HomeMy WebLinkAbout24. 2016 Fire Department Budget - Questions and Responses2016Xivi1XityMudgetM— *roposedM
Items of Inquiry needing more information:
SouthMend[Fire ®epartment0
• Requests /questions from the September 8, 2015 Personnel and Finance Committee
meeting and inquires received thereafter:
1. Slide # 3: "Absorbed cost of Retiree Health Insurance - $300,000 ". In past years, the
Fire Pension Secretary made a presentation to the Personnel and Finance Committee.
Fire Pension Fund # 701 pp 57 -62: In light of the retiree health insurance concern
listed on Slide # 3, why was there not a detailed presentation on the Fire pensioners,
widows and dependents with similar detailed information as was provided for police
addressing the financial concerns which are anticipated?
The detailed Fire Pension information was included in the budget packet and the Fire Pension
Secretary was in attendance at the Personnel and Finance Committee meeting on the Stn of
September. Captain Ellis also can be available for future budget presentations if requested by
the Common Council.
2. Slide # 5: Under 2015 Accomplishments is listed "PSAP Consolidation Efforts ". Set
forth a summary of these items, focusing on level and quality of services.
As an agency that relies on the PSAP for call- taking, dispatch, tactical radio operations,
and records management, we are one of the primary stakeholders in the development
and build out of the PSAP. Numerous members of the SBFD have been directly
involved in the project during all phases to ensure departmental needs have been
addressed. Attached is the schedule for this project which includes completed phases
of the project and expected completion dates for others (page 6). Each of these phases
have included thousands of hours of work by joint committees that have operated
within the very tight window of time allotted to meet deadlines to reduce the
probability of losing state funding for PSAP operations, design and begin construction
of the new building, begin identification of the appropriate software and hardware for
the PSAP's technology needs, and purchase of all of the appropriate equipment.
Additionally, both law enforcement and fire service working groups were established
early this year to work on development of policies and protocols for the new center
to ensure that it works as a truly consolidated agency providing service to all public
safety entities with any and all needs addressed. All agencies in St. Joseph County, to
include members of the South Bend Police Department and the South Bend Fire
Department, have been involved in these working groups from the beginning and have
had input on how these policies and protocols have been developed. The importance
1
of this work is that the needs and priorities of the individual agencies charged to
ensure public safety are addressed by the Consortium as the protocols are being built.
These working groups have also put in thousands of hours of work on this project and
continue to build the platform with which our public safety entities are provided
service. This work will continue through the "go -live" date for the new consolidated
center to allow our agencies the ability to provide input on solutions to issues as they
become known. As it stands, the Consortium is still providing operations from the
future back -up center until the new building is completely done. As Council has been
advised, this is a temporary solution to the State mandate to consolidate centers by
December 3111, 2014. As the new center is completed and brought on -line, it is
expected that operations should be improved as the new systems and protocols are
implemented as well as all PSAP personnel being in the same center.
3. Slide # 5 & Slide # 6: Provide details on the "Recruitment Committee" and how it
would interact with the two (2) new proposed " Sr. HR Generalist position with a Public
Safety focus for 2016 "and the proposed "Diversity Inclusion Officer "? How does the
Recruitment Committee interact with the HR Director & staff currently on this?
The SBFD Recruitment Committee consists of 10 members of the South Bend Fire
Department and are representative of multiple ethnic backgrounds, races, sexes, and
representatives range in age from early twenties through the fifties. These individuals
also carry and represent different ranks within the Department. The committee
attends recruitment events throughout the community such as job fairs, events at
local colleges, and cultural events and has been actively conducting these activities
since the beginning of 2015. They have created the recruitment webpage on the City
website and manage a list of potential applicants which have provided contact
information through those events and a link on the webpage. As November 1St will be
the beginning of our next application process, the committee's activities will pick up
and continue through the application period. It is anticipated that the new positions
with the City will help supplement the efforts of our internal committee and take on
some of the administrative responsibilities associated with the HR functions of
recruitment. Currently, the Recruitment Committee interacts with the HR Director and
staff primarily through development of an electronic application and management of
the applicant pool. It is important to keep in mind that potential applicants need to
have face to face interaction with firefighters that represent their particular
demographic in order for the recruitment program to be effective. Positive interaction
between the new HR positions and the SBFD Recruitment Committee is a must if the
expectation truly exists to improve diversity and inclusion on the department. Two
reports on recruitment in the Fire Service are attached to this inquiry. The first details
general diversity recruitment and was commissioned by the International Association
of Firefighters (pages 22 -90) and the other describes challenges associated with
`a
recruiting female applicants and was completed by the International Association of
Women in the Fire and Emergency Services (pages 7 -21). Both reports give
recommendations from research conducted on recruitment in the Fire Service.
4. Slide # 5: Annexation: What are the projected costs in 2016 and beyond to "ensure coverage
areas can be met within response time goals "? List both capital and non - capital cost
projections.
No Fire Department costs related to annexation are included in the proposed budget
currently before the council. The bullet point was intended to draw general attention to the
need to be cognizant of our response times and ability to service all areas of the city
effectively. Projected growth and current geographical conditions would encourage planning
for increased coverage needs on both the North and South ends of the city long term. This
may involve additional fire stations, additional staffing, or redistribution of current resources
— likely some combination of all three. We estimate a new station on existing city property
to cost between $1,750,000 and $2,000,000. If additional personnel were used to staff this
facility the estimated annual cost for salaries and benefits would be $675,000. Short term
needs could be met with apparatus currently in reserve capacity, but in the event a new
station was staffed with additional personnel, a new pumper truck servicing that district
would be estimated at $525,000 to $550,000.
5. Budget page 8: What is the current status of the "Accreditation Process "?
The SBFD is continuing with the accreditation process. We are currently in the process of
completing a city -wide risk analysis and Standards of Cover document which are necessary for
the process to be completed. This is a long -term project which will require additional time to
complete.
6. Budget page 29: Why are the HazMat "charges for services" income projected to be $10,000
in 2016 through 2020, when $24,055 was received in 2014 and the fees were adjusted at the
request of the SBFD thereafter?
Hazmat fees are only collected when there is an actual Hazmat response. The Department
uses $10,000 as a place holder to show that it is reasonable to assume that some fees will be
collected in a calendar yearforthese type of responses. However, it is impossible to determine
in advance how many of these responses the Department may make. Additionally it is
impossible to determine how much reimbursement a specific response may generate and
whether the entity responsible for the spill will pay. There are, on average, perhaps 2 or 3
reimbursable responses in any given year.
3
7. Budget page 32 and page 33: Why are the Indiana River Rescue "charges for services" income
projected to be $45,000 in 2016 through 2018, when $65,700 was received in 2013; especially
since the school plans to "enhance curriculum and add additional modules..."
Additional classes were added in 2013 due to the amount of river water flow available later in
the year. This accounts for the additional revenue in 2013. Typically, the River Rescue School
budgets for 2 schools when they can count on having adequate water flow to hold the school,
usually late spring or early summer. Some years, such as 2012, there is inadequate water flow
to perform the instruction necessary to complete the course late in the summer or early fall.
In order to not overstate potential revenue, the IRRS is budgeted for definite income, but in
some years, classes are added late in the year dependent on water flow, which will show
additional revenue. Incidentally, 2015 is projected to show additional revenue based on an
additional class being scheduled early this fall.
8. Budget page 38: Why are EMS Capital "charges for services" proposed to be lower in 2016,
and reduced by one -half (1/2) the 2016 amount in 2017 -2020? Are all "Medicaid
Reimbursement" dollars place in Fund # 287?
Medicaid reimbursement received in 2015 included a large sum from billed services provided
in 2011 and 2012. Between now and 2016, the SBFD anticipates that we will receive an
additional lump sum payment from Medicaid for services provided in 2013 and 2014. Moving
forward, assuming the State and Federal agencies which provide these payments are caught
up, we anticipate that we will receive these payments annually for the previous year billed,
not for multiple years as we've received them recently. As a reminder, this reimbursement
program was only made available from 2011 onward. Previously, ambulance providers were
reimbursed at pennies on the dollar for which we billed Medicaid. As it stands currently, the
Indiana Medicaid Governmental Ambulance Payment Adjustment has been placed in Fund
287. All other Medicaid reimbursements are placed in Fund 288.
9. Budget Page 42: Why are the EMS "charges for services" [Fund # 288] proposed in 2016 at
$5,063,012 less than the amended 2015 amended budget of $5,146,565, and projected to be
$5,000 in 2017 through 2020, when the ambulance fee and related medical fee rates were
recently increased in order to keep pace with Medicare rate reimbursement amounts?
EMS Charges for Services are conservatively estimated at $5,000,000 per year and can
fluctuate for a variety of reasons. Beginning in 2012, the SBFD began aggressively clearing
out a backlog of unbilled calls and worked to shorten our billing cycle. These efforts created
increased returns through 2013 and into 2014 and we anticipated a leveling off of collections
moving forward. As noted in a previous question, calls for service vary and our budget
projections are intended to represent realistic estimates based on historical trends.
Projections will continue to be refined and the SBFD appreciates council's efforts to keep
billing rates fair and consistent with reasonable and customary charges levied by similar
agencies and jurisdictions.
4
• How many "auxiliary firefighters" or "special firefighters" authorized under IC 36 -8 -3 -7
does the department have, and what are their duties /responsibilities?
The South Bend Fire Department has no sworn members assigned as "auxiliary" or
"special" firefighters as authorized under IC 36- 8 -3 -7.
Requests /questions from the September 8, 2015 Personnel and Finance Committee meeting and
inquires received thereafter:
• In light of the EEO reports filed by the City and the City of South Bend having a diverse
population of: 26% African - American, 13 % Hispanic & Latino, and 51% Women - what are
the 2016 goals as well as the long -term goals in having the SBFD reflect comparable percentages
of firefighter sworn personnel?
The 2016 goals are to continue to increase the numbers of minority and female firefighters on
the SBFD. Since 2012, 7 of the 23 new firefighters hired have been female or minority.
Ultimately, the long -term goal is to have a workforce that is representative of the community it
serves.
• It was noted that the SBFD is recruiting individuals 18 years of age and older. Why is the
information posted on the website not reflective of that? [SeeRittached313FD Firefighter "Basic
Eligibility Requirements" and SBFD brochure both listing 21 years of age].
The brochure on the City webpage has been updated to reflect the requirement that will go into
effect on November 1, 2015. The paper included with this inquiry which lists "Basic Eligibility
Requirements" is from the application that was used for the 2012 and earlier application
processes. It was modified in 2014 for that process and will be further modified prior to November
to reflect our most current requirements. Please keep in mind that the next process has not begun
and will not start until November 15t. The eligibility requirements will not be in effect until the
process begins on that date.
5
St Joseph County, IN
Communications (PSAP) Consolidation
PROJECT
Item
No Description
DLZ Indiana Project No. 1361-4145-50
c
Due c Comments
NOTICE TO PROCEED
PHASE 2 SERVICES
09/03/13 Agreement dated 09/24/13
Administrative
Approve Interlocal Agreement, Councils
08/12/14 4f
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Draft
12/31/14 4f
Bond for Capital Improvements
12/30/14 qf
BP -3: Communications Technology RFQ/P (Design Build)
Vendor Quals /Proposals Due
09/23/14 4f
Quals /Proposal opening, scoring
Vendor Pricing Proposals opened
11/03/14 if
Pricing Opened
Systems Selection - CAD /RMS, 911, Radio, Furniture
11/18/14 f
Determination of Best Value
CAD Agreement Award, NWS
02/03/15 4f
Computer Hardware/ Network Infrastructure
02/24/15 qf
Recorder Agreement Award, DSS
02/24/15 if
911 Agreement Award, AT &T
06/08/15 qf
Radio Agreement Award, Motorola - Phase 1
07/13/15 qf
Radio Agreement Award, Motorola - Phase 2
04124115
ANTICIPATED 10106115
Dispatch Workstations, Primary
09/25/15
Communications install - Primary PSAP
11/01/15
Communications Training
12/08/15
Tentative 'Go-Live'
Communications install - Backup PSAP
12/31/15
Communications - Final Completion
01/29/16
BP -1: Backup Communications Center, SBPD
Construction Contract Award
09/02/14
Substantial Completion, Backup Facility
11/21/14 qf
Equipment/ Move -in, SBPD
11/14/14 if
Equipment/ Move -in, SJCPD
12/02/14 qf
Equipment/ Move -in, SJCFD
12/16/14 qf
Issue letter to 911 Board stating compliance
12/17/14 qf
Training and Operation
12/31/14 qf
Primary PSAP Center, Construction
Bid Package 2: Rough Grading, Footings, Steel
Construction Contract Award - Ftgs to Grade
09/09/14 4f
Substantial Completion, Grade, Ftgs, Steel
01/23/15 if
Bid
Package 4: Final Site Development and Building
Construction Contract Award - Building
12/02/14
Substantial Completion, Building
09/25/15
Furniture Fixtures and Equip (FFE, Admin.)
11/30/15
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
11/17/15
Preliminary, T.B.D.
Training and Operations
12/08/15
Prelim ina ry 'Go-Live'
Project Close -out
01/29/16
Page 1 of 1
A National Report Card on
Women in Firefighting
Denise M. Hulett
Legal Aid Society Employment Law Center
San Francisco, CA
Marc Bendick, Jr.
Bendick and Egan Economic Consultant, Inc.
Washington, DC
Sheila Y. Thomas
Law Offices of Sheila Y. Thomas
Oakland, CA
Francine Moccio
Institute for Women and Work
School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR)
Cornell University
New York, NY
April 2008
A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting
Denise M. Hulett
Legal Aid Society Employment Law Center
San Francisco, CA
Marc Bendick, Jr. *
Bendick and Egan Economic Consultant, Inc.
Washington, DC
Sheila Y. Thomas
Law Offices of Sheila Y. Thomas
Oakland, CA
Francine Moccio
Institute for Women and Work
School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR)
Cornell University
New York, NY
April 2008
Researcb presented in this document was supported by the Ford Foundation.
However, the authors alone are responsible for all findings and conclusions.
*Contact the authors via: Marc Bendick, Jr., Bendick and Egan Economic Consultants, Inc., 4411 Westover Place NW, Washington, DC
20016, (202) 686 -0245, bendickegan @mindspring.com, www.bendickegan.com.
At INTERNATIONAL. ASSOCIATION OF
OMEN IN FIRE
E MV EN SERVICES
April, 2008
Dear IAWFES members, colleagues in the Fire and Emergency Services, supporters, commissioners
and department administrators, legislators, union members and advocates:
We are pleased to introduce "A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting. "' his long- awaited study, conducted
by two civil rights lawyers and two social scientists, is attached.
The study validates decades of anecdotal wisdom about the inclusion, acceptance, training, testing and promotion of
women in fire and emergency services. It also points to a future where, barring continued cultural and traditional resis-
tance, women should comprise 17% (up from the current 3.7% national average) of the first responders work force.
This significant report represents the results of confidential written questionnaires returned by 675 male and female
firefighters in 48 states, surveys of 114 departments nationwide, in -depth interviews with 175 female firefighters and
case studies in Kansas City, Los Angeles, Seattle, Minneapolis and Prince William County, Va.
We believe the study and its recommendations are critical to the future of the fire service and the basis for continuing
collaboration between the International Association of Women in the Fire and Emergency Services and other leading
fire service organizations.
"Guided by this study, gender inclusion is the new standard to which departments are likely to be held by the courts,
the elected officials to whom they report, and the citizens they serve," says economist Marc Bendick Jr., Ph.D., who
co- authored the study.
We salute the study's authors for their efforts developing such an important study. Its conclusions will strongly support
our legal efforts, including court cases throughout the United States, as well as positively influence public opinion.
We urge you to read and circulate the study to help stimulate discussion and formulate solutions on bridging the gap
from where women in the fire services are now to where they should be in the future.
Copies of the study and more information can be found at www.i-women.org.
Respectfully,
Co- Presidents
Cheryl Horvath
Laurie Mooney
TZ voice o wo�reK i� we ald ewe &Iw sew
P.O. Box 5446 • Madison, W753705 • www.I-women.org • 6081233 -4768 • 608/233 -4879 fax
As participants in the fire industry, you are no doubt
aware that women firefighters are few and far between
nationwide, and that litigation has periodically sought
to increase their hiring and promotions and stop
harassment.' this report presents a new research
study to assist fire management resolve these inequi-
ties in their departments before litigation imposes the
inevitably expensive, imperfect solutions.
With support from the Ford Foundation, the two of
us who are civil rights lawyers teamed up with two
who are social scientists to look comprehensively at
women in firefighting today. Our study does not
focus on individual departments but instead looks
across departments to see what each can learn from
the others. It looks not only at single issues, such as
hiring or promotions, but also at what these issues
have in common.
We sought answers to these questions through multi-
ple kinds of research. We collected confidential ques-
tionnaires from 675 male and female firefighters in 48
states. Women respondents were recruited through
professional organizations, personal contacts, and word
of mouth, and we asked each woman to recruit a male
colleague to complete the same questionnaire. We
also collected confidential data from 114 departments
in 39 states, ranging in size from 103 paid firefight-
ers to more than 3,000, together employing 51,281
paid firefighters. Then we interviewed 175 women
firefighters individually or in focus groups. Finally, we
conducted week -long case studies, observing opera-
tions and interviewing employees and officials in the
Kansas City, Los Angeles City, Minneapolis, Prince
William County (VA), and Seattle departments.
This paper presents the major lessons we learned.2
New Data Challenges Low Female Numbers
Among the 350,000 paid firefighters in the nation
today, the 2000 Census reports that women number
slightly more than 11,000, or 3.7 %. This figure places
firefighting in the lowest 11 percent of all occupations
in terms of women employees. Even more striking is
the large number of departments where the number
of women is zero or nearly so. Not one paid women
firefighter has ever worked in more than half the
nation's departments. Among the 291 metropolitan
areas in the 2000 Census, 51.2% had no paid women
firefighters in the entire metropolitan area, typically
including multiple departments. In 2005, depart-
ments in jurisdictions as large as Garden Grove, CA,
population 165,000, remained entirely male. New
York City counts less than one - quarter of one percent
women among its uniformed force, and Los Angeles
employs 2.5 %.
When fire department leaders are challenged about
these numbers, they traditionally respond that women
do not want and cannot handle the job, so that low
numbers are to be expected. Are they right?
To answer this question, we developed a benchmark
for expected female representation using the 2000
Census. We computed the percent of women in the
nation's labor force of typical firefighter age (20 — 49)
and educational background (high school graduate
but no college degree), working full -time in one of
184 occupations resembling firefighting in requiring
strength, stamina, and dexterity, or involving outdoor,
dirty or dangerous work. These comparison occupa-
tions include bus mechanics, drywall installers, enlisted
military personnel, highway maintenance workers,
loggers, professional athletes, refuse collectors, roofers,
septic tank servicers, tire builders, and welders. The
proportion of women among the employees in these
184 occupations is 17 %.
Women account for about 47% of the whole Civilian
Labor Force, about three times the 17% rate. So it is
clear that a smaller percent of women than men are
likely to seek a firefighting career. But this consid-
' Berkman v. City and County of New York challenged hiring practices in New York City's department in 1985. Other court challenges have been
filed against hiring practices in San Francisco, availability of equipment in Kansas City, MO, promotion practices and hostile work environment
in Stamford, CT, and promotion practices in Kansas City, MO.
2 For more details, our longer report, "Enhancing Women's Inclusion in Firefighting," is available at www.bendickegan.com /publications. Read-
ers may also want to contact the International Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Services (www i- women.org) and Black Women in
the Fire Service (www.iabpfl:org/bwfs/bwfs.htm).
A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting —April 2008 10 1
eration does not explain the gap between the 17% of
women potentially attracted to this career despite its
being dirty, dangerous, and demanding, and the 3.7%
women employed there today. In 2000, if women
nationwide had been employed at the 17% rate, there
would have been 39,742 additional women firefight-
ers, or 50,577 total women, quadrupling their actual
number of 11,135.
In that year, if women of color had been employed at
their expected rate, then 13,552 (34 %) of those addi-
tional women firefighters would have been women of
color (See sidebar: The Double Disadvantage Facing
Women of Color).
The current employment of women in selected fire
departments confirms the reasonableness of this 17%
benchmark. Women now approach, equal, or even
exceed 17% of uniformed officers in a number of
jurisdictions. According to the International Asso-
ciation of Women in Fire and Emergency Services,
large departments with the highest proportion of
women include: Minneapolis, MN (17 %); Madi-
son, WI (15 %); San Francisco, CA (15 %); Boulder,
CO (14 %); and Miami -Dade, FL (13 %). Among the
114 departments examined in our own survey, 16%
reported having 10% or more women among their
uniformed officers, including two departments with
more than 17 %.
To examine a broader set of jurisdictions, we calcu-
lated the average representation of women among
firefighters in all 291 large metropolitan areas in the
2000 Census. Among the 29 (10 %) with the highest
proportion ofwomen firefighters, the average is 14.5 %,
including such diverse locations as Allentown -Beth-
lehem- Easton, PA (12.2 %); Anchorage, AK (14.1 %);
Jacksonville, FL (11.2 %); Kalamazoo, MI (23.7 %);
Racine, WI (18.6 %); Redding, CA (17.1 %); Sarasota,
FL (12.3 %); Springfield, IL (19.0 %); and Tuscaloosa,
AL (24.0 %).
So, the first finding from our study is the huge under -
representation of women among firefighters today.
Tens of thousands of women likely to be interested in
the career and capable of performing it are available,
but they are either not getting hired or are leaving. If
courts accept this 17% benchmark for expected rep-
resentation, the vast majority of departments nation-
The Double Disadvantage Facing
Women of Color
Encountering opposition based on their race/
ethnicity as well as their gender, women of color
face are doubly challenged in pursuing firefighting
careers. The women themselves often do not
distinguish these two problems, describing their
race and gender as inextricably intertwined facets
of their lives and identities. But our study observed
some important ways in which the two problems
interact.
Race and ethnicity problems remain unresolved in
many departments today. In our firefighter survey,
we asked about employee treatment, opportunities
for career advancement, and departments'
responsiveness to complaints. An average of 29% of
survey respondents of color reported encountering
problems in these areas. Our analysis of the 2000
Census showed that persons of color (including
both genders) are currently employed in firefighting
at only 55.5% of their expected rate.
The 2000 Census reports that women of color totaled
2,444 persons in firefighting, 0.8% of all persons in
the field, compared to an expected representation
of 5.9% -- that is, current representation only 13.6%
of expected representation. The comparable
figure for white women is 26.0 %. Thus, under -
representation is about double among women of
color compared to white women.
in interviews, women of color described the belief
that women "are not cut out for firefighting" as the
one issue on which white men and men of color find
common ground. At the same time, they reported
that some of their white women colleagues distance
themselves from efforts by men of color to combat
racism and improve departmental practices in
areas such as promotions. These circumstances
leave women of color feeling particularly isolated
and inadequately supported by either women's or
minority employee organizations.
wide are potentially vulnerable to litigation for falling
far short of the benchmark.
Discrimination and Harassment
Too few women among departments' paid uniformed
officers is only the start of potential legal issues our
2 A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting - April 2008
Table 1: Discrimination or Harassment Experienced by Firefighters
Survey Question
% of
Women
% of
Men
I have experienced different treatment because of my gender
84.7
12.4
I have encountered problems with ill- fitting equipment
79.7
20.9
My dept. has no procedure of which I am aware for addressing discrimination complaints
65.0
42.7
I have seen supervisors' authority challenged because of the supervisor's gender
49.9
21.0
My gender has created barriers to my career advancement
36.5
7.4
Males and females are not treated the same during fire college and /or probation
33.9
17.8
Promotions are not decided upon fairly
33.9
30.6
Staff in my department are treated differently because of their sexual orientation
30.6
14.4
The hiring process in my department does not fairly select and hire applicants
30.3
22.6
I have not received coach ing /mentoring from senior people in my department
25.4
20.4
My supervisor does not address complaints concerning gender - related incidents
23.4
5.6
Males and females are not treated the same during applicants' physical ability screening
13.3
10.5
I have experienced incidents because of my gender involving:
Shunning /isolation
50.8
2.3
Privacy in showers, dormitory, or when changing clothes
46.2
2.8
Verbal harassment
42.9
2.8
Pornography
31.9
1.4
Sexual advances
30.2
0.5
Dormitory accommodations
28.4
2.3
Training denial or differences
24.3
4.1
Other
21.2
5.5
Station assignments
20.4
0.9
Hazing
18.6
1.4
Hostile notes, cartoons, or other written material
18.2
0.9
Mealtime - related difficulties
13.1
0.9
Assault
6.3
0.0
These Incidents continue in the present
30.6
6.0
Average
34.2
18.8
study identified, however. Our surveys and interviews
clearly documented that, when women get hired, their
experiences almost universally fall well outside legal
boundaries for equal opportunity and non- harass-
ment.
Table 1 presents rates of gender - related discrimination
or exclusion reported by respondents to our firefighter
survey. Women reported problems at rates ranging
from 79.7% (for ill- fitting equipment) to 6.3% (for
assaults) and averaging 34.2% for the 25 problems we
asked about. These women's experiences contrasted
sharply to their male colleagues, who reported much
lower rates of problems on every question. In response
to the broadest question "I have experienced differ-
ent treatment because of my gender " - a pandemic
84.7% of women agreed, compared to 12.4% of men.
A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting - April 2008 12 3
Are women's experiences in firefighting improving
over time? We compared the responses of women
firefighters 40 and over to their younger counterparts,
assuming that the second group's responses reflect
more recent years than the first group's. On the topics
covered in Table 1, the average rate of reported prob-
lems is 6.1 percentage points lower among younger
women than their older colleagues — 31.7% versus
37.8 %.
On the other hand, responding to the 26th question
in Table 1, 34.0% of all women reported that gender -
based problems continue into the present. This figure
is strikingly similar to the 34.2% average response to
the previous 25 questions, asked without specifying a
time period.
These data offer little support for calling gender dis-
crimination and harassment problems of the past or
rapidly disappearing. Consistent with this slow rate
of change, in moving from approximately 0% in 1980
to 3.7% in 2000, the female percent of firefighters has
increased less than 0.2 percentage points per year. At
that rate, females will not reach 17% of firefighters for
another 72 years.
Our study was not intended simply to document prob-
lems, however. We were also seeking practical solu-
tions, and we discovered many "best practices" already
implemented in selected departments. Here are some
of these solutions for six aspects of department opera-
tions, starting with recruiting.
Recruiting
How can departments recruit more women among
the 17% who are potentially interested in and capable
of handling this challenging career?
The first section of Table 2 compares women and men
survey respondents in terms of their circumstances
prior to their firefighting careers. Four points con-
cerning effective recruitment are suggested by their
responses.
First, recruiting initiatives targeting women are per-
ceived as more widespread than they actually are.
According to the first line of the table, 69.3% of men
believed that their departments made such efforts, but
women themselves reported only half that rate. Only
8.8% of women reported being actively recruited, and
only 14.2% had encountered recruitment advertis-
ing. Low rates of being actively recruited were also
reported by our male respondents, suggesting that,
without regard to the gender, many departments are
not making extensive recruiting efforts, or are doing so
ineffectively. Departments seeking to increase female
firefighters might start by investing in more, and more
effective, recruitment. They should not be deterred by
already having more applicants than they can hire,
because of the small number of women among cur-
rent applicants.
Second, personal relationships are very important in
recruiting. According to Table 2, 47.5% of female
firefighters grew up with a family member or friend
who was a firefighter, and 60.5% were introduced to
the occupation by such a person. Tellingly, these rates
are about the same as for males. Thus, the same per -
son-to- person approaches which are traditional and
successful in recruiting men — proverbially, fathers
passing down the occupation to their sons — can also
work with daughters. In interviews, many women fire-
fighters reported hearing about firefighting opportu-
nities through family members and friends, and some
reported being inadvertently recruited when their
husbands or brothers were approached. Particularly
until a "critical mass" of women become firefighters
and start to generate their own referrals, departments
seeking to recruit more women should mobilize per-
sonal networks of current employees, retirees, and
others toward that goal.
Third, men and women typically come to firefight-
ing with different prior experience. According to
Table 2, construction and the military are not as likely
recruiting arenas for women as for men, while medi-
cal employment, active sports, and high schools and
community colleges provide more likely recruiting for
women than for men. In interviews, women firefight-
ers particularly recalled being recruited at gyms and
sports events. To increase female applications, depart-
ments can target outreach where recruitment - relevant
women are likely to be found.
Fourth, Table 2 reports that women were somewhat
less likely than men to have pictured themselves as
future firefighters when they were very young. That
pattern can be changed by making women firefighter
4 A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting - April 2008
Table 2: Firefighter Recuritment and Hiring
Operation
Survey Question
% of
Women
% of
Men
Recruitment
My department recruits and hires women above and beyond its general recruiting efforts
35.6
69.3
1 was actively recruited to become a firefighter
8.8
4.6
In deciding to become a firefighter, I read about job opening in newspaper or flyer
14.2
12.8
When growing up, I wanted to be a firefighter
20.9
40.1
When growing up, I had family members or friends who were firefighters
47.5
48.6
In deciding to become a firefighter, I was introduced by a family member or friend
60.6
67.4
At the time I applied, I knew the requirements for the job
68.9
73.4
Prior to my first paid fire job,
I was an EMT, medical technician, nurse, or other medical occupation
46.6
34.4
1 was active in gym /athletic /sports
35.0
15.6
1 had fire fighting experience
11.4
15.6
1 had construction background
5.9
23.8
1 had a fire degree
5.0
8.2
1 had military experience
4.2
18.4
I am a college graduate
65.2
47.0
Hiring
My department's selection process included a written exam
85.8
87.2
The written exam accurately measured my ability to perform the job
29.5
33.1
My department's selection process included an oral board
81.6
85.3
My department's selection process included a physical abilities test
91.0
89.3
of those taking a physical ability test, % who specifically trained to prepare
78.4
55.2
of those taking the test, % passed the first time
85.8
97.9
My department's physical abilities test accurately measured my ability to perform the job
42.8
52.9
increasingly visible as role models, as well as actively
suggesting the career to girls and young women.
Vocational aspirations of both men and women are
strongly influenced by such actions, which expand
young persons' sense of what occupations are open
to them. However, these processes must start years
before individuals apply for jobs. Among survey
respondents who reported wanting to be firefighters
since they were a child, both males and females first
formed that ambition at about age 11.
As they move closer to recruiting age, young women
are less likely than young men to acquire firefighting
experience prior to seeking career employment, leav-
ing them less aware of this career and less prepared
for job -based selection processes. In Table 2, this pat-
tern is reflected in women's lower rates of firefighting
experience and fire science degrees. To increase the
representation of women, departments can encourage
young women's participation in pre- career activities
such as volunteer firefighting, cadet programs for stu-
dents and scouts, and summer jobs as seasonal forest
firefighters. Adult and high school cadet programs are
particularly useful in urban areas which lack the vol-
unteer opportunities found in many rural locations.
Testing for Physical Abilities
To perform fire suppression and rescue duties safely
and effectively, it is beyond question that firefighters
need strength, stamina, and agility. So it was not sur-
prise that, according to Table 2, about 90% of respon-
dents to our firefighter survey reported that their
department requires a physical abilities test during
A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting -April 2008 14 5
hiring, as did 92.9% of the departments responding to
our departmental survey.
Among departments in our survey, the average pass
rate for women was 47.3 %, about half the 83.9% rate
for men. Reducing this "adverse impact" on women
could therefore substantially increase female fire-
fighter hiring.
A widely -held stereotype is that women are simply
not strong enough to meet the job's physical require-
ments, and, consequently, that departments employ-
ing women must be endangering public safety by
lowering physical standards. This assumption misap-
plies generalizations about the general population of
women to the unusually fit group of women who are
typical firefighting applicants. Among recruits to the
Milwaukee Fire Department, for example, prior to
participating in the department's training, the aver-
age female recruit was in the 85th percentile among
women of the same age in physical fitness. Table 2
reports that 35.0% of our women survey respondents
were active in gyms or sports before they became fire-
fighters, about double the male rate.
Furthermore, pass rates for both men and women
on physical abilities tests are strongly influenced by
whether job candidates train prior to being tested. In
Milwaukee, where recruits receive 14 weeks' train-
ing prior to the exam, females' strength increased an
average of 21% and fitness by 29 %, and by the end
of training, the females' combined size, strength and
fitness averaged 96% of their male counterparts'.
Among departments responding to our survey, 45.9%
provide physical training prior to the test, lasting an
average of 5.1 weeks. Departments with pre- training
reported a 52.6% pass rate for women, substantially
higher than the 34.6% reported by departments not
providing training. Accordingly, departments seek-
ing to increase the representation of women typically
make physical training an important part of their
recruitment and screening process.
One model for doing this involves integrating physi-
cal training into the fire academy and placing physical
abilities screening late enough in the academy program
for the training to have been effective. For example,
the Kansas City, MO, department does not adminis-
ter its test, the CPAT, until job applicants have been in
the academy for 8 weeks. Trainees are first given the
test for practice on their second day at the academy,
after which a personal trainer develops individualized
exercise programs. Then trainees spend one hour a day
on physical development and can check their progress
by re- taking the CPAT every Saturday.
Other departments'training takes place prior to the fire
academy itself, typically administering a fitness evalu-
ation during the hiring process and requiring candi-
dates to pass before entering the academy. Candidates
then participate in several weeks of training, the most
effective of which uses the same equipment used in
the test itself. During the 1990s, some departments
discontinued these classes, despite their success. The
reasons given included statewide initiatives banning
affirmative action, budget cuts, pressure from the local
firefighters' union, and perceptions of unfairness (i.e.
recruits participating in "the women's program" were
alleged to have an unfair advantage due to familiar-
ity with test equipment). To replace these programs,
some women started training programs outside their
departments, in gyms and backyards, often attended
by recruits of both genders.
Another factor influencing pass rates for men and
women is the tests themselves, which vary widely in
their validity, reliability, job - relatedness, and power
to predict on-the-job performance. Among depart-
ments in our survey which require a physical abilities
test, 21.5% use the CPAT. Another 24.3% rely on
tests developed by testing professionals or their state's
civil service commission. The remaining 54.2% imple-
ment "home grown" tests, many of them developed
with little attention to professional techniques for test
development and validation. Some tests reject train-
ees for slowness in sprinting when many departments
forbid sprinting as fatiguing and worsening smoke
inhalation. Others impose extreme requirements for
strength in isolated muscle groups, rather than testing
the whole -body strength which firefighting involves.
Still others test upper body strength, where men typi-
cally out - perform women, without measuring stamina
and agility, which are also necessary for firefighting
and where women often outscore men.
Among respondents to our departmental survey, the
average pass rate for women on the CPAT was 68.0 %,
6 A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting — April 2008
substantially higher than the 49.0% rate in depart-
ments using other tests. The CPAT's ratio of pass
rates for women compared to men — 77.4% — was
also higher than the 61.7% ratio for all other tests.
These outcomes contradict the assumption that the
only way to increase the proportion of women passing
physical abilities test is to lower standards, because the
CPAT requires high levels of physical performance.
In fact, the level of performance required by the
CPAT is at the center of widespread criticism of that
test. The job relatedness of the test has never been
validated using the standard statistical method —
"criterion -based validation," which analyzes whether
the test predicts on-the-job performance. Even the
weak analyses to which the CPAT has be subjected —
"content -based validation," which focuses on whether
test tasks parallel actual job duties — documented
that women pass at substantially lower rates than men.
Key aspects of the test which appear directly related to
this adverse impact on female job candidates and for
which there is no proof that they accurately predict
on- the -job performance include: the level of the test's
strength requirements; its emphasis strength over aer-
obic capacity; its requirement that all 8 test tasks be
completed in a continuous, timed sequence; its appli-
cability in climates and altitudes different from where
the test was developed; and its tendency to test coach-
ing on "tricks of the trade" rather than actual physical
abilities.
A final factor influencing pass rates is the circum-
stances under which tests are administered. Our
interviews produced numerous stories about tests
conducted in ways that assist men to succeed and set
women up to fail. Examples include timed trials in
which women were required to drag wet hoses over
wet pavement while men dragged dry hoses over dry
pavement; pre -test training in which men were given
performance tips and women were not provided the
same information; men tested with properly- fitting
clothing and equipment while women struggled with
ill- fitting gear; and men tested in front of peers who
cheer them on while women were tested in silence.
According to our interviews, the CPAT, despite its
detailed instructions concerning how each test task is
to be administered and training and certification of
test monitors, is not immune to similar inconsisten-
cies.
Clearly, departments have many opportunities to
increase women's pass rates on physical abilities
screening without sacrificing their workforce's ability
to perform their jobs safely and efficiently. Depart-
ments would be well advised to review their physical
abilities tests, their validity and job - relatedness, place-
ment in the hiring sequence, availability of pre -test
training, and testing procedures. Departments should
seek alternatives to any test — including the CPAT
— which has substantial adverse impact on women
without validation that the test predicts on-the-job
performance.
Uniforms and Equipment
Anthropometricians have determined that, among
adults, the average woman has a body size 93% of the
average man's, and a 50th percentile woman corre-
sponds in size to a 5th percentile man. Therefore, to
equip women, at a minimum a department must order
a higher proportion of smaller uniforms and personal
equipment than for an all-male staff. However, women
are simply smaller versions of men only in terms of
overall height and weight. For other dimensions, such
as neck circumference, hip breadth, or finger length,
women and men are shaped sufficiently differently
that gear needs to be designed differently.
According to Table 1, 79.7% of women survey respon-
dents reported problems with ill- fitting equipment,
nearly four times the 20.9% reported by men. These
problems involved gloves (for 57.8% of female respon-
dents), boots (46.8 %), turnout/bunker coats (38.9 %),
helmets (28.4 %), and breathing masks (25.6 %). In
interviews, one particular complaint from all but the
tallest women involved breathing apparatus hitting
helmets, tipping them forward to impair vision.
Among departments with women employees respond-
ing to our survey, 39.8% reported not having purchased
size - adapted clothing and personal equipment. This
rate does not appear to reflect short -term constraints,
such as the current year's budget or schedules for
gradual equipment replacement, because the propor-
tion reporting no such purchases is similar — 37.9%
— in departments employing at least 10 women for
at least 10 years. And it does not reflect unavailability
of suitably -sized gear, which manufacturers have been
offering since at least 1995.
A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting -April 2008 16 7
Instead, the issue is simple lack of departments'
responsiveness. This pattern is illustrated in com-
ments by women firefighters surveyed by the Interna-
tional Association of Women in Fire and Emergency
Services in 1995. There, 51% of respondents reported
current problems with gear fit. But more tellingly,
among the 42% reporting no current problems, many
added comments such as: "But only after ten years of
problems, memos, and letters," "only because we made
such an issue," or "because I bought it myself."
Firehouse Living
Over decades operating with an all -male staff, many
fire stations developed a "fraternity house" atmosphere
in which sexually- oriented conversation, pornogra-
phy, and homophobism were common and accepted.
While in some departments, that atmosphere has been
replaced by a more professional one, it persists in many
others. In Table 1, 46.2% of female survey respon-
dents reported incidents involving privacy in show-
ers, dormitory, or when changing clothes, compared
to 2.8% of men; 28.4% of women reported incidents
related to dormitory accommodations, compared to
2.3% of men; and 13.1% reported problems related to
meal times, compared to 0.9% of men.
In our department survey, 55.0% of departments
reported major construction or renovation in fire-
houses or other facilities to accommodate women,
such as installing separate bathrooms or dormitories.'
An additional 32.4% reported minor changes, such
as signs on bathroom doors or privacy curtains; and
12.6% reported having done nothing. As with cloth-
ing and equipment, lack of action here does not reflect
short -term considerations such as waiting for sched-
uled construction and maintenance; among depart-
ments employing at least 10 women for at least 10
years, 41.5% reported no major renovations respond-
ing to this issue.
In any case, the issue typically involves women hav-
ing not only physical space in the firehouse but also
psychological space — acknowledging that they are
full, permanent members of the work team by accom-
modating their needs and preferences. This interpre-
tation makes particular sense of women's reports, in
Table 1, of "mealtime difficulties." According to Table
3 later in this report, mealtime issues by themselves
reduces women's satisfaction with firefighting more
than 12 %, the largest reduction for any gender - related
issue. Mealtime difficulties refer to choice of food as
well as table conversation and social interaction. Our
interviews produced many stories of mealtime harass-
ment, including refusal to cook for or serve an unwel-
come firefighter, refusal to take into account dietary
restrictions or preferences, and, in extreme cases, food
contamination or threats of contamination.
Sexual Harassment
The close living arrangements in firehouses, as well as
the importance of teamwork when firefighters' lives
literally depend on each other, give particular impor-
tance to mutual support among firefighters. What
promotes that support, and what destroys it?
One flash point on this subject is pranks, practical
jokes, and hazing in the firehouse. Some observ-
ers describe these activities as traditional, harmless
fun which builds teamwork, relieves boredom, and
attracts volunteers. Others emphasize instances in
which pranks and hazing turns nasty, especially with
sexist, racist, and homophobic content, and represents
harassment and intimidation intended to test and
drive out unwelcome individuals.
Women we interviewed reported "pranks" involving
human feces in boots and on bathroom walls, hard -
core pornography, and derogatory messages left in
lockers, food contamination, shunning, and danger-
ous conduct at fires, such as cutting off water supply.
They complained about sexual harassment including
vulgar statements, unwanted attention, and "locker -
room" pranks involving gross and juvenile sexually -
related "humor." Some reported a male expectation
that women would date their fellow firefighters and
stations where the only women previously present
serviced on -duty male firefighters ( "getting laid and
getting paid "). Many women reported that even now,
"hardly a day goes by" without some sort of harass-
ment, although most agreed that it is generally less
s In interviews, women firefighter often opposed separate male and female dormitories as destructive of team spirit and information sharing.
They suggested instead that the situation be addressed by appropriate respect and common sense in shared sleeping areas.
8 A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting - April 2008
blatant and crude than in the past. A small but signif-
icant number of women enumerated physical assaults,
mostly unreported for fear of retaliation.
Our interviews produced an almost universal consen-
sus that departmental internal procedures for address-
ing complaints of harassment or discrimination are
weak and risk ostracism and retaliation. Unless they
face particularly unacceptable behavior, women typi-
cally attempt to handle situations themselves or with
the support of mentors. When facing a severe prob-
lem, they trust outside agencies, such as the EEOC,
more than their own department.
Departments seeking to increase the representation of
women among firefighters must exercise constant vig-
ilance and control on these issues. Departments can
convey distinctions between appropriate and inap-
propriate behavior through explicit anti - harassment
policies, mandatory training communicating these
policies to all staff, and enforcement of the policies
through proactive monitoring, prompt responses to
complaints, and serious punishment — including ter-
mination, if necessary — for violators. Our interviews
confirmed a direct relationship between harassment
in a department and tolerance for it by the depart-
ment's senior mangers. In the few departments that
have instituted and seriously enforced a "zero toler-
ance" policy, incidents decreased.
Despite the relatively straightforward nature of these
remedies, women's survey responses make clear that
vigilance and control is often not maintained. Table 1
reports that 50.8% of women have experienced shun-
ning or isolation; 42.9 %, verbal harassment; 31.9 %,
pornography; 30.2 %, sexual advances; 18.6 %, hazing;
18.2 %, hostile cartoons or written material; and 6.3 %,
assaults. Similar incidents were reported by 2.8%
or fewer male respondents. Furthermore, 65.0% of
women reported that their department has no proce-
dures of which they were aware for addressing such
complaints, and 23.4% reported that their supervisors
fail to address problems reported to them.
Promotions
Women's representation at advanced ranks has lagged
behind even their limited representation in entry -level
firefighting. Although only 3 to 5 years' experience is
typically required before firefighters can begin to apply
for promotions, among the departments responding to
our survey, an average of 10 years elapsed between the
first women at the entry -level and at any higher rank.
the nationwide number of women in senior positions
is so limited that the primary source of information
on them is lists of names maintained by professional
associations. the contact network of the International
Association of Women in Fire and Emergency Ser-
vices includes about 150 women battalion chiefs or
deputy chiefs and 31 department chiefs.
thus, firefighting exhibits a "glass ceiling," with the
representation of women shrinking at each stage up
the managerial hierarchy. Among departments in our
survey, employment which averages 5.7% at entry level
fell to 4.5% among intermediate supervisors (company
officer or battalion, assistant, or deputy chief) and
2.6% among department chiefs. In the 2000 Census,
women were 3.7% of first -level firefighters and 2.9%
of their first line supervisors.
Firefighting also exhibits "glass walls," or gender dif-
ferences in roles and assignments at the same rank.
Among the departments responding to our survey,
females average 4.8% among employees in fire sup-
pression, in contrast to 16.6% in such roles as fire
inspection and investigation. In our firefighter survey,
36.0% of women were firefighter paramedics rather
than firefighters, compared to 30.5% of men. In some
cases, these differences reflect individuals' preferences,
while in other cases they are involuntary. Either way,
they are likely to limit perceptions of women as full
members of the working team, as well as prospects for
promotions.
In interviews, women firefighters reported disparities
in training and assignments which limit their promo-
tional opportunities. Denial of access to classes and
equipment to train for certification and promotional
exams was a common theme. Women also reported
inequitable drilling, having to prove themselves beyond
what was expected of their male counterparts. For
example, one woman reported that an officer repeat-
edly required her to perform single - person ladder
raises, when the department had long before stopped
using that maneuver. Others described frequent sta-
tion changes, so that they reported to a different offi-
cer every shift throughout their probationary period.
A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting -April 2008 18 9
Women of color reported retaliatory transfers to all-
white, all-male stations in neighborhoods where they
were particularly unwelcome. Only occasionally did
women report making it through the early stages of
their careers because a man "took them under his
wing" to buffer the firehouse atmosphere and aid in
acquiring skills.
How can departments become even - handed in terms
of assigning and advancing women? One key is
suggested by the fact that women and men survey
respondents described their department's promotion
processes as unfair at almost the same rate — 33.9%
and 30.6 %, respectively. this consensus suggests that
considerable progress for women can be achieved by
ensuring that promotion processes are professionally
designed and conducted to control personal favorit-
ism and stereotype -prone subjective decision - making.
the well-known means for doing so involve replac-
ing informal, "tap on the shoulder" selections with
open posting of job vacancies, explicit selection cri-
teria which have been validated as job - related and
predictive of on-the-job performance, and training of
selecting officials about how to control unconscious
bias and stereotypes. Such "cleaning up your act" in
promotion decisions need not be gender- specific and
would improve opportunities not only for females but
also for males not in the "buddy network" which tends
to be favored in many departments.
Which Problems are Most Important?
Clearly, women face problems in many different
aspects of firefighting. Which of these issues are the
most important in determining their satisfaction with
a firefighting career? Table 3 identifies two clusters
of issues which bother the women responding to our
survey the most. The first, labeled "incidents in the
workplace," refers to encounters with discrimina-
tion, harassment, or exclusion in their daily work life,
combined with lack of response to these incidents by
supervisors. The second, labeled "Fairness in Employ-
ment Practices," refers to perceptions that they are not
treated equally to males in hiring, assignments, and
promotions. Departments seeking to make current
women firefighters more satisfied with their careers
and encourage other women to become firefighters
should devote their highest priority to these two con -
cerns.4
It is noteworthy that neither cluster of issues involves
special treatment for women or lower standards for
physical performance. they do not call for "affirma-
tive action" but instead simply require departments
to ensure equal employment opportunity. In most
departments, the first step toward that goal would
be to recognize that the "playing field" is not level
between the genders today. Departments then need
to enforce standards of non - harassment and equal
treatment which have been required by law, as well as
widely -held social norms, for at least four decades.
The Workplace Culture Underlying these
Operational Issues
the patterns just discussed are simple to summarize:
The number of women firefighters remains far below
its expected level, and even obvious steps to increase
it have not been undertaken by most departments.
Such findings are typical of workplaces whose culture
resents the presence of women and, consciously or
unconsciously, intends to exclude them.
Formally defined, a workplace's "organizational cul-
ture" is the system of beliefs, values, and ways of behav-
ing common to that workplace. Less formally, it is
simply "the way things are done around here." These
cultures tend to evolve slowly and resist change both
actively and passively. Resistance tends to be particu-
larly strong where employees remain for long careers,
personal relationships are strong, traditions are main-
tained with pride, and employment is well rewarded
— all circumstances describing firefighting.
Firefighting's traditional culture is proud and noble,
with shared perceptions that the occupation is dan-
gerous and difficult; the key performance require-
ments are strength and courage; only an elite subset of
individuals are capable of performing its duties; and
generous pay and prestige reflect these circumstances.
^The only high- impact issue not falling within these two clusters is paid child care. In our survey, 39.3% of women and 68.4% of men reported
having had young children at some time during their firefighting careers. About 84% of both groups reported that these children were cared for
by a family member. For women, the combination of having young children and relying on paid care providers reduced the respondents' favorable
assessment of firefighting as a career by 6.3%
10 A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting - April 19 2008
Table 3: Circumstances Which Most Reduce Women Firefighters' Rating of their Careers
Category
Response
Impact on
Rating a
I have experienced gender -based mealtime - related incidents in the workplace
-12.2%
1 have experienced race -based incidents in the workplace
-8.2%
Incidents
I have experienced other incidents in the workplace
-7.6%
in the
Workplace
My supervisor does not address gender complaints
-7.4%
1 have experienced verbal harassment in the workplace
-6.3%
Gender -based incidents in the workplace continue into the present
-6.1%
The hiring process in my department is not fair
-5.8%
Fairness in
My gender is a barrier to my career advancement
-5.5%
Employment
Practices
I have experienced gender -based discrimination in work assignments
-5.3%
The promotion process in my department is not fair
-5.0%
Other
For child care, I have used a paid provider, not family
-6.3%
a Women firefighters in our survey were asked to rate firefighting as if they were advising a young woman considering the career,
on a scale of 1= worst career, 5= best career. This column reports the change in this rating associated with each response,
divided by women respondent's average rating of 3.8.
Ironically, these perceptions continue to be used to
justify absence of women firefighters as the evolving
occupation itself erodes their relevance. Obviously,
suppression of large fires remains a dangerous, diffi-
cult task. However, the shifting balance between fire
calls and medical calls brings to prominence skills and
abilities which the traditional occupational self -image
ignores. Medical calls invoke treatment skills and
knowledge more than strength or courage, as well as
care - giving skills and aptitudes often associated with
nurses or social workers.
Whatever its actual relevance today, as FEMA's man-
ual on women firefighters puts it, "It is the mystique of
interior structural firefighting that lures most recruits
to city fire departments, and it remains the psycholog-
ical focus of the urban firefighter's job." This mystique
equally remains the focus of resistance to women. To
their male peers, women firefighters represent more
than competitors for positions they want and con-
straints on the free - wheeling aspects of firehouse life.
They also silently challenge the self - esteem male fire-
fighters derive from perceiving themselves as doing a
job for which only a select few have the "right stuff."
In these circumstances, opposition such as is docu-
mented in Table 1 and throughout this report is per-
haps not surprising.
These organizational dynamics are not unique to
women in firefighting. Whenever the demographic
diversity of a workforce increases, inter -group rela-
tions tend initially to worsen rather than improve.
Accordingly, departments cannot simply hire women
firefighters and allow them to "sink or swim" but
instead need proactive strategies to ensure their inclu-
sion. These strategies must address specific issues
— from physical abilities tests to dormitory privacy
— such as discussed in this report. But they must
also address the underlying exclusionary workplace
culture of which these issues are symptoms (See side-
bar: Five Elements of a Strategy for Culture Change).
Doing the first of these without the second will result
in no employment increases, only token increases, or
increases which are only temporary as newly -hired
women are driven out.
Looking Forward
As recently as four decades ago, it was considered
"obvious" that women are not capable of, or interested
in, firefighting. That explanation will no longer suffice.
In estimating an expected representation for women
of 17 %, our study has factored in the extent to which a
smaller proportion of women than men are interested
in, and capable of performing, an occupation as dirty,
dangerous, and demanding as firefighting.
A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting -April 2008 20 11
The main role of such "obvious" but incorrect assump-
tions today is, consciously or unconsciously, to justify
administrative, organizational, interpersonal and tech-
nological barriers to women's employment which are
not actually necessary for safe, efficient departmen-
tal operations. These barriers to women's inclusion,
and the workplace culture underlying them, remain
in place, in varying degrees, in the majority of the
nation's departments. But, as pioneering departments
with substantial numbers of women employees dem-
onstrate, these barriers are not inevitable.
To reduce these barriers and bring women's employ-
ment to its potential will require more universal appli-
cation of best practices adopted by these pioneering
departments. It will also require changing the under-
lying workplace culture from one of exclusion to one
Five Elements of a Strategy for Culture
Change
There is no simple formula for achieving fundamental,
permanent changes in a department's underlying
culture. However, research and experience suggest
five key elements of such strategies.
First, commitment by top leadership -- mayors,
chiefs and other senior appointed or elected officials.
These leaders must be visible in announcing the goal
of expanded female employment, the reasons for it,
and their expectation that those reporting to them
will join the effort. They must send this message
persistently and insistently, in actions as well as
words.
Second, monitoring and accountability translating the
broad goal into immediate personal consequences
for mid -level managers, first -level supervisors,
and others. Contributions toward the goal need
to be rewarded in performance appraisals, raises,
and promotions. Behavior inconsistent with the
goal needs to be sanctioned promptly, visibly, and
consistently.
Third, human resource management procedures
embodying transparency, objectivity, and
performance - relatedness. These procedures need
of gender inclusiveness. Inclusion means more than
hiring in numbers to match women's availability. It
also mean that, throughout their careers, women are
treated equally to males in how they are welcomed,
trained, assigned, retained, promoted, and otherwise
given the opportunity to thrive. Inclusion is a substan-
tially more ambitious goal than simply increasing the
number of women in uniform. However, it is essential
if increases in those numbers are to be meaningful and
self - sustaining.
Guided by findings from study, gender inclusion is the
new standard to which departments are likely to be
held. Senior fire managers need to lead their depart-
ments in resolving deficiencies proactively, before
being forced to by expensive and disruptive litigation.
to replace more traditional procedures which often
allow gender stereotypes, individual favoritism,
and in -group bias to affect hiring, promotions,
assignments, and other decisions.
Fourth, activities changing individuals' behavior to
control hostile acts. Several approaches are often
required. One is establishment of a zero tolerance
policy for symbolic words or actions which open the
door to more serious biased or aggressive behavior.
Another is training to increase employees' aware
of pervasive tendencies toward conscious and
unconscious bias, and the cumulative significance
of even small slights. The most effective training
uses real -life examples drawn from the specific
workplace and provides tools for dealing with
practical situations, such as "scripts" for alternative
behavior.
This training needs to be provided to staff at all
levels in the department, since culture is a "360
degree" process which all employees help to shape.
In addition, special training is usually needed for
first -level supervisors, who are the daily face of the
department for individual employees.
Fifth, sustained effort. Significant culture change in
a complex, long- established workplace may require
deliberate effort over 3 to 5 years or longer.
12 A National Report Card on Women in Firefighting — April 2008
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Fighters
Diversity Initiative
Achieving and Retaining a
Diverse Fire Service Workforce
,January 2006
Kathryn A. Fox, M.A., CWH
Chris W. Hornick, Ph.D., CWH
Erin Hardin, M.A., CWH
Copyright IAFF and CWH Research, Inc. 2006
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Acknowledgments
We have been thrilled and honored to conduct this study on behalf of the International
Association of Fire Fighters and the Fire Service. After working with the Fire Service for the
past 25 years, in the area of Selection and Testing, we realized that this research was long
overdue. The issues of recruiting in general, and recruiting for diversity in particular, are
among the most critical issues facing the Fire Service. However, while many individuals and
organizations have expressed a recognition of the need, the IAFF provided the funding and
direction for this first of its kind study into Best Practices in Recruiting Methods that can help
unite us in our common goals.
We would like to especially thank our contact and liaison, David Neun, IAFF Education
Director, for his support and feedback throughout the project. He also helped us to
understand better the complex organization that is the IAFF, as well as the desire and
motivation on the part of the IAFF to truly make a difference in this area. We also want to
thank Harold Schaitberger, the General President of the IAFF, for his sponsorship of this
project and leadership of the organization.
This project could not have been conducted without the cooperation and assistance from Fire
Service and Human Resources professionals around the country. We offer a Big Thank You
to the Local Presidents and members, Chief Officers, Training Officers, Recruiters, Human
Resources managers and analysts, and others who gave their time, thought, honesty, and
energy in interviews and completing the surveys that provide the major part of the research
in this report.
We also want to express our deep gratitude to the paid and volunteer, US and Canadian,
multi - cultural, brave and dedicated men and women of the Fire Service for their significant
contributions to our communities.
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................ ............................... i
1. PROJECT SUMMARY AND KEY FINDINGS ON RECRUITMENT METHODS ..............1
Definition of Terms related to Recruiting ............................................................................................ ............................... 3
What is Effective and Successful Recruiting for Diversity? ............................................................... ............................... 4
PHASE 1 - LITERATURE REVIEW FINDINGS ........................................ ..............................7
10 KEY FINDINGS FROM LITERATURE REVIEW SUPPORTED BY SURVEY ...................8
Potential concerns regarding targeted recruitment (Proposition 209) ................................................. ............................... 8
Summaryof Literature Review ......................................................................................................... ............................... 12
PHASE 2 - INTERVIEW AND SURVEY ADMINISTRATION ................... .............................13
Process................................................................................................................................................... ............................... 13
Limitationswith Sampling Method .................................................................................................... ............................... 13
Limitationswith Survey Method ........................................................................................................ ............................... 14
PHASE 3 - RESULTS AND KEY FINDINGS ........................................... .............................15
Typesof recruiting methods ................................................................................................................ ............................... 15
DISCUSSION OF TOP 8 EFFECTIVE METHODS USED BY MOST SUCCESSFUL
DEPARTMENTS...................................................................................... .............................17
CASE STUDIES OF SUCCESSFUL DEPARTMENTS ............................ .............................23
2. DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS ........ .............................29
GroupRatio .......................................................................................................................................... ............................... 30
Women.................................................................................................................................................. ............................... 31
3. CORRELATIONS WITH METHODS OF RECRUITMENT AND GROUP RATIOS ......... 33
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Howto read the data ............................................................................................................................ ............................... 33
Howto use this data ............................................................................................................................. ............................... 33
1. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Black Ratio ................................................. ............................... 35
2. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Hispanic Ratio ............................................ ............................... 37
3. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Asian Ratio ................................................. ............................... 39
4. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Total Minority Ratio ................................. ............................... 41
5. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Female Ratio .............................................. ............................... 43
4. DEPARTMENT CHARACTERISTICS AND POLICIES THAT IMPACT DIVERSITY ......45
SelectionPolicies ................................................................................................................................... ............................... 45
DiversityCommitment, Message, and Values ................................................................................... ............................... 46
OtherRecruitment Issues & Policies .................................................................................................. ............................... 46
Conclusions........................................................................................................................................... ............................... 47
5. COMPARISON OF "TOP 10" DEPARTMENTS TO OTHERS ........... .............................49
6. OBSTACLES TO DIVERSITY ............................................................. .............................56
7. DATA COLLECTION PROCESS AND SAMPLE SELECTION .......... .............................62
Selectingour sample ............................................................................................................................. ............................... 62
Administeringthe Short Screening Survey and Interview ............................................................... ............................... 62
ComprehensiveSurvey Sample and Responses ................................................................................. ............................... 64
Appendices in separate volumes:
Appendix 1 — Short Interview /Survey Questions
Appendix 2 — Comprehensive Survey Questions
Appendix 3 — Summary of Survey Responses
Appendix 4 — Literature Review
Appendix 5 — Bibliography
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1. Project Summary and Key Findings on Recruitment
Methods
Recruiting and Diversity have become "hot topics" in the Fire Service in recent years. A
review of the demographics in the Fire Service (presented in the next chapter of this report)
shows a large gap between our population and its representation in the Fire Service. There
has also been a growing awareness of the effect on diversity of the huge wave of retirements
that is happening now and will continue happening for the next few years. What diversity we
have achieved is very likely to disappear, and as a profession and as a nation, we are
uninformed and unprepared to solve the problem. Many well intentioned people have begun
generating discussion, ideas, and have even proposed various solutions. However, this
project is the first serious and scientific research that has been conducted to begin to
understand potential solutions, and why some methods and approaches work and others do
not. This study is a first step in the right direction. It will provide a good foundation for
additional research to follow.
0 This summary highlights the key findings of this research, marked with this symbol.
Examples of Best Practices methods or strategies from our surveyed departments are
flagged �' throughout this summary and the entire report. When we obtained specific
permission to name the department, we do. In other cases, we simply describe the practices
that are good examples without naming the department. Other departments who participated
in interviews are not named.
The overall objective established by the IAFF for this project was to identify effective
recruitment, selection, and retention practices to achieve a fire service workforce that
reflects the community served. The IAFF specifically wanted to address the under -
representation of people of color, women, and gays and lesbians in the Fire Service. Many
arguments can be made for why we should place emphasis on increasing diversity. In the
literature review of this report, various researchers explore the business, financial, and legal
reasons for supporting diversity. In the Fire Service, in addition to all the practical issues
related to diversity, there are also strong social and emotional reasons. The Fire Service
serves each and every community member, regardless of ethnicity, gender, race,
background, economy, or any other factor, and also depends on the entire community and
country for its funding and support. As public safety and public service organizations, most
Fire Departments want to better understand, communicate with, and enlist cooperation in our
multi - cultural communities.
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"We received a mandate to make our department demographics representative of our
community. That way the community sees itself in those who are serving them."
Survey Respondent, Montgomery County, MD
The IAFF originally envisioned this project as research that would lead to the development of
some type of program, such as a national web based orientation and training program.
CWH proposed beginning the project with a much less defined end result, but with a broader
focus. Throughout the project, we have questioned our assumptions and "common
knowledge" about recruiting. The project evolved to be a comprehensive, qualitative, and
quantitative study that documents what is and is not successful in helping to diversify the Fire
Service. This report does not propose a rigid plan or structure. Instead, we provide
examples of success, and documentation of many, many methods of implementing
successful recruitment efforts. Even small departments or departments with severe budget
restrictions can find tips and ideas that can be implemented to improve their results. Local
presidents and members can review these results and suggestions and determine which
ones will be most effective in your own departments with your own constituencies.
When presenting Best Practices, it is critical for us to realize that few departments would
have the capability to implement all Best Practices. In addition, even some of the
departments that have made the most progress, may have problems in some areas related
to employee and workforce issues. Best Practices examples should be used as a guide for
improvement, not as a panacea for all problems. This report attempts to acknowledge and
give credit to the departments that have action oriented programs and policies, are making
positive efforts, and appear to have better than average positive results.
The findings of this research may at times seem contradictory or surprising; and at times
seem to be just common sense. Although the research methods we used included
extensive data collection and analysis, the study was primarily a qualitative study. The
results require us to interpret the data much more than to simply report it. The findings can
guide the IAFF as a national organization in developing a type of program if it chooses,
perhaps a cadet program or a "How to Guide" for individual departments. The results
presented in this report also can guide individual departments and local unions in creating
their own initiatives or adjusting their current efforts.
This project had 3 major phases or steps performed over the course of a year and a half.
These were:
1. Literature Review
This resulted in the identification of major issues to probe in the interviews and surveys.
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2. Interviewing of over 80 departments and surveying over 40 departments as potential
departments using Best Practices recruiting methods and conducting interviews with their
local presidents, Chiefs, Training Officers, and others in each department.
The interview process resulted in the elimination of over half of the potential departments,
based on their own assessment of their recruitment and diversity effectiveness.
Over 40 departments were invited to participate in the comprehensive survey. We received
completed responses from 31 departments.
3. Analysis of the comprehensive survey of the departments that were identified as
actually using proactive Best Practices methods.
This phase resulted in the examination of over 25 specific recruitment methods and a
comparison of effectiveness. In addition, we examined related concepts such as entry level
requirements, education levels, pay, and diversity values, in over 200 survey items to identify
the most successful strategies and create profiles of the most successful departments.
Definition of Terms related to Recruiting
Recruiting method
This is the specific effort or process used, such as Doing Radio Ads. Our survey asked the
surveyed departments to tell us which methods they used. A table presented in this
summary lists the 27 methods and shows how frequently they are used.
Innovative approach vs. Traditional approach to recruiting
These terms do not describe specific methods, but refer to the approach toward recruiting.
Innovative recruiting requires more effort, resources, and is usually more targeted to a
specific group or defined in terms of results desired. Examples of innovative approaches
include recruiting in different cities, using ads designed specifically for women on Lifetime
TV, developing a cadet program, and other similar, less routine efforts.
Traditional approaches consist of methods used generally and frequently by most
departments. Examples include: Direct mail interest cards, word of mouth, newsletters,
general advertising. Traditional methods generally are effective for increasing your applicant
pool, but are not usually effective at increasing diversity in your applicant pool, unless it is
combined with a very innovative and targeted approach.
Targeted recruiting approach
Similar to innovative in that this targets a specific group or result desired. Traditional and
informal recruiting methods may be used to target a specific group.
Formal vs. Informal methods
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Formal recruiting methods involve planning and funding. Doing advertising is a formal
method. Informal recruiting relies on social networking and referrals. Word of mouth, open
houses, and similar approaches are examples of informal recruiting.
Effective method
Specifically for this report our measure of success is diversity. Many methods may be
effective in other ways. For example, word of mouth is effective in getting numbers of
candidates. However, it will usually bring in more of the same demographic group that is
already the majority in the department. Word of mouth is not effective to attract Minorities
and women, unless it is targeted and used as part of a more planned and innovative
approach.
What is Effective and Successful Recruiting for Diversity?
Effective recruiting for Diversity involves multiple methods of recruiting. Targeted recruiting
for the specific groups desired is much more effective than general recruiting. Both
Innovative and Traditional approaches may be used as long as they are all targeted. Also, a
combination of Formal and Informal methods should be used.
For the purpose of this analysis, we measured Success in our participating departments by
the percent of Minorities and Women represented in the local population based on census
data compared to the percent represented in the department.
We also used National Statistics to make the same comparisons. The table below shows
National (U.S.) statistics comparing U.S. population to reported representation in the Fire
Service. (Please note that 2 Canadian Fire departments were also included in the study but
either did not complete demographic information or did not meet or exceed average
Canadian representation.)
Demographic Representation
US Census Data Compared to Bureau of Labor Statistics representation in the Fire Service
Group Ratio
Similar to an adverse impact ratio, the closer the ratio is to 1.00, the closer the representation
of the target group is to the actual population. Using these ratios, a successful department
would be one whose ratio exceeds the national ratio. That would mean that for Blacks, a
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Black
Hispanic
Asian
Women
US Census 2000
12.3%
12.5%
3.6%
50.9%
Firefighting Profession
8.4%
8.6%
1.3%
5.1%
US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Group Ratio comparing percent
.68
.69
.36
.10
represented in profession to percent
of each group in population
Group Ratio
Similar to an adverse impact ratio, the closer the ratio is to 1.00, the closer the representation
of the target group is to the actual population. Using these ratios, a successful department
would be one whose ratio exceeds the national ratio. That would mean that for Blacks, a
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ratio between .68 and 1.00 exceeds the national percentage and comes closer to actual
population representation. Likewise, for women, ratios above .10 would demonstrate better
than average progress towards Diversity.
More information about demographics is presented later in this report.
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Phase 1 - Literature Review Findings
We obtained many benefits in doing a thorough review of past research. In presenting the
case for budget and resource allocations for diversity recruiting, the literature review provides
strong justification for the effort, even in difficult times of budget cuts and limited financial
resources. The literature review also provides a common terminology for our discussion,
and a general understanding of basic concepts that work in recruiting, and especially in
recruiting for diversity. In interpreting data from this study, the literature review provides a
context for evaluating the ideas and methods used and proposed by various departments. In
other words, the literature review can provide something of a "reality check," to help
determine how feasible or desirable an idea, approach, or method is. We evaluated our
interview, survey, and data conclusions against the hypotheses and theories in the literature
to help us interpret and understand some of our findings.
Not surprisingly, most prior research about diversity recruiting has been conducted with a
focus on the private sector, especially how to attract limited top talent to the top corporations
in what is perceived to be a competitive environment for employers. In fact, even in the
private sector, much of the research is about reaching management level candidates and
competing for a limited number of qualified candidates. By contrast, the Fire Service
generally operates under entirely different parameters. Candidates for the Fire Service are
entry level, usually high school graduates, and there are hundreds of thousands of them!
Traditionally there are many more applicants for any one job than are needed. In fact, the
whole idea of recruiting is somewhat new for many Fire Departments. We regularly talk to
agencies about how to narrow or decrease their applicant pools rather than to increase them.
The idea of bringing even more people to the door, only to put them through a selection
process that hires only a few, can at first seem nonsensical.
As our economy continues to put pressure on public safety departments to reduce their
budgets, many Fire and Human Resources executives, as well as City Managers and Civil
Service board members, ask why they should spend money to do any recruiting. The
literature review helps us answer that question. Diversity in the workforce will not occur
simply because your department is located in a diverse metropolitan area or because your
department follows the law regarding non - discrimination. In order to achieve diversity, you
must have a strong commitment that includes an active recruiting strategy and you must take
effective actions.
Many of the surveyed departments we identified through our interviews and surveys use
methods that have been recommended in previous research. The key findings and
recommendations from the literature review are shown below, along with some Best
Practices examples and survey results:
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10 Key Findings from Literature Review supported by Survey
al. Specifically target the group you want to reach
and recruit (EEOC, 1997). Generic messages and blanket
advertising do not work to reach Minorities and women
effectively.
Best Practices Example:
57% of surveyed departments have
recruitment strategies aimed at
women, 63% have strategies aimed
at Minorities.
�c' The Austin, TX Fire Department calls this the "Name it and Claim it" approach. They
recommend putting all your efforts into targeted recruitment. They said that whether you
create an ad for TV, radio, or print, if you want to hire more women, your ad should include a
woman character, talking about the job, and showing women in the job.
Potential concerns regarding targeted recruitment (Proposition 209)
One of the survey respondents expressed a concern regarding targeted recruitment. The
survey respondent said that in his state of California, the law precluded methods or initiatives
that target protected groups. We have heard of this concern from several others. Different
laws are often subject to interpretation, and we are not giving legal advice in this report.
Proposition 209 in California (enacted in 1996) specifically prohibits programs, initiatives, or
policies that give preferential treatment on the basis of race or gender. To read the actual
language, go to www.acri.orp /209.
The Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission taskforce appointed to study best
practices in the private sector (published in 1997) advocates targeted recruiting as a method
for overcoming traditional barriers and discrimination, and as a way to provide Equal
Employment Opportunity. This report can be found at
http:// www. eeoc.gov/ abouteeoc ltaskreports/practice.html. The EEOC report clearly states
that targeted recruitment must not result in discrimination toward white men or any group.
In reality, all active recruiting is targeted. Even advertising in the local city newspaper
is targeted to that newspaper's subscribers. Targeted recruiting to increase diversity is
the decision to advertise and recruit in various and diverse venues and markets, and to focus
the recruitment budget on expanding the non - traditional applicant pool. After all, no
department can recruit everywhere. Doing targeted advertising, for example, an ad in a
women's magazine, does not disadvantage men in the process, who will still apply in greater
numbers than women. It simply opens the door wider for everyone and invites a new non-
traditional market to join the traditional one.
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Targeted recruitment is not about quotas, preferences, or profiling. Targeted recruitment
should not be confused with giving any kind of preference in the recruitment or selection
system. Giving preference in the recruitment or selection system for non -job related
characteristics is illegal. The recruitment message should emphasize that all selection will
be based on a valid evaluation of individual qualifications required for the job. Your recruiting
efforts should be tracked so that you can ensure that you have adequate representation from
all relevant groups in your applicant pool. You can then demonstrate that no group is being
disadvantaged by your recruiting methods.
102. When targeting particular groups and when doing
recruiting in general, use language to promote a message
of inclusiveness. Several studies found that even when
targeting a particular group, a message of inclusiveness can
be communicated effectively to all groups. A company in one
study organized a recruitment event specifically for gays and
lesbians and found that only half of the attendees were from
the target group (Audit Commission, 2002).
63. Use some "formal" methods of recruiting such
as advertising. For best results, combine that with
establishing formal associations with Minority and women
based organizations, formal programs with schools, or other
formal channels. In other words do not rely on word of
mouth from current fire fighters and your website alone to
spread the message. Research shows that women and
Minorities use a greater number of formal recruiting sources
than White men (Kirnan et al., 1989).
fi�- Best Practices Example:
The standard advised by the Equal
Employment Opportunity
commission (EEOC) in its 1997
task force report is to target
diverse populations and
associations and to sponsor
programs offered by Minority and
women's organizations, such as a
"Women in Hard Hats" workshop
that introduces women to non
traditional careers.
In a separate applicant survey
developed by CWH for its clients,
30% of Black applicants said they
first heard that the Fire Department
was hiring by hearing an ad on the
radio, compared to only I% of
White applicants.
Montgomery County, MD enlists the participation of its Minority firefighter groups in the
recruitment effort. It also reaches out to local Minority associations, such as the NAACP,
CASA, and Asian American associations. However, they do not rely on word of mouth alone.
They also advertise extensively in both major and local newspapers, radio, and TV.
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64. Give specific and detailed information about Almost all of the surveyed
the job, entry level skills needed, work requirements, salary, departments describe the duties,
and benefits. Let your potential candidates know what a salary, and basic benefits in their
recruitment information. About 40%
great career opportunity it is, not just a job! also describe opportunities for
development and promotion.
Best Practices Example:
A large southwest area department provides detailed information in its recruitment materials.
This includes job duties, steps in the selection process, preparation assistance offered, and
salary and benefits, including providing benefits to domestic partners, not just spouses.
Another department advised also providing information about some of the negatives of the
job, such as the shifts, so that applicants are as fully informed as possible.
65.
In developing recruiting information and in
One study found that Black
advertising, remember to target the candidate's family as
applicants for Police jobs will self -
well.
select out of the process after
passing the first step because of
lack of support from friends and
et al.
"There is a common misconception in some Minority communities, Black and Hispanic, that
the jobs of firefighter and police officer are strictly blue - collar and sub -level employment, say
as compared to parents wanting their children to be an accountant, physician, etc. Education
of the potential candidate often means educating the parents as well, as to all of the
advantages that your department can provide in its employment."
Surveyed department
66. Use minority and women recruiters. Walk the
talk! One study found that half of Black candidates will
consider whether there are other Blacks in the organization
in making a decision about the job (Leonard, 2001). Make
sure you let potential candidates know that they will not be
the only minority or woman in the department.
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Almost all of the surveyed
departments have at least 1 — 2 full
time recruiters, and usually have
additional recruiters on a part -time
or overtime basis. The average
number of recruiters is 1 FT and 4
PT or OT. The majority of full time
recruiters are minority and /or
female.
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Best Practices Example:
A medium sized southeast area department has 1 full time recruiter and 12 who recruit on
overtime. They are all ethnic Minorities, and 5 are women.
67.
Communicate the value of Diversity in all your
Almost all of the surveyed
messages (even those not specifically designed for
departments show pictures of ethnic
recruiting). Show Diversity in all your advertisements,
Minorities and women in their
recruitment materials. About a third
recruiting information, website, study guide, and other
of the departments also discuss
materials. Go beyond simply stating an Equal Opportunity
their diversity values in more detail
message, and describe how and why the department values
than a simple equal opportunity
inclusion and diversity. Studies have found that showing
message.
diversity and talking about values increases positive
perceptions that Minorities and women hold about the
organization without creating negative perceptions in White
men. Also, diversity values are more important to women
and Minorities than they are to White men.
08. Use a fair and valid selection process that 43% of surveyed departments use a
measures what is really required for the job. Examine each test specifically validated for them.
stage in the selection process to look for adverse impact on 33% use a pass /fail score on the
written test. 31% of those who use
protected groups. Keep your process flexible to adjust as a score on the written test set the
needed. Be as inclusive as possible in the first stages of the cutoff score after reviewing the
process in order to learn more about more of your results.
candidates.
69. Only require the education needed to perform 100% of the surveyed departments
the job. require no more than a High School
diploma.
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010. For retention and job satisfaction, provide a 48% of surveyed departments
mentoring program for newly hired firefighters. Individuals report having some type of
with mentors rated themselves as having more career mentoring program.
opportunities, recognition, satisfaction, and promotions than
those without (Fagenson, 1989). Women perceive greater
barriers to having mentors than men and have more difficulty
establishing informal mentor relationships.
Best Practices Example:
"Members from within the workforce are recruited to participate in the cadet training program
by serving as Team Leaders. These individuals usually come from Operations working a
shift schedule and are moved to a 40 hour schedule during cadet training. Team leaders are
assigned a group of 10 to 12 cadets who they mentor and assist throughout the training
academy. Their role is to positively influence the training experience for cadets. They are
expected to lead their assigned team by example, be a liaison with instructors to improve
cadet performance, participate in Physical Fitness and drill field activities, monitor assigned
team activities (e.g. attendance, performance, corrective actions), document the performance
and progress of each cadet, become knowledgeable on curriculum and skill requirements, be
accountable for the success of cadets, be fully responsible for results of their assigned team,
and report directly to the training program coordinators."
Austin, TX Fire Department
Summary of Literature Review
The positive news is that effective diversity recruiting does not require us to change all of our
current recruiting strategies and methods; it does require us to change our focus and
emphasis. Targeted messaging matters. We can implement one or two or more of these
strategies in the course of our everyday business as we naturally have to revise our
recruiting messages and internal policies. We have to communicate a clear, consistent, and
committed message about diversity and inclusion in everything that we do.
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Phase 2 - Interview and Survey Administration
Process
• Called and interviewed Union Local presidents, recruitment officers, human resources
professionals, Chiefs, and others in over 80 departments to identify departments that
use some Best Practices methods effectively.
• The interview process was used to ask a few basic questions about the recruitment
methods, strategies and results. Over half of the departments initially nominated as
potential participating departments, self - selected out of providing information because
they did not believe that their department actually does effective recruiting.
• 44 + Departments remained in the pool of potential participating departments and
were contacted for more detailed information.
• 29 Departments provided full data, 2 others provided almost complete data, others
provided only partial data.
• The next steps included gathering extensive survey data regarding critical areas of:
• Demographics
• Recruitment
• Selection
• Retention
• 7 of the 31 departments were previously under consent decrees which recently ended.
• Both the statistical and qualitative analysis presented in the Key Findings section of
the report includes all of the departments that provided data, including consent decree
departments. This presents and interprets "average" data for the entire sample of
participating departments.
• Additional analysis was conducted to compare the participant departments to each
other. In this analysis, we identified the 10 top departments that appeared to have the
most success, when compared with other departments in the study. In this particular
analysis, we excluded consent decree departments in order to focus only on the
results achieved specifically throught active efforts that the departments initiated. This
eliminated diversity benefits that were achieved through a forced legal process that is
ordinarily not allowed by law (giving preferences, using quotas, using different lists,
etc.)
Over 200 survey questions were asked in order to fully describe and analyze
departments.
Limitations with Sampling Method
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1 This is not a random sample. Departments self selected based on their belief that
they used effective recruiting methods. In addition, we used only 1 criterion to
measure success objectively: that was the comparison of diversity in the department
compared to the community. There are other objective and subjective criteria that
could be used in future follow up studies.
2 Restriction of Range. All departments in the survey are using some innovative
recruitment methods, so there is no easy way to compare innovative to traditional or to
no recruiting.
3 There may be other successful departments that were not identified.
Limitations with Survey Method
All data is self reported.
Complete data is not available for any department. For example, we do not have data
from individual departments that actually tracks recruitment success linked to each
method. Therefore, our analysis was based on only 1 measure of success (Diversity
in the department) that is also influenced by many other factors (such as, the length of
time they have been using a particular recruitment method or strategy).
There is no data regarding how long each method had been used in the department.
The list of all survey questions is available in the Appendix. Also, an Item Frequencies report
is presented in the Appendix. This report shows how many departments selected each
answer choice. This has average responses and range of responses on each question.
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Phase 3 - Results and Key Findings
Types of recruiting methods
One of the major purposes of the comprehensive survey was to identify and compare the
effectiveness of the specific recruiting methods being used by the study departments. The
following list of 27 recruitment methods are rank ordered according to how many study
departments reported using this method. A mean of 2 would indicate that all departments
reported using this method. A mean of 1 would indicate that no departments used this
method.
For example, Word of Mouth is used by almost everyone. (In fact, 1 department stated it
was not used, but it probably is used informally and not tracked.) Conducting testing in other
cities is the least used method, only used by 1 department. (The number following the name
of each type of effort is the original survey item number.)
Reported frequency of use of each recruiting method Mean
1
Word of Mouth # 1
1.90
2
Dept /City Website # 16
1.87
3
Other Job Fairs # 20
1.87
4
Community Events # 18
1.84
5
Schools /Com Ctr /Churches # 19
1.81
6
Ads Local Newspapers # 6
1.74
7
Ads Major Metro Newspapers # 5
1.71
8
Open House # 21
1.65
9
Public Service Announcements # 13
1.58
10
Minority Publication Ads # 11
1.58
11
News Stories # 15
1.55
12
Cadet /Explorer Program # 24
1.55
13
Other Website # 17
1.52
14
Radio Ads # 7
1.48
15
Orientation /Info Session # 22
1.48
16
Mentoring Applicants # 25
1.48
17
Direct Mail Interest Cards # 2
1.42
18
Recruit in Other Cities # 26
1.42
19
Cable /Local Access TV Ads # 9
1.39
20
Network TV Ads # 8
1.39
21
Newsletter # 3
1.35
22
Minority Radio /TV Ads Recruitment Effort 13
1.35
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23
Female Publication Ads # 10
1.32
24
Preparation Assistance # 23
1.32
25
Female Radio /TV Ads # 12
1.23
26
Banners # 4
1.19
27
Test Other Cities # 27
1.03
The next section summarizes the key findings related to how the surveyed departments used
the above recruiting methods, and which methods appear to be most effective.
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Discussion of Top 8 Effective Methods used by Most Successful
Departments
This section highlights the most effective methods used by the surveyed departments.
Keep in mind that all of the departments use a combination of approaches. Many of these
methods are effective because they are used in a targeted approach and in combination with
other methods. These methods are not presented in order of effectiveness, but these are the
primary methods used by all of the departments.
0 1. Word of Mouth
Word of mouth works when:
This is named as the most frequently used method
by all departments. However, word of mouth
without other recruiting methods and without strong
diversity commitment will increase homogeneity in
the department, not diversity.
This method should not be relied on by most
departments without a good recruitment plan to
accompany it.
1 Involve current employees in planned activities and events
2 Build on prior success and current diversity.
3 Use current employees to attract others within the same group.
4 Combine with strong relationships with community organizations and events with those
organizations.
5 Combine with other methods of formal advertising.
6 Message is consistent from employees, website, recruiting materials, etc. about the
values of diversity.
7 Minority and women employees refer family and friends to the department.
Note that many of our most successful departments count on word of mouth to continue their
success. However, they also formalize the word of mouth process to some extent by
involving current employees in planned events and communicating a consistent message.
Word of mouth is not effective for recruiting for diversity if there is very little diversity in the
department, and the current employees only recruit informally to family members and friends,
who tend to be in the same ethnic group.
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UP2. Formal advertising, especially This includes ads in major newspapers, as well as
when targeted to desired group. local minority based papers. Also includes radio,
TV, Cable ads during shows heard or watched by
targeted group, such as Lifetime for women, BET for
Blacks, Spanish speaking TV shows for Hispanics.
Effective recruiting almost always requires some formal advertising along with other
methods.
1. Women rely on formal methods, such as advertising, much more than men for finding
jobs.
2. Advertising in all different media works for women.
3. Radio and targeted advertising works better for Minorities.
4. Put ads on TV during popular shows, not during fill time on cable.
5. Almost all of surveyed departments use a combination of advertising in different media.
6. PSAs can also be effective.
7. Advertise to the families of the candidates as well as to the candidates.
3. Direct Mail
Direct Mail contact is most effective when:
While this can be a very traditional method, if it is
used to make personal contact with your target
group, this is very effective.
1. Maintain a database of all people who express interest and keep them informed.
2. Be aggressive in reminding people about upcoming dates for training, testing, etc.
3. Combine with phone calls if possible.
4. Have personal contact with candidates prior to test date.
5. Have current employees volunteer to answer phone calls, answer emails, etc. as
questions come in from candidates.
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a4. Cadet / Explorer Program
Programs vary, but this exposes kids from 8th
grade through high school to the career
opportunity in the Fire Service. It provides a
good career option, advanced preparation
opportunities, and extends a personal welcome
to disadvantaged kids or to kids from
backgrounds that are not part of the traditional
recruitment pool.
Ac
This is one of the most effective methods. This
method is effective for all Minority Groups and for
women. Some of the departments use a Cadet
program as their primary recruiting method that
minimizes the need to advertise and use other
formal methods of identifying candidates.
Cadet / Explorer programs are almost universally considered very effective.
1. Create relationships with local schools in predominately Minority communities to offer
programs.
2. Build alliances with organizations that offer special programs for girls to teach them non
traditional skills and show non traditional career options.
3. Develop relationships with the schools and kids in the programs to communicate Fire
Service culture and values.
4. Programs should focus on career preparation.
5. Provide internships and interactions with firefighters.
6. Partner with local Tech Center / School to offer Fire / EMT program.
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UP This is free advertising that can be good if focused
5. News Stories on good deeds of the department and members,
showing diversity, emphasizing community values.
Can be negative if the issue is about adverse impact
in the testing process and how the department has
not hired Minorities or women.
News stories about the Fire Department get huge amounts of public and official
attention.
1. Build relationships with reporters and publishers.
2. Use news stories to highlight department achievements.
3. Offer firefighters for human interest stories and to discuss the department's diversity
goals and community values.
4. If negative stories appear, follow them up with what the department is doing to correct
any problems.
0 6. Diversity message, inclusion
message, showing diversity in recruitment
messages and internal communications
The strongest and most statistically significant
correlations in the data are with having a strong
diversity and inclusive message and internal
commitment.
Constant and consistent communication of your message is essential!
1. Continually train and reinforce positive values and message within the department.
2. Post diversity goals and statements in every station and reinforce in internal and external
documents.
3. Market the department's diversity goals and values widely by including it in all external
messages and materials.
4. Match newly hired firefighters to mentors who are preferably same gender and ethnicity,
demonstrate value for all employees.
5. Provide diversity training for all employees.
6. Rigorously enforce harassment policies.
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a7. Job Fairs / Community Events /
Churches / Schools
These methods can be very effective when:
A6
"Having a number of females on the department has
proven invaluable in recruiting other females, as
their visible presence gives immediate hope to
others. The same principle applies to ethnic
Minorities. Be prepared to answer questions about
real or perceived barriers in the testing process."
Minneapolis Fire Department
1. Target the message and effort to groups at cultural events, not to general audiences.
2. The department, employee minority groups, and IAFF locals sponsor booths at Cultural
events during Cinco de Mayo, Martin Luther King Day, and other events.
3. Current employees from each group create their own recruitment plans.
4. Ask employees to represent the department at these events.
5. Relationship building in the community gets you invited to these events as well as others
that are less well known.
6. Surveyed departments named Kwanza, Chinese New Year, Fiesta Hispanio, Filipino
Festival, Juneteenth, Hmong, and Somalian events and festivals as some they attend and
sponsor.
8. Candidate preparation, candidate
and employee assistance and mentoring
This must be inclusive, but can also be targeted so
that mentors are matched with others of same
ethnicity and gender.
Departments that use CPA discussed the
importance of mentoring women candidates by
women
1. Develop a program to build relationships and offer career preparation, not simply test
preparation.
2. Continue mentoring through academy and training to offer support to newly hired
firefighters.
3. Mentors can be informal.
4. Assign women and Minorities to work together.
5. Try to hire 2 — 3 women and Minorities at a time in each academy to provide mutual
support, mentoring opportunities, etc.
6. Assign women and Minorities to a strong trainer /officer whom you know will not tolerate
anti -women or anti - Minority statements.
7. Protect your newly hired firefighters from poor attitudes from others until they are trained
and confident.
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Case Studies of Successful Departments
This section highlights the achievements of a few of the surveyed departments. This is not
intended to suggest that other departments are not also successful or innovative. In addition,
even departments listed below do not represent "perfect" recruiting or results. Recruiting
continues to be a challenge for all departments. In addition, Best Practices relate to
Recruiting, Selection, Internal Commitment and Policies, as well as other areas of
performance. Some departments may be effective in recruiting, but have deficiencies
elsewhere in their process. These case studies are presented to demonstrate the types of
Best Practices methods and strategies that are successful.
This department has never been under a consent
1. Madison, WI decree. They have over - representation of Blacks,
community representation of Hispanics, and very
good representation of women. This department is
ranked #1 in our sample for excellent diversity for all
groups.
What type of recruiting is done?
• News stories
• Advertising in major and local /community newspapers
• Ads in newspapers, radio, TV whose audience is Women and Minorities
• Ads on Cable TV
• Direct mail
• Word of Mouth through strong relationships with community groups
• Job Fairs
• Churches, schools, open houses, and orientation
• Department website
Keys to Success: They make use of their current diversity to continue building on it. They
involve current employees in recruiting and formalize word of mouth activities through
community organizations. They also continue to use formal methods of advertising to reach
all segments of their market. Their website and recruiting materials reinforce the message of
valuing diversity.
They have 25 PT recruiters, 14 are Minorities and /or women
Approximately I% of budget goes to recruitment
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a 2. Lansing, MI
This department has never been under a consent
decree. They have excellent representation of
women, ranking #3 for representation of women
with 20% in the department. Most of their ethnic
diversity is fairly new - in the last 10 years 42% of
their new hires have been protected group
members. They acknowledge there is still a long
way to go to be representative of the community.
"Hire quality and diversity... after a few years, other employees recognize the world didn't
end..."
What type of recruiting is done?
• Advertising in major and local /community newspapers
• Ads in newspapers, radio, TV whose audience is Women and Minorities
• Cadet program
• Word of Mouth, small community, recruit in other communities
• Relationship with community college provides many applicants
• Recruit in other cities
• News Stories
• Job Fairs
• Churches, schools, open houses, and orientation
• Department website
Keys to Success: They have a cooperative union /administration program. They assign
mentors to new employees. Employees communicate with candidates, keep them informed.
They have current employees act as informal recruiters and teach classes.
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UP This department was under a consent decree to hire
3. Minneapolis, MN ethnic Minorities until 2000. However, their
excellent representation of women is due solely to
active recruiting. They have continued to build on
the success they have, especially with women.
"Candidates are called individually and encouraged to show up for tutoring sessions for both
the written and physical test. In addition, a recruiter is available to answer questions."
What type of recruiting is done?
• Advertising in major and local /community newspapers
• Ads in newspapers, radio, TV whose audience is women and Minorities
• Word of Mouth, community events, Women and Minority recruiters
• News Stories
• Job Fairs
• Sporting events, colleges, schools
• Department website
Keys to Success: Participate in many cultural and community events and have current
employees attend. Personally contact applicants and provide mentoring for applicants.
Conduct aggressive recruiting prior to testing.
They have 1 FT recruiter and 4 others PT.
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This department ranks Yd in Black representation,
4. Charlottesville, VA with a ratio of. 83.
"Offer high school students the opportunity to explore these career paths through courses
taught at the Tech Center."
What type of recruiting is done?
• Advertising in major and local /community newspapers
• Test Preparation, Job Fairs, Open House
• Cadet program
Keys to Success: Encourage, support, and provide training for newly hired Minority and
Women firefighters. Rigorously enforce harassment policies. Go where Minorities are to
recruit; don't expect them to come to you.
7 PT recruiters, includes 5 Women and Minorities.
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They consider the Cadet program to be Very
5. Rochester, NY Successful relative to any other method. They
sponsor a Firefighter Trainee program with the
school district, and they bring graduates right into a
recruit class in the department.
"Understand that for women, breaking into what has been traditionally a man's domain,
creates special problems and the need for out of the box solutions."
What type of recruiting is done?
• Ads on radio /tv targeting Minorities, PSAs
• News Stories
• Work with community agencies, community events, job fairs
• Cadet program — Trainee program, work with school district
Keys to Success: Working in the community, ensuring inclusiveness in the organization,
recognizing that the organization has to demonstrate its commitment to treating women and
Minorities as equals. Getting women to talk to others so they have realistic expectations
about the job.
2 FT recruiters who are Minorities.
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a 6. Montgomery County, MD
What type of recruiting is done?
Ac
This department has never been under a consent
decree. This department has shown commitment to
diversity in their recruitment, selection, and internal
commitment efforts. They use a multi -prong
approach and commit significant resources.
• Targeted advertising in major and local /community newspapers
• Ads in many targeted local newspapers and community papers
• Word of Mouth through strong relationships with community groups
• Department and other websites
• High school cadet program
• Individual feedback and contact with candidates throughout process
• They administer candidate surveys to track recruitment success
• Mentoring program, including CPA prep for 12 weeks
• Use of a written test and oral board process professionally developed and customized for
the department to minimize adverse impact
• Internal characteristics include mandatory harassment and diversity training, all stations
and gear accommodate women, and other efforts
Keys to Success: They use over 20 different methods of recruiting. They involve current
employees in recruiting and formalize word of mouth activities through community
organizations. They use extensive formal methods of advertising to reach all segments of
their market. They add a personal touch with all candidates to make them feel welcome,
including personal notification of their test score. If candidates do not pass the test, they are
invited to try again next time.
They have 1 FT recruiter, 20 PT recruiters, 10 are Minorities and 8 are women
Approximately I% of budget goes to recruitment
Finally, words of advice from surveyed departments include being persistent, continuing to
work at it, and not giving up. Once your efforts begin to work, success builds on success.
It is critical to track results at every stage so that you can evaluate your success accurately.
Without this, you will have no way of knowing how to best improve your process or what
stages need improvement
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2. Demographics of the Participating Departments
The table presented below shows demographics for the major ethnic Minority groups and for
Women that were used as the basis for comparison in this report. The terms Black,
Hispanic, Asian, and White are used to match the terms used by the U. S. Census. The term
Hispanic is inclusive of Latino, Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Cuban and other. The term
Asian is inclusive of Filipino, Pacific Islander, and other Asian. We did collect data regarding
other Minority groups, such as Native American and Arab /Middle Eastern, but the numbers
are too small to report. Total Minority in this report when we refer to census and similar data
usually refers to a combination of Black, Hispanic, and Asian.
Demographics in the US, Fire Service, and study participant departments
Black Hispanic Asian Women
1.
US Census 2000
12.3%
12.5%
3.6%
50.9%
2.
Firefighting Profession US
8.4%
8.6%
1.3%
5.1%
Bureau of Labor Statistics
3.
Average Percent of each group in
11.8%
8.5%
1.6%
7.8%
study Departments
4.
National Group Ratio - percent
.68
.69
.36
.10
representation in the Fire Service
compared to representation in
the US
The goal of diversity in the Fire Service is for each group to be represented according to the
representation in the general population. A comparison of Census data (row 1) with Fire
Service data (row 2) shows that all groups are significantly underrepresented in the Fire
Service. Using the same type of comparison with the departments in this study shows that
on average, the representation almost meets or exceeds the national averages for
representation in the Fire Service as a whole (row 3). However, the surveyed departments
as a group are below the national census numbers. This would suggest that progress has
been made in these departments, but there is more work to do. This is a useful comparison
to give a general baseline and scope of the problem.
However, using the percent of each group within a department as a measure of success or
comparison is not useful to determine the success of each department. It does not take into
account the percent of representation in each department's community. In other words, a
department may have 20% Black, but if the community is 60% Black, this is not good
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representation. In order to create a better measure of success, we use a Group Ratio, of
department representation divided by community representation.
Group Ratio
Similar to an adverse impact ratio, the closer the ratio is to 1.00, the closer the representation
of the target group is to the actual population. Row 4 in the table shows the National Group
ratios comparing representation in the Fire Service to representation in the population. Using
these ratios, a department showing progress would be one whose group ratios exceed the
national Fire Service ratios. For example, a department with a Black ratio between .69 and
1.00 exceeds the national ratio for Blacks in the Fire Service as a whole and comes closer to
actual population representation. Likewise, for women, ratios above .10 would demonstrate
better than average progress towards Diversity. (For women, either the ratio or percent
representation in the department is a valid comparison because women make up about half
the population in most communities.)
For the purpose of this analysis, we measured success in the study departments by the
percent of Minorities and women represented in the local population based on census data
compared to the percent represented in the department.
As the table below shows, the average ratios in the study departments are below the
average ratios nationally for Minorities. This is because there are other departments in the
US with equal or better representation of Minorities compared to their communities. This
study did not identify all departments with good diversity, nor was that the goal of the project.
The goal of the project was to identify departments with active and successful recruiting for
diversity, whose numbers are expected to improve over time as they continue pursuing their
diversity goals.
Study Departments
Average Ratios, and Minimum and Maximum
Black Hispanic Asian Female Female %
Mean .60 .47
.24 .15 7.8%
Minimum (department
with the worst ratio) .11 .00
.00 .01 0%
Maximum (department
with the best ratio) 1.5 1.0
.97 .46 24%
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The current representation of Minorities and Females in each department is one important
measure of success. However, the current snap shot may not reveal how the department is
changing or has changed since implementing effective recruiting. This is why even some of
the surveyed departments may not have good representation of all groups. Also, the
purpose of the study is to identify methods that are more or less effective. Therefore, we
included departments with a somewhat limited range of success in order to compare
methods between departments.
Women
The US Bureau of Labor statistics (2004) reports that 5.1% (13,668) of firefighters are female
in the US. The Women in the Fire Service (WFS) reports a figure of less than half of that
(www.wfsi.org, 2005). Depending upon which estimate is used, the department ratios will
show more or less progress compared to national. For the purpose of this study, we used
the BLS numbers, which sets a higher comparison for the study departments.
The average representation of women in our study departments is 7.8 %. This shows that
our study departments are exceeding the national average. Some of the study departments
exceed the national average very significantly. In fact, many of the surveyed departments
have had more success recruiting women than ethnic Minorities.
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3. Correlations with
Methods of Recruitment and Group Ratios
How to read the data
Q ;9
CWH conducted several analyses on the survey data. One of the analyses was to simply
run correlations between various methods of recruitment and group ratios, indicating diversity
success. This and other analyses form the basis for the Key Findings presented earlier.
The attached tables show the correlations between the Group Ratios (that we are using as
indicators of success) and each recruitment method. Due to the small sample size (n = 31
departments), most of the correlations are not statistically significant. However, this
information can be helpful to see the relative effectiveness or usefulness of the 27 different
recruitment methods used by surveyed departments. This also shows some other
recruitment oriented actions and strategies used by the departments.
The larger the number in the correlation, the stronger the relationship is between the two
variables. Positive correlations indicate that departments with better group representation
use the particular method. Negative correlations indicate that departments with lower group
representation use the method. Correlations greater than .10 or less than -.10 are
highlighted as being of some interest. Correlations between .10 and -.10 should be generally
ignored. A few correlations are statistically significant and those are shaded. The shaded
correlations indicate very strong support for the use of the method.
This analysis used our full sample of 31 departments, and did not make distinctions between
more or less successful departments or those with consent decrees.
How to use this data
Please note that we cannot draw cause and effect conclusions from this data. We can use
this data to help guide our understanding of recruitment in the context of our literature review
and the qualitative data provided by the departments. This information can help in the
development of recruitment strategies. All recruitment efforts should be tracked in detail and
analyzed by each department to determine their effectiveness over time.
Caution:
In interpreting this data, it is important not to place too much emphasis on any one method or
correlation, but to use this as additional information. Keep in mind that most departments
use a combination of methods. Also, the nature of and implementation of each method may
be different from department to department.
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The same table of correlations is presented several times, sorted by each group (Black,
Hispanic, Asian, Total Minority, and Female) to make it easy to see results related to specific
groups. The Total Minority results are presented for comparison purposes but are generally
not as useful or meaningful. The results are washed out by combining across groups, and it
is more meaningful to look at what has worked for individual groups.
The correlations are between the group ratio and the Method of recruitment. Each group
ratio is the percent of representation in that department compared to the percent of
representation in the city or area, similar to an adverse impact ratio. Thus, higher
correlations indicate that greater representation is associated with the use of the particular
method.
Correlations that are shaded are statistically significant and indicate strong support for use
of the method. Correlations that are bolded are interesting and meaningful, and should be
considered and interpreted in with other information.
Each of the following tables sorts the methods by what appears most effective for each
group.
34
(WN Research, Inc.
59
CWH IAFF Diversity Initiative
Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Fire Service Workforce
1. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Black Ratio
35
9'UM Research, Inc.
60
Hispani
Total
Use of Recruitment Methods that Impact Diversity
Black
c
Asian
Minority
White
Female
N
2
Direct Mail Interest Cards Survey item # 2
0.43
0.28
0.23
0.35
-0.24
0.03
31
1
Word of Mouth Survey item # 1
0.34
-0.20
-0.04
0.09
-0.04
0.18
31
7
Radio Ads Survey item # 7
0.18
0.15
-0.18
0.24
-0.11
0.46
31
15
News Stories Survey item # 15
0.16
-0.06
-0.08
-0.09
0.13
0.12
31
16
Dept/City Website Survey item # 16
0.16
-0.29
-0.25
-0.03
0.34
-0.25
31
18
Community Events Survey item # 18
0.15
0.04
0.21
0.00
0.24
0.24
31
3
Newsletter Survey item # 3
0.12
0.14
0.06
0.00
0.01
0.05
31
10
Female Publication Ads Survey item # 10
0.12
0.20
0.18
0.10
-0.15
0.24
31
24
Cadet /Explorer Program Survey item # 24
0.11
-0.17
-0.01
-0.22
-0.01
0.02
31
23
Preparation Assistance Survey item # 23
0.10
-0.15
-0.05
-0.06
-0.08
-0.11
31
9
Cable /Local Access TV Ads Survey item # 9
0.08
-0.03
-0.08
0.01
0.02
0.27
31
6
Ads Local Newspapers Survey item # 6
0.07
-0.06
-0.01
0.08
-0.06
0.41
31
4
Banners Survey item # 4
0.04
0.09
0.18
0.16
0.26
-0.07
31
25
Mentoring Applicants Survey item # 25
0.02
0.02
0.35
-0.20
-0.18
-0.02
31
20
Other Job Fairs Survey item # 20
0.02
-0.26
-0.14
-0.35
-0.06
-0.04
31
5
Ads Major Metro Newspapers Survey item # 5
0.01
-0.04
-0.01
-0.09
-0.02
0.42
31
11
Minority Publication Ads Survey item # 11
0.00
-0.08
0.13
-0.07
-0.01
0.07
31
Use Assistance / Mentoring Recruitment Strategy
0.00
-0.24
-0.11
-0.29
-0.14
-0.06
31
19
Schools /Com Ctr /Churches Survey item # 19
-0.01
-0.13
0.06
-0.30
0.27
0.15
31
17
Other Website Survey item # 17
-0.02
-0.03
-0.08
-0.24
0.23
0.06
31
13
Minority Radio /TV Ads Survey item # 13
-0.03
0.06
-0.03
-0.11
0.15
0.01
31
14
Public Service Announcements Survey item # 14
-0.03
-0.12
-0.13
-0.02
0.14
0.04
31
27
Test Other Cities Survey item # 27
-0.04
-0.01
-0.10
-0.09
0.19
-0.13
31
21
Open House Survey item # 21
-0.07
-0.17
-0.31
-0.29
0.00
-0.17
31
26
Recruit Other Cities Survey item # 26
-0.10
0.10
0.03
-0.23
-0.04
0.20
31
22
Orientation /Info Session Survey item # 22
-0.12
-0.07
-0.11
-0.14
0.12
-0.12
31
8
Network TV Ads Survey item # 8
-0.15
-0.10
0.02
-0.24
0.05
0.19
31
12
Female Radio /TV Ads Survey item # 12
-0.16
-0.12
0.08
-0.22
0.11
0.14
31
35
9'UM Research, Inc.
60
.nlllk
CWH
IAFF Diversity Initiative
Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Fire Service Workforce
1. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Black Ratio (Continued)
Other Recruitment related activities that Impact Diversity
Q143 Is Test prep offered?
Q149 Is test preparation geared for minorities?
Newspaper or Publication Recruitment Strategy
Q147 Is test prep geared for women?
TV or Radio Recruitment Strategy
Number of Newspaper & Publication Recruitment
Efforts
Number of TV and Radio Recruitment Efforts
Q126 Recruitment targets women
Q127 Recruitment targets minorities
Q194 Mentoring program?
36
9'UH Research, Inc.
m
Hispani
Total
Black
c
Asian
Minority
White
Female
N
0.27
0.07
-0.15
0.17
0.16
0.07
31
0.21
0.15
0.15
0.00
-0.11
0.35
22
0.13
0.00
0.05
0.15
-0.11
0.45
31
0.12
0.04
0.11
-0.09
-0.09
0.39
22
0.06
0.06
-0.08
0.12
0.11
0.25
31
0.06
0.01
0.09
0.00
-0.07
0.33
31
-0.02
-0.01
-0.06
-0.08
0.06
0.31
31
-0.03
-0.01
0.03
-0.05
-0.03
0.11
31
-0.04
-0.02
0.01
-0.13
0.08
0.06
31
-0.07
0.18
0.07
0.01
-0.17
-0.15
31
36
9'UH Research, Inc.
m
CWH IAFF Diversity Initiative
Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Fire Service Workforce
2. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Hispanic Ratio
37
9'UM Research, Inc.
62
Hispani
Total
Use of Recruitment Methods that Impact Diversity
Black
c
Asian
Minority
White
Female
N
2
Direct Mail Interest Cards Survey item # 2
0.43
0.28
0.23
0.35
-0.24
0.03
31
10
Female Publication Ads Survey item # 10
0.12
0.20
0.18
0.10
-0.15
0.24
31
7
Radio Ads Survey item # 7
0.18
0.15
-0.18
0.24
-0.11
0.46
31
3
Newsletter Survey item # 3
0.12
0.14
0.06
0.00
0.01
0.05
31
26
Recruit Other Cities Survey item # 26
-0.10
0.10
0.03
-0.23
-0.04
0.20
31
4
Banners Survey item # 4
0.04
0.09
0.18
0.16
0.26
-0.07
31
13
Minority Radio /TV Ads Survey item # 13
-0.03
0.06
-0.03
-0.11
0.15
0.01
31
18
Community Events Survey item # 18
0.15
0.04
0.21
0.00
0.24
0.24
31
25
Mentoring Applicants Survey item # 25
0.02
0.02
0.35
-0.20
-0.18
-0.02
31
27
Test Other Cities Survey item # 27
-0.04
-0.01
-0.10
-0.09
0.19
-0.13
31
17
Other Website Survey item # 17
-0.02
-0.03
-0.08
-0.24
0.23
0.06
31
9
Cable /Local Access TV Ads Survey item # 9
0.08
-0.03
-0.08
0.01
0.02
0.27
31
5
Ads Major Metro Newspapers Survey item # 5
0.01
-0.04
-0.01
-0.09
-0.02
0.42
31
6
Ads Local Newspapers Survey item # 6
0.07
-0.06
-0.01
0.08
-0.06
0.41
31
15
News Stories Survey item # 15
0.16
-0.06
-0.08
-0.09
0.13
0.12
31
22
Orientation /Info Session Survey item # 22
-0.12
-0.07
-0.11
-0.14
0.12
-0.12
31
11
Minority Publication Ads Survey item # 11
0.00
-0.08
0.13
-0.07
-0.01
0.07
31
8
Network TV Ads Survey item # 8
-0.15
-0.10
0.02
-0.24
0.05
0.19
31
14
Public Service Announcements Survey item # 14
-0.03
-0.12
-0.13
-0.02
0.14
0.04
31
12
Female Radio /TV Ads Survey item # 12
-0.16
-0.12
0.08
-0.22
0.11
0.14
31
19
Schools /Com Ctr /Churches Survey item # 19
-0.01
-0.13
0.06
-0.30
0.27
0.15
31
23
Preparation Assistance Survey item # 23
0.10
-0.15
-0.05
-0.06
-0.08
-0.11
31
24
Cadet /Explorer Program Survey item # 24
0.11
-0.17
-0.01
-0.22
-0.01
0.02
31
21
Open House Survey item # 21
-0.07
-0.17
-0.31
-0.29
0.00
-0.17
31
1
Word of Mouth Survey item # 1
0.34
-0.20
-0.04
0.09
-0.04
0.18
31
Use Assistance / Mentoring Recruitment Strategy
0.00
-0.24
-0.11
-0.29
-0.14
-0.06
31
20
Other Job Fairs Survey item # 20
0.02
-0.26
-0.14
-0.35
-0.06
-0.04
31
16
Dept/City Website Survey item # 16
0.16
-0.29
-0.25
-0.03
0.34
-0.25
31
37
9'UM Research, Inc.
62
.nlllk
CWH
IAFF Diversity Initiative
Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Fire Service Workforce
2. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Hispanic Ratio (Continued)
Other Recruitment related activities that Impact
Diversity
Q194 Q194 - Mentoring program?
Q149 Q149 - Is test preparation geared for minorities?
Q143 Q143 - Is Test prep offered?
Use TV or Radio Recruitment Strategy
Q147 Q147 - Is test prep geared for women?
Number of Newspaper & Publication Recruitment
Efforts
Use Newspaper or Publication Recruitment Strategy
Number of TV and Radio Recruitment Efforts
Q126 Q126 - Recruitment targets women
Q127 Q127 - Recruitment targets minorities
38
91UH Research, Inc.
63
Hispani
Total
Black
c
Asian
Minority
White
Female
N
-0.07
0.18
0.07
0.01
-0.17
-0.15
31
0.21
0.15
0.15
0.00
-0.11
0.35
22
0.27
0.07
-0.15
0.17
0.16
0.07
31
0.06
0.06
-0.08
0.12
0.11
0.25
31
0.12
0.04
0.11
-0.09
-0.09
0.39
22
0.06
0.01
0.09
0.00
-0.07
0.33
31
0.13
0.00
0.05
0.15
-0.11
0.45
31
-0.02
-0.01
-0.06
-0.08
0.06
0.31
31
-0.03
-0.01
0.03
-0.05
-0.03
0.11
31
-0.04
-0.02
0.01
-0.13
0.08
0.06
31
38
91UH Research, Inc.
63
CWH IAFF Diversity Initiative
Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Fire Service Workforce
3. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Asian Ratio
39
9'UM Research, Inc.
64
Hispani
Total
Use of Recruitment Methods that impact Diversity
Black
c
Asian
Minority
White
Female
N
25
Mentoring Applicants Survey item # 25
0.02
0.02
0.35
-0.20
-0.18
-0.02
31
2
Direct Mail Interest Cards Survey item # 2
0.43
0.28
0.23
0.35
-0.24
0.03
31
18
Community Events Survey item # 18
0.15
0.04
0.21
0.00
0.24
0.24
31
10
Female Publication Ads Survey item # 10
0.12
0.20
0.18
0.10
-0.15
0.24
31
4
Banners Survey item # 4
0.04
0.09
0.18
0.16
0.26
-0.07
31
11
Minority Publication Ads Survey item # 11
0.00
-0.08
0.13
-0.07
-0.01
0.07
31
12
Female Radio /TV Ads Survey item # 12
-0.16
-0.12
0.08
-0.22
0.11
0.14
31
3
Newsletter Survey item # 3
0.12
0.14
0.06
0.00
0.01
0.05
31
19
Schools /Com Ctr /Churches Survey item # 19
-0.01
-0.13
0.06
-0.30
0.27
0.15
31
26
Recruit Other Cities Survey item # 26
-0.10
0.10
0.03
-0.23
-0.04
0.20
31
8
Network TV Ads Survey item # 8
-0.15
-0.10
0.02
-0.24
0.05
0.19
31
24
Cadet /Explorer Program Survey item # 24
0.11
-0.17
-0.01
-0.22
-0.01
0.02
31
5
Ads Major Metro Newspapers Survey item # 5
0.01
-0.04
-0.01
-0.09
-0.02
0.42
31
6
Ads Local Newspapers Survey item # 6
0.07
-0.06
-0.01
0.08
-0.06
0.41
31
13
Minority Radio /TV Ads Survey item # 13
-0.03
0.06
-0.03
-0.11
0.15
0.01
31
1
Word of Mouth Survey item # 1
0.34
-0.20
-0.04
0.09
-0.04
0.18
31
23
Preparation Assistance Survey item # 23
0.10
-0.15
-0.05
-0.06
-0.08
-0.11
31
15
News Stories Survey item # 15
0.16
-0.06
-0.08
-0.09
0.13
0.12
31
17
Other Website Survey item # 17
-0.02
-0.03
-0.08
-0.24
0.23
0.06
31
9
Cable /Local Access TV Ads Survey item # 9
0.08
-0.03
-0.08
0.01
0.02
0.27
31
27
Test Other Cities Survey item # 27
-0.04
-0.01
-0.10
-0.09
0.19
-0.13
31
Use Assistance / Mentoring Recruitment Strategy
0.00
-0.24
-0.11
-0.29
-0.14
-0.06
31
22
Orientation /Info Session Survey item # 22
-0.12
-0.07
-0.11
-0.14
0.12
-0.12
31
14
Public Service Announcements Survey item # 14
-0.03
-0.12
-0.13
-0.02
0.14
0.04
31
20
Other Job Fairs Survey item # 20
0.02
-0.26
-0.14
-0.35
-0.06
-0.04
31
7
Radio Ads Survey item # 7
0.18
0.15
-0.18
0.24
-0.11
0.46
31
16
Dept/City Website Survey item # 16
0.16
-0.29
-0.25
-0.03
0.34
-0.25
31
21
Open House Survey item # 21
-0.07
-0.17
-0.31
-0.29
0.00
-0.17
31
39
9'UM Research, Inc.
64
.nlllk
CWH
IAFF Diversity Initiative
Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Fire Service Workforce
3. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Asian Ratio (Continued)
40
91UH Research, Inc.
65
Other Recruitment related activities that Impact
Hispani
Total
Diversity
Black
c
Asian
Minority
White
Female
N
Q149
Q149 - Is test preparation geared for minorities?
0.21
0.15
0.15
0.00
-0.11
0.35
22
Q147
Q147 - Is test prep geared for women?
0.12
0.04
0.11
-0.09
-0.09
0.39
22
Number of Newspaper & Publication Recruitment
Efforts
0.06
0.01
0.09
0.00
-0.07
0.33
31
Q194
Q194 - Mentoring program?
-0.07
0.18
0.07
0.01
-0.17
-0.15
31
Use Newspaper or Publication Recruitment Strategy
0.13
0.00
0.05
0.15
-0.11
0.45
31
Q126
Q126 - Recruitment targets women
-0.03
-0.01
0.03
-0.05
-0.03
0.11
31
Q127
Q127 - Recruitment targets minorities
-0.04
-0.02
0.01
-0.13
0.08
0.06
31
Number of TV and Radio Recruitment Efforts
-0.02
-0.01
-0.06
-0.08
0.06
0.31
31
Use TV or Radio Recruitment Strategy
0.06
0.06
-0.08
0.12
0.11
0.25
31
Q143
Q143 - Is Test prep offered?
0.27
0.07
-0.15
0.17
0.16
0.07
31
40
91UH Research, Inc.
65
CWH IAFF Diversity Initiative
Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Fire Service Workforce
4. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Total Minority Ratio
41
9'UM Research, Inc.
66
Hispani
Total
Use of Recruitment Methods that impact Diversity
Black
c
Asian
Minority
White
Female
N
2
Direct Mail Interest Cards Survey item # 2
0.43
0.28
0.23
0.35
-0.24
0.03
31
7
Radio Ads Survey item # 7
0.18
0.15
-0.18
0.24
-0.11
0.46
31
4
Banners Survey item # 4
0.04
0.09
0.18
0.16
0.26
-0.07
31
10
Female Publication Ads Survey item # 10
0.12
0.20
0.18
0.10
-0.15
0.24
31
1
Word of Mouth Survey item # 1
0.34
-0.20
-0.04
0.09
-0.04
0.18
31
6
Ads Local Newspapers Survey item # 6
0.07
-0.06
-0.01
0.08
-0.06
0.41
31
9
Cable /Local Access TV Ads Survey item # 9
0.08
-0.03
-0.08
0.01
0.02
0.27
31
18
Community Events Survey item # 18
0.15
0.04
0.21
0.00
0.24
0.24
31
3
Newsletter Survey item # 3
0.12
0.14
0.06
0.00
0.01
0.05
31
14
Public Service Announcements Survey item # 14
-0.03
-0.12
-0.13
-0.02
0.14
0.04
31
16
Dept/City Website Survey item # 16
0.16
-0.29
-0.25
-0.03
0.34
-0.25
31
23
Preparation Assistance Survey item # 23
0.10
-0.15
-0.05
-0.06
-0.08
-0.11
31
11
Minority Publication Ads Survey item # 11
0.00
-0.08
0.13
-0.07
-0.01
0.07
31
27
Test Other Cities Survey item # 27
-0.04
-0.01
-0.10
-0.09
0.19
-0.13
31
5
Ads Major Metro Newspapers Survey item # 5
0.01
-0.04
-0.01
-0.09
-0.02
0.42
31
15
News Stories Survey item # 15
0.16
-0.06
-0.08
-0.09
0.13
0.12
31
13
Minority Radio /TV Ads Survey item # 13
-0.03
0.06
-0.03
-0.11
0.15
0.01
31
22
Orientation /Info Session Survey item # 22
-0.12
-0.07
-0.11
-0.14
0.12
-0.12
31
25
Mentoring Applicants Survey item # 25
0.02
0.02
0.35
-0.20
-0.18
-0.02
31
24
Cadet /Explorer Program Survey item # 24
0.11
-0.17
-0.01
-0.22
-0.01
0.02
31
12
Female Radio /TV Ads Survey item # 12
-0.16
-0.12
0.08
-0.22
0.11
0.14
31
26
Recruit Other Cities Survey item # 26
-0.10
0.10
0.03
-0.23
-0.04
0.20
31
17
Other Website Survey item # 17
-0.02
-0.03
-0.08
-0.24
0.23
0.06
31
8
Network TV Ads Survey item # 8
-0.15
-0.10
0.02
-0.24
0.05
0.19
31
21
Open House Survey item # 21
-0.07
-0.17
-0.31
-0.29
0.00
-0.17
31
Use Assistance / Mentoring Recruitment Strategy
0.00
-0.24
-0.11
-0.29
-0.14
-0.06
31
19
Schools /Com Ctr /Churches Survey item # 19
-0.01
-0.13
0.06
-0.30
0.27
0.15
31
20
Other Job Fairs Survey item # 20
0.02
-0.26
-0.14
-0.35
-0.06
-0.04
31
41
9'UM Research, Inc.
66
.nlllk
CWH
IAFF Diversity Initiative
Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Fire Service Workforce
4. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Total Minority Ratio (Continued)
42
91UH Research, Inc.
67
Other Recruitment related activities that Impact
Hispani
Total
Diversity
Black
c
Asian
Minority
White
Female
N
Q143
Q143 - Is Test prep offered?
0.27
0.07
-0.15
0.17
0.16
0.07
31
Use Newspaper or Publication Recruitment Strategy
0.13
0.00
0.05
0.15
-0.11
0.45
31
Use TV or Radio Recruitment Strategy
0.06
0.06
-0.08
0.12
0.11
0.25
31
Q194
Q194 - Mentoring program?
-0.07
0.18
0.07
0.01
-0.17
-0.15
31
Number of Newspaper & Publication Recruitment
Efforts
0.06
0.01
0.09
0.00
-0.07
0.33
31
Q149
Q149 - Is test preparation geared for minorities?
0.21
0.15
0.15
0.00
-0.11
0.35
22
Q126
Q126 - Recruitment targets women
-0.03
-0.01
0.03
-0.05
-0.03
0.11
31
Number of TV and Radio Recruitment Efforts
-0.02
-0.01
-0.06
-0.08
0.06
0.31
31
Q147
Q147 - Is test prep geared for women?
0.12
0.04
0.11
-0.09
-0.09
0.39
22
Q127
Q127 - Recruitment targets minorities
-0.04
-0.02
0.01
-0.13
0.08
0.06
31
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5. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Female Ratio
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Hispani
Total
Use of Recruitment Methods that Impact Diversity
Black
c
Asian
Minority
White
Female
N
7
Radio Ads Survey item # 7
0.18
0.15
-0.18
0.24
-0.11
0.46
31
5
Ads Major Metro Newspapers Survey item # 5
0.01
-0.04
-0.01
-0.09
-0.02
0.42
31
6
Ads Local Newspapers Survey item # 6
0.07
-0.06
-0.01
0.08
-0.06
0.41
31
9
Cable /Local Access TV Ads Survey item # 9
0.08
-0.03
-0.08
0.01
0.02
0.27
31
18
Community Events Survey item # 18
0.15
0.04
0.21
0.00
0.24
0.24
31
10
Female Publication Ads Survey item # 10
0.12
0.20
0.18
0.10
-0.15
0.24
31
26
Recruit Other Cities Survey item # 26
-0.10
0.10
0.03
-0.23
-0.04
0.20
31
8
Network TV Ads Survey item # 8
-0.15
-0.10
0.02
-0.24
0.05
0.19
31
1
Word of Mouth Survey item # 1
0.34
-0.20
-0.04
0.09
-0.04
0.18
31
19
Schools /Com Ctr /Churches Survey item # 19
-0.01
-0.13
0.06
-0.30
0.27
0.15
31
12
Female Radio /TV Ads Survey item # 12
-0.16
-0.12
0.08
-0.22
0.11
0.14
31
15
News Stories Survey item # 15
0.16
-0.06
-0.08
-0.09
0.13
0.12
31
11
Minority Publication Ads Survey item # 11
0.00
-0.08
0.13
-0.07
-0.01
0.07
31
17
Other Website Survey item # 17
-0.02
-0.03
-0.08
-0.24
0.23
0.06
31
3
Newsletter Survey item # 3
0.12
0.14
0.06
0.00
0.01
0.05
31
14
Public Service Announcements Survey item # 14
-0.03
-0.12
-0.13
-0.02
0.14
0.04
31
2
Direct Mail Interest Cards Survey item # 2
0.43
0.28
0.23
0.35
-0.24
0.03
31
24
Cadet /Explorer Program Survey item # 24
0.11
-0.17
-0.01
-0.22
-0.01
0.02
31
13
Minority Radio /TV Ads Survey item # 13
-0.03
0.06
-0.03
-0.11
0.15
0.01
31
25
Mentoring Applicants Survey item # 25
0.02
0.02
0.35
-0.20
-0.18
-0.02
31
20
Other Job Fairs Survey item # 20
0.02
-0.26
-0.14
-0.35
-0.06
-0.04
31
Use Assistance / Mentoring Recruitment Strategy
0.00
-0.24
-0.11
-0.29
-0.14
-0.06
31
4
Banners Survey item # 4
0.04
0.09
0.18
0.16
0.26
-0.07
31
23
Preparation Assistance Survey item # 23
0.10
-0.15
-0.05
-0.06
-0.08
-0.11
31
22
Orientation /Info Session Survey item # 22
-0.12
-0.07
-0.11
-0.14
0.12
-0.12
31
27
Test Other Cities Survey item # 27
-0.04
-0.01
-0.10
-0.09
0.19
-0.13
31
21
Open House Survey item # 21
-0.07
-0.17
-0.31
-0.29
0.00
-0.17
31
16
Dept/City Website Survey item # 16
0.16
-0.29
-0.25
-0.03
0.34
-0.25
31
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5. Correlations with Recruiting Methods - Sorted by Female Ratio (Continued)
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Other Recruitment related activities that affect
Total
Diversity
Black
Hisp
Asian
Minority
White
Female
N
Use Newspaper or Publication Recruitment Strategy
0.13
0.00
0.05
0.15
-0.11
0.45
31
Q147
Q147 - Is test prep geared for women?
0.12
0.04
0.11
-0.09
-0.09
0.39
22
Q149
Q149 - Is test preparation geared for minorities?
0.21
0.15
0.15
0.00
-0.11
0.35
22
Number of Newspaper & Publication Recruitment
Efforts
0.06
0.01
0.09
0.00
-0.07
0.33
31
Number of TV and Radio Recruitment Efforts
-0.02
-0.01
-0.06
-0.08
0.06
0.31
31
Use TV or Radio Recruitment Strategy
0.06
0.06
-0.08
0.12
0.11
0.25
31
Q126
Q126 - Recruitment targets women
-0.03
-0.01
0.03
-0.05
-0.03
0.11
31
Q143
Q143 - Is Test prep offered?
0.27
0.07
-0.15
0.17
0.16
0.07
31
Q127
Q127 - Recruitment targets minorities
-0.04
-0.02
0.01
-0.13
0.08
0.06
31
Q194
Q194 - Mentoring program?
-0.07
0.18
0.07
0.01
-0.17
-0.15
31
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CWH IAFF Diversity Initiative A6
Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Fire Service Workforce
4. Department Characteristics and Policies that Impact Diversity
Research suggests that many factors influence recruiting and diversity success, other than
recruiting method. The CWH comprehensive survey collected data on Selection, Retention,
Training, and Diversity Commitment policies in addition to recruitment methods.
The table below shows correlations with the Group Ratios (that indicate greater diversity
success) and other various policies. Statistically significant correlations are shaded.
Stronger relationships have been bolded.
Selection Policies
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Blac
Hispani
Asia
Total
Whit
k
c
n
Minority
a
Female
N
Q32
Dept provides patient transport
0.32
0.34
0.28
0.33
-0.31
0.43
31
Offer Incentive Pay for EMS
certification (rather than requiring it
Q35
at hire )
0.14
0.47
0.25
0.26
-0.35
0.50
31
Require more than a High School
Q6o
Diploma
-0.26
0.06
-0.22
-0.16
0.32
-0.13
32
Hire both Certified and Non Certified
Firefighters (if need some to be
Q62
certified at hire )
0.14
0.04
-0.09
0.12
0.04
-0.04
31
Hire from Separate lists for certified
& non certified Firefighters (if need
Q63
some certified at hire )
0.21
0.37
0.03
0.32
-0.23
0.19
26
Hire Both Paramedics and Non
Paramedics (if need more
Q64
Paramedics )
o.01
-0.21
-0.31
-0.09
0.05
-0.30
31
Hire Paramedics from Separate list
Q65
if need more Paramedics
-0.06
0.14
0.27
0.00
-0.01
0.42
29
Preference Points Given for
Veteran's, City Residence, Prior
Q97
Experience, City employee, etc.
0.08
0.07
-0.07
-0.02
0.04
-0.21
34
Accept applications continuously,
Q98
have open recruitment
-0.29
0.04
-0.07
-0.22
0.29
-0.13
31
Test frequently or have on -going
Q99
testis
-0.18
-0.03
0.02
-0.14
0.23
0.05
31
Test preparation class or program
Q147
targets women especial) PAT
0.12
0.04
0.11
-0.09
-0.09
0.39
22
Test preparation class or program
Q149
targets minorities
0.21
0.15
0.15
0.00
-0.11
0.35
22
Have personal contact with
candidates other than at the test
Q141
administration
0.08
0.13
-0.02
-0.12
-0.03
0.22
30
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Diversity Commitment, Message, and Values
Q ;9
Other Recruitment Issues & Policies
Blac
Hispani
Asia
Total
Whit
Female
N
k
c
n
Minority
a
Female
N
Q139
Provide Detail about process in the
Recruitment Message
0.28
0.08
0.11
0.03
-0.05
0.11
31
Q140
Encourage Official or Unofficial
0.22
0.17
-0.01
0.02
-0.30
0.06
30
Organizations /Groups based on
Q2oo
race, gender, etc.
0.65
0.31
0.30
0.49
-0.16
0.06
31
Diversity Message Communicated in
Q18o
Department Mission
0.41
0.24
0.14
0.34
-0.19
0.51
29
Develop a Specific & Formal
Q182
Diversity Plan
0.23
0.01
-0.02
-0.02
0.13
0.20
29
Specifically Refer to Types of
Diversity in Statements /Plans (such
as race, gender, sexual orientation,
Q183
etc. )
0.10
0.38
0.23
0.11
0.10
0.42
26
Develop and enforce Specific
Harassment Policies Based on race,
sexual harassment, sexual
Q185
orientation, etc.
o.o1
0.30
0.32
0.06
-0.15
0.30
28
Other Recruitment Issues & Policies
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Blac
k
Hispani
c
Asia
n
Total
Minority
Whit
a
Female
N
Q139
Provide Detail about process in the
Recruitment Message
0.28
0.08
0.11
0.03
-0.05
0.11
31
Q140
Provide Detail about department
values in the Diversity Message
0.22
0.17
-0.01
0.02
-0.30
0.06
30
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Conclusions
Requiring certifications for firefighter, EMS, or Paramedic decreases or limits
diversity. Some surveyed departments have dealt with this issue by using two
different lists, and hiring from the certified list to maintain minimum required numbers.
Other non certified employees are allowed time after hire to obtain necessary
certifications or are provided training.
2 Having continuous and open application periods and continuous testing decreases
diversity. This may be because this decreases the recruitment effort that normally
would occur right before testing when departments test on an annual or bi- annual
cycle. Most departments would not be able to maintain the necessary level of
recruiting effort continuously.
3 Having personal contact with candidates during the recruiting period, including offering
preparation classes is very helpful. Preparation classes should be inclusive and open
to all candidates if possible. Ensure that the classes are not filled up with candidates
referred by current employees and do not include adequate numbers of your targeted
groups.
4 The communication about the department's diversity and inclusion intent and
commitment is critical. For retaining Minorities and Women, and for using the current
employees to recruit others, the enforcement of harassment policies is also critical.
5 Providing detail about the job, the process, and the department's values is important.
6 Preference points may either help or hurt diversity. Generally, preference points for
city residence or city employment will help Minorities when representation is high in
the city. Giving Veteran's points will hurt women. Giving preference for prior
experience decreases diversity.
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5. Comparison of "Top 10" departments to others
Even among the surveyed departments, all of which do some active and effective recruiting,
there are differences in recruiting methods used and results achieved. We divided our
departments into 3 groups for further statistical analysis for comparison purposes.
Departments that had been under a consent decree in the recent past were excluded (n = 7).
Although the participant departments that have been under a consent decree are doing very
innovative and active recruiting; they began with a great advantage in their diversity that
would skew this comparison.
The groups are:
1 Top 10 Most Successful Departments (Rated in terms of successful in recruiting total
Minorities)
2 Middle 8 Moderately Successful Departments
3 Remaining 5 Less Successful Departments
Similarities and Differences in Recruitment Methods used by surveyed Departments:
1 All of the departments use many different methods. That is, they do not rely on just a
few methods to recruit.
2 Almost all of the departments use a combination of Traditional and Innovative
recruiting methods and approaches.
3 The Top 10 departments in our sample (Most Successful) use more Innovative (and
targeted) approaches than the other departments.
4 The Middle 8 departments (Moderately Successful) use some Innovative methods, but
rely more on Traditional methods.
5 The bottom 5 departments (Less Successful) rely more on Traditional methods and
approaches.
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( ) Finding #1
Our Top 10 Most Successful departments use more methods in combination than our
Moderately successful departments.
1 Top 10 departments use an average of 6 and up to 9 of the most Innovative methods.
2 Moderately Successful departments use an average of 3 and up to 6 of the Innovative
methods.
0 Finding #2
What are the most effective recruiting methods?
1 Minority Radio /TV Ads
2 Direct Mail Interest Cards
3 Minority Publication Ads
4 News Stories
5 Female Radio /TV Ads
6 Cadet /Explorer Program
7 Mentoring Applicants
8 Word of Mouth is used very effectively when there is diversity in the department on
which to build!
• All of these methods are used in combination with targeting the desired group.
• Each of these methods is used by over half of the top 10 departments.
• The Top 10 departments use these methods more than our other departments.
• These methods are more effective because they seem to target the desired
group more directly.
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UP Finding #3
What are other effective recruiting methods used by our Moderately Successful
departments?
1 Community Events
2 Job Fairs
3 Ads Local Newspapers
4 Ads Major Metro Newspapers
5 Radio Ads
6 Network TV Ads
7 Cable /Local Access TV
8 Female Publication Ads
9 Public Service Announcements
• These are additional methods used somewhat successfully.
• All departments use some of these methods.
• Our Moderately Successful group uses these methods more than the most
effective methods used by the Top 10 group.
• The major difference between these methods and the methods used by the
Top 10 is that these methods are not as targeted. They reach a more general
audience.
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a Finding #4
What are the Least Effective recruiting methods for increasing Diversity?
1 Word of Mouth — This is only effective if there is some diversity in the department to
attract and refer other diversity, and if it is planned and formalized.
2 Dept/City Website — This is a method to reinforce your diversity message and to
provide recruiting information. It is not effective to recruit if the candidate does not
know about you.
3 Schools /Community Centers /Churches — Attending events or making isolated
presentations is less effective. Working with community groups and building
relationships is effective.
4 Assistance /mentoring — Offering short term classes for test preparation immediately
prior to testing is traditional, but not effective for recruiting larger numbers of Minorities
and females. Many of these programs enroll more white men than other groups.
5 Open House — Same comments as for word of mouth. This typically engages
candidates who already know about your organization.
6 Other Website — Same comments as for Department Website.
7 Orientation /Info Session — Same comments as for Assistance / Mentoring.
• These are very common methods used by most departments.
• Without planning and effort they likely reach Non Minorities more than
Minorities unless they are targeted and structured.
• They reach men & women equally, but may not appeal to women unless a
targeted approach is used.
• They are "minimum" efforts that are more traditional. Effectiveness varies.
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( ) Finding #5
There are differences in which methods are more effective for different groups.
Some of the Most Successful Recruitment Efforts for Blacks
• Cadet /Explorer Program
• Direct Mail
• Radio Ads
• Ads in Minority Publications
• Cable /Local Access TV Ads
• Community Events
• Mentoring
• Orientation /Information Sessions
Some of the Most Successful Recruitment Efforts for Hispanics
• Cadet /Explorer Program
• Radio Ads
• Ads in Minority Publications
• Cable /Local Access TV Ads
• Community Events
• Mentoring
• Job Fairs
• Minority Radio Ads
• Orientation /Information Sessions
Some of the Most Successful Recruitment Efforts for women
• Cadet /Explorer Program
• Radio / TV Ads on stations targeting women
• Ads in Major and Minority Publications
• Radio Ads
• Job Fairs
• Orientation /Information Sessions
• Formal advertising in different media is very effective for women!
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CWH IAFF Diversity Initiative A6
Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Fire Service Workforce
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CWH IAFF Diversity Initiative A6
Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Fire Service Workforce
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6. Obstacles to Diversity
Diversity recruitment requires a recognition of the need to diversify, an awareness of
effective methods, a commitment to a program and strategies, and the assignment of
resources. As we conducted the second phase of our study: interviews with IAFF Local
Presidents, Recruiters, Chief Officers, Human Resources personnel, and others in various
departments around the country, we learned why many departments do not have any
recruitment programs in place, and especially not for diversity recruitment. Over half of the
departments initially nominated to participate in the study of Best Practices used, self -
selected out of providing information because they did not believe that their department
actually does effective recruiting.
Most of the people we interviewed in the departments that self selected out of the survey
believe that diversity is decreasing in the Fire Service, not increasing. At least that is true in
their own departments, and it is predicted for the country, especially with upcoming
retirements and the end of many consent decrees and Affirmative Action initiatives put in
place in the 70's and 80's.
The comments received during these brief interviews inform us about some of the problems
with Recruitment, Selection, and Retention in the Fire Service. This section highlights some
of the major obstacles in achieving diversity.
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Obstacle 1. Being passive or defeatist about the
problem. CWH has worked with departments who believe
that being challenged legally and forced into a consent
decree is a more realistic option or achievable goal than
actually solving the problem. Unfortunately, consent
decrees end, and they can have strong and lasting negative
impacts. If the recruiting and selection process has not been
corrected, the problem repeats itself as firefighters retire.
Our literature review also shows that people hired under an
affirmative action plan may have a stigma attached to them
for their entire careers (Heilman, Block, & Lucas, 1992).
Another study reported that some Blacks withdraw from the
selection process if there is a perception of favoritism
towards Blacks, rather than deal with the stigma for the
duration of their careers (Schmit & Ryan, 1997).
Ac
Seven (over 20%) of the surveyed
departments had been under
consent decrees at some time in
the past.
This situation can be a catalyst for
change, as is the case with our
surveyed departments, or it can be
a temporary relief that eventually
reverts back to the conditions that
caused the legal action.
Three other departments in the
original 80+ are currently or were
also under consent decrees, but
they have not appeared to have
implemented corrective policies.
"We are currently representative of the community because of a consent decree, but it ended
9 years ago. In the past 8 years, we have hired 2 Blacks and 1 Hispanic."
Interview respondent, medium sized department in the Midwest
"We are under a consent decree until 2007. There is no incentive to recruit, so we don't. If
30% of Minorities pass the test, the recruit class must be 30% minority. The union President
has pushed for year -round recruitment and training /preparation for candidates, but this has
fallen on deaf ears."
Interview respondent, medium -large department in the Midwest
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UP
43% of the surveyed
Obstacle 2. The selection process does not measure the
departments use a written
most important skills and abilities. Tests that do not measure a
test validated for their
wide range of appropriate and important skills and characteristics
department, and another
will screen out quality and diversit
q Y Y•
transportability have done .
transportability study.
"Diversity is lessening every day. We used to be on a 2 list system, and it may go back to
that soon. Recruitment efforts have not been successful in getting Minorities to apply — and
those who do have a hard time passing the test. Our union and management have a good
relationship and we all realize we have a problem."
Interview respondent — medium department in the Midwest
"We are not representative of the community and never will be with the current test. The
current PAT focuses on upper body strength, not aerobic capacity. We are getting bulky
men in worse shape than our incumbents."
Interview respondent — medium - large department in the South
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Obstacle 3. The selection process
requires education, certification, or prior
experience that limits diversity. This is often
used to reduce the applicant pool or to
address a specific need in the department.
However, this decreases diversity significantly
and has effects that last for up to 30 years.
A6
In separate CWH recruitment surveys administered
to candidates in 4 large NE departments, 56% of
Whites had previous experience (volunteer or paid),
compared to 21% of Blacks. 49% of Whites had FFI
certification, compared to only 17% of Blacks. The
same trend is true of men compared to women.
None of the surveyed departments require prior
experience.
83% do not require FF1 certification until after hire.
74% do not require EMT -B until after hire.
"Our representation does not match our community. We now require fire academy
graduation and college courses. Our department pays lip service to diversity, but we do not
do anything to achieve it."
Interview respondent, medium department in the West
"Our department is mostly White males. Our community is 70% — 80% Black and Hispanic.
Candidates must be paramedics to apply, but our community is very impoverished, and it is
unlikely that we will be able to recruit from our community."
Interview respondent — small department in the Midwest
"We are lacking in diversity. The last minority we hired was 15 years ago. We used to be
known for hiring women, but that is going down too. We look for people with volunteer
experience. We do not do any real recruiting."
Interview respondent- small department in the West
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aObstacle 4. Not knowing how to reach
the desired groups effectively.
A6
The literature review and our surveyed departments
show that recruiting should be focused on the
desired group with a message of inclusiveness. It
should put forth a strong message about why the
career of firefighting is beneficial for them. Also,
having women and Minority recruiters may help, as
well as showing diversity in the recruitment
materials.
"We have traveled around the country to recruit women, but efforts have not been
successful. "
Interview respondent - medium department in the Northwest
"We are lacking in diversity. The last few recruit classes haven't had any women. The last
class of 32 had 1 Minority. Our recruitment efforts, including ads in Minority publications and
having a booth at the library in Minority communities, have not been successful."
Interview respondent - large department in the Southwest
"We are not representative. We have 12 Blacks and 15 women out of 280 sworn. Our
recruitment efforts — going to neighborhoods, churches, and cultural events, putting ads in
newspapers, radio, and TV — have not been successful. "
Interview respondent- medium department in the Northeast
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Obstacle 5. Not communicating a clear
message of the value of diversity within the
organization, not fostering an inclusive
environment within the organization, and not
developing or enforcing policies regarding
harassment.
Ac
Our literature review says that informal methods of
recruitment are the most frequently used and
effective methods of recruitment for all jobs. That
includes word of mouth and referrals, which are
used extensively in the Fire Service. However, this
method of recruitment promotes homogeneity in the
workforce (Jackson et al., 1991). Where internal
values and policies do not support diversity, informal
recruiting such as word of mouth can even work in
the reverse.
"Our representation has gotten better for Hispanics and Blacks, but worse for women. The
department does not make any conscious effort to recruit — it is mostly word of mouth.
Women are warning other women not to apply. "
Interview respondent - large department in the West
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7. Data Collection Process and Sample Selection
Selecting our sample
The departments in our sample were selected from both the United States and Canada to be
representative of the membership departments of the International Association of Fire
Fighters (IAFF). The one absolute criterion for inclusion in the study was that the department
had to have some paid firefighting personnel. Because of this, paid and combination
departments were included in the study, while strictly volunteer departments were not. So
that the results would generalize to a wide variety of fire departments, we made a conscious
effort to include departments of various sizes, types, and locations. We also tried to include
at least one department from each of the 16 IAFF Districts.
Department selection occurred through the following steps:
Putting out a request for departments to self- identify as a best practice in recruitment.
This request was put out separately by both the IAFF and the International Association of
Fire Chiefs (IAFC).
Reviewing demographic data on IAFF Locals collected through an IAFF Internal
Organizing Survey to determine departments with good minority and female
representation.
Conducting a search of department web sites to gather information on their recruitment
practices.
From this process, we identified 81 departments to complete a short screening survey and
interview. A list of these departments in included in the Appendix.
Administering the Short Screening Survey and Interview
The screening survey was a telephone interview that solicited opinions on department
diversity and recruitment. Specifically, we asked whether diversity in the department
represented the diversity in the community served; what the department's recruitment efforts
consisted of; and whether those recruitment efforts were successful in attracting women and
minorities. (For a complete list of questions, see the Appendix) For the majority of the 81
departments surveyed, the person interviewed was the President of the IAFF Local Union. In
certain cases, union representatives referred us to department members involved in the
recruitment process.
The purpose of the screening survey was to identify potentially successful departments to
complete a comprehensive survey on recruitment, selection, and retention practices. The
comprehensive survey was lengthy and time - consuming. We did not want to unnecessarily
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burden departments by asking them to complete the survey if they did not have a successful
recruitment program. Based on the responses we received to the screening survey, we were
able to narrow down our sample for the comprehensive survey. For a department to move
on to the comprehensive survey, they had to express both of the following characteristics of
their department:
1. Were making an active recruitment effort; and
2. Had some success in their representation of women and /or minorities in the
department.
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Comprehensive Survey Sample and Responses
Based on responses to the screening survey, we invited 44 departments to complete the
comprehensive survey. Of the 44 invited departments, 29 departments fully completed the
survey, 4 departments partially completed the survey, and 11 departments either declined to
participate or did not complete the survey. Most of the results presented in this report are
based on survey responses from the departments who fully completed the survey. In some
cases, as indicated, results include departments who provided partial responses.
Attached to this report is Appendix 3 - Summary of Survey Responses to the long survey.
This report can be used to see the following types of information about the surveyed departments.
1. Department description
2. Demographics
3. Description /Size
4. Incentive Pay
5. Consent Decree
6. Education / Experience requirements
7. Written Test
8. PAT
9. Other selection processes
10. Preference points
11. Testing schedule
12. Average number hired
13. Drop out rates
14. Recruitment methods
15. Recruitment messages
16. Preparation assistance
17. Recruiters
18. Diversity message /training
19. Accommodation of women
20. Recognized employee groups
21. Other requirements
22. Background check
23. Why candidates drop out
24. Time for recruiting before test
25. Candidate contact
26. Community groups & events
27. Most successful efforts
28. Advice
29. Mentors
30. Accommodating women
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If you would like to see the initial screening interview, see Appendix 1. If you would like to review a
list of the Survey Questions, please see Appendix 2.
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