally associated

with the fire service (Wheeler, 2007) – as is the case in Omaha. Omaha also uses banner

ads to solicit public interest. It would appear an email system may be warranted to

maintain interest and remind applicants of upcoming steps in the process (Rothenberg,

2007.)

New York City put extra resources and funding into creating a more diverse

applicant pool (NY Daily News, 2006.) Omaha’s current annual budget of $2000 does

not appear to be sufficient. But, the number of applicants (1321) would reasonably be

expected to fill the needed diverse field of applicants. The problem Omaha appears to

have is in keeping the number of applicants throughout the process. Out of 1321

applicants, only 950 initiated the process by taking the written. This is a problem

Rothenburg (2007) alluded to in maintaining awareness and interest in position openings.

The results also appear to suggest Omaha is ahead of the curve in regards to

staffing a full-time recruiter. Only seven of the 39 departments represented at the NFA

staffed a full-time recruiter. In Omaha’s case, maintaining a full-time recruiter may be

just window-dressing for the OFD. The OFD recruiter spends nearly three-quarters of his

time on duties other than recruiting. This appears to contradict with the

recommendations of recruiting experts in the fire service and in private business (Grote,

2002; Sandlin, 2007;Wheeler, 2007.) A clear mission statement and measurable, current

goals, which are absent in Omaha, provide areas that should increase Omaha’s

effectiveness in recruiting qualified individuals. (C3 Consulting, 200; Grote, 2002).

21

Another area that will increase the effectiveness of recruiting in Omaha is in the

area of technology (Rothenberg, 2007; Wheeler, 2007.) Omaha does not commit nearly

enough technological resources toward contacting and preparing candidates for the rigors

of the hiring process. Whereas 1321 submitted applications, 950 made the first step in

taking the written test, only 370 finished the process and are eligible for hire.

Some questions are left unanswered in this research regarding the numbers of fire

department applicants in Omaha. Two hundred sixty-six applicants did not attend the

written test. What are the reasons and does the OFD bear any culpability in their self-

elimination? Of the 733 that passed the written exam, 105 were not invited to the

physical agility test. How were these eliminated from contention? Finally, two people

who went through the written and the very rigorous physical agility test did not show up

for the Video Team Test. One would assume those two were motivated enough to

prepare for the job. What was their reasoning for discontinuing their pursuit?

Recommendations

Based on the results of this study, the Omaha Fire Department has several areas

where it can increase the effectiveness of its recruiting efforts. First of all, even though

the OFD has resources responsible for recruiting new employees, it does not appear to

dedicate those resources accordingly. It is the author’s recommendation to increase the

recruiting budget substantially to provide for increased coverage at career fairs and more

print material for dissemination at local community colleges and universities.

The absence of a written directive also is a problem Omaha could easily correct.

A more focused approach, dictated by a clear mission statement with measurable goals, is

in order.

22

Finally, today’s young worker may not necessarily hold the newspaper as the

“gold standard” for job hunting. The OFD should invest resources to maintain

employment information and recruiting materials on their web site. A method of mass

emailing and electronic contact may also be warranted.

23

References

A minority report the FDNY likes. (2006). Retrieved June 3, 2007 from

http://www.dailynews.com/news/2006/10/29/2006-10-

29_a_minority_report_the_fdny_likes.html

Austin, TX. (2006). Retrieved on July 1, 2007 from

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/fire/hiring.htm

Bowling green, KY. (2005). Now accepting application for firefighters. Retrieved on

July 1, 2007 from http://www.bgky.org/hr/pdf/fire_rm.pdf

C3 Consulting. (2000). Report of research for home office concerning strategies for the

recruitment as firefighters of women and people of an ethnic minority background

for Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. Moseley, Birmingham, United

Kingdom.

California Employment Development Department. (1998). Labor market information.

Retrieved on June 3, 2007 from

http://www.calmis.ca.gov/file/occguide/FIREFIGH.HTM

Champaign, IL. (2007). 2007 firefighter application and testing. Retrieved July 1, 2007

from http://archive.ci.champaign.il.us/archive/dsweb/Get/Document-

4710/2007%20Fire%20%Fighter%20Testing%20Information.pdf

City of Omaha, NE. (n.d.) Municipal code can be obtained from

http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=10945&sid=27

Colangelo, Lisa L., Lucadamo, Kathleen, and Moore, Robert F. Hiring test standards to

be eased. New York Daily News. Retrieved on June 3, 2007 from

http://forums.firehouse.com/showthread.php?t=83283

23

24

Fisher, Richard E. (2005). Paramedic certification and recruitment: effect of tougher

standards on firefighter application pools. Applied Research Project for the

National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program. National Fire Academy.

Emmitsburg, MD.

Firerecruit.com. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions. Retrieved on March 28, 2007 from

http://www.firerecruit.com/index.lasso?Action=Faq#3

Grote, Jeffrey A. (2002). The Changing directions of fire service recruitment: what does

this mean to the Kansas City, Missouri fire department? Applied Research

Project for the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program. National

Fire Academy. Emmitsburg, MD.

Kansas City, MO. (2007). Career firefighter minimum requirements. Retrieved on July

1, 2007 from http://www.kcmo.org/fire.nsf/web/recruit?opendocument

International Association of Firefighters Local 385. (2004). Collective bargaining

agreement between the city of Omaha and Local 385.

Rothberg, Steven. (2007). Cage match: targeted emails vs. banner ads. Retrieved on

July 1, 2007 from

http://collegerecruiter.com/weblog/archives/2007/06/cage_match_targ_.php

San Antonio, TX. (2007). The fire and police civil service commission announces a

written examination for firefighter trainee in the San Antonio Fire Department.

Retrieved on July, 1, 2007 from

http://www.sanantonio.gov/safd/admin/recruiting/recruit.asp

24

25

25

Sandlin, Kathie. (2007). The 7 deadly sins of diversity recruiting. Retrieved on June 3,

2007 from http://www.multiculturaladvantage.com/recruit/staffing/Deadly-Sins-

of-Diversity-Recruitment.asp

United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2004). Fire fighting

occupations. Retrieved on June 3, 2007 from http://stats.bls.gov/occ/ocos158.htm

Wheeler, Kevin. (2007). Re-energizing the recruitment function: learn to maximize your

time and work smarter. Retrieved on July 1, 2007 from

http://www.ere.net/articles/printer.asp?d=H&CID={61171866-A13F-487E-9F50-

68CAEB3D000F}

Wheeler, Kevin. (2007). What’s happening in your world? Our short annual survey.

Retrieved on July 1, 2007 from

http://www.ere.net/articles/printer.asp?d=H&CID={F11BDB9D-1FE2-4D64-

B4CA-1FE7F612A52A}