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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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