2018-136 Fire Department Hiring PracticesDate: September 28, 2018 Report No. 2018-136
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Fire Department Recruiting Practices
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The purpose of this report is to provide City Council with a history of Fire Department recruiting
practices, diversity initiatives, and program opportunities.
DISCUSSION:
Beginning in 2000, Fire developed an informal recruiting process that focused on increasing
diversity in the department. These efforts included sending recruiters to various locations
throughout Texas and Louisiana. During this period, the department conducted Civil Service
Entrance Exams in Southeast Texas to expand the applicant base. A review of this approach did
not demonstrate any significant impacts on department diversity.
In 2006, Fire formalized a recruiting program by creating a Recruitment Officer. The job
responsibilities included regular visits to Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Schools,
along with attending multiple special events with recruitment information. The position also
focused on recruitment advertising for the department in trade magazines, social media, and
through radio advertisements. The recruiting approach for the first ten years of the formalized
program continued to show limited impact on department diversity.
In 2016, the Recruitment Officer left the position which presented an opportunity to examine the
program. Presently, several new aspects of recruitment have been added to the position which is
now titled Community Service Officer.
Presently, the Community Service Officer dedicates a large portion of his time connecting with
students throughout Texas by visiting colleges and accredited Fire and EMS academies on a
weekly basis. Preliminary results indicate an increased interest from Paramedic, Basic
Emergency Medical Technician, and Fire Academy students. One goal, from the site visits is to
increase attendance at the next Denton Fire Civil Service Entrance Exam scheduled for January
2019. Students that currently do not possess Fire or EMS certifications are also being targeted in
an effort to increase future attendance for entrance exams, upon meeting minimum hiring
requirements. This strategy has resulted in distributing information to a wider group of not only
candidate-ready students, but future candidates as well, therefore increasing opportunities to
diversify the department.
Date: September 28, 2018 Report No. 2018-136
The graph below depicts a summary of entrance exam demographics from 2017 and 2018.
Additionally, the current Community Service Officer is focusing on the following programs:
Home Grown Program: The concentration of this program centers on the department
partnering with Denton Independent School District (DISD) and North Central Texas College
(NCTC). DISD in conjunction with NCTC has implemented a Fire and EMS program at their
Advanced Technology Center (ATC). These accredited programs are offered to high-school
students in DISD and surrounding communities. Upon completion of the program, students will
be eligible to test for the Fire and EMS Certifications. The first group from this program will
Date: September 28, 2018 Report No. 2018-136
graduate in May of 2020. With these local programs in place the department is looking at
amending hiring requirements through the Meet & Confer Agreement with the Denton Fire
Fighters Association. This change would incentivize graduates of the DISD program to have a
path from high school into a career with the Denton Fire Department. Each program has an
associated cost and tuition to participate, and at this time the City of Denton does not offer any
scholarships for prospective ATC students. NCTC has communicated that students who qualify
for the free or reduced lunch program do have the opportunity to receive discounted tuition.
Fire Explorer Program: This program is sponsored by the department in conjunction with the
Boy Scouts of America. The purpose of this program is to provide young adults with the
opportunity to experience the fire service and develop interpersonal, leadership, and
organizational skills while providing a community service. This program is at no cost to eligible
participants. Meetings are currently held on the first and third Monday of every month at Fire
Station # 7 located at 4201 Vintage Blvd. Eligible participants are between the ages of 14-19, of
any gender, enrolled in high school, be of sound health, and possess no deficiency that would
prevent an individual from a career in fire service. Applications can be found on the Denton Fire
Department Facebook page or online at: http://www.exploring.org/wp-
content/uploads/2015/11/EXPL-Youth-App-619579.pdf.
Fire Summer Camp: This new program is anticipated to kick off in the summer of 2019. The
goal of the one week camp will be to teach students the importance of teamwork and physical
fitness, while building self-confidence. Students will engage in fire and EMS related activities
in a controlled environment with scenarios utilizing discipline, training, skills, and equipment
used by firefighters today. This program is at no cost to eligible participants. Eligible
participants are DISD students entering fifth grade. In the spring of 2019 information will be
distributed through the City website, social media, and at special events attended by the Fire
Department.
Active strides to improve diversity include the formation of a Diversity Advisory Group. This
group was formed to collaboratively explore opportunities that potentially diversify the
department by establishing an open line of communication between stakeholders in the
community. The key objective is to build a partnership in which goals are shared with a
common vision.The advisory group kicked off on September 10, 2018. The advisory group is
presently represented by the local chapters of LULAC, NAACP, North Texas Women
Firefighters along with Denton Fire Department Members, and the Denton Firefighters
Association. The advisory group is scheduled to meet quarterly, during these meetings the Fire
Department will present current recruitment initiatives. This will allow the group the
opportunity to discuss topics related to the underlying goal of diversity in the department.
Date: September 28, 2018 Report No. 2018-136
ATTACHMENTS:
November 14, 2017 Fire Department Hiring Practices Presentation
November 14, 2017 Fire Department Hiring Practices Video:
http://denton-tx.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=3&clip_id=1577&meta_id=171784
STAFF CONTACT:
Kenneth Hedges, Fire Chief
(940) 349-8830
Kenneth.Hedges@cityofdenton.com
City of Denton Nov 14, 2017
Fire Department Hiring Practices
Objectives:
1.Provide a high-level overview of Fire Department current
hiring practices related to Civil Service Code 143 and the
Meet and Confer Agreement.
2.Address Council’s question regarding scholarships and other
steps to increase diversity.
2
Regulatory Matrix:
Fire Department Hiring Practices are regulated by 3 primary bodies:
Texas Local Government Code 143 (Civil Service)
The purpose of Civil Service is to secure efficient fire and police departments composed of capable
personnel who are free from political influence and who have permanent employment tenure as public
servants.
Outline of general hiring practices.
City of Denton Rules and Regulations of the Civil Service Commission
Establishes some clarity regarding testing and hiring.
Primarily focuses on the local implementation of procedures outlined in Texas Local Government Code
Chapter 143.
Updated as needed by the Human Resources Department with input from the Police and Fire
Departments.
Fire Department Meet and Confer Agreement
Mutually agreed upon agreement between the City of Denton and the Firefighters’ Association (Police have
a separate agreement).
Original Meet and Confer Agreement went into effect in 2006.
Can allow for changes in some hiring practices if mutually agreed upon.
In the event that either side terminates or does not renew, the Fire Department reverts back to Local
Government Code 143 Civil Service requirements.
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1.Candidates take the annual written entrance examination.
2.Scores are tabulated and any tie-breakers are determined.
3.Background investigations are conducted.
4.Polygraph exam.
5.Physical agility test is administered.
6.Oral Interview are conducted.
7.New ranking of candidates is formulated based on Oral Interview
scores.
8.Conditional Job Offers are given as positions open up.
9.Psychological testing.
10.Physical examination and drug screening.
11.Candidates can then start!
Basic Hiring Process:
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Minimum Qualifications
1.Must have a High School Diploma or GED
2.Must be a United States Citizen
3.Must be a Certified Texas Fire Fighter
4.Must be have a Texas Paramedic Certification
5.Must be at least 18 years old
6.Can have not reach your 36th birthday on the date the examination is administered
7.Must have no felony convictions or numerous misdemeanor convictions
8.Must have a valid driver’s license and be able to obtain a class B license within 1 year of
employment
9.Must pass a physical agility test
10.Must pass a medical examination
11.Vision must be correctable to 20/20 and have normal color vision
12.Must pass a psychological examination
13.Must pass a polygraph examination
14.Must pass a drug screen
Hiring Requirements:
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Hiring differences
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Fire Department
Age: Must be between 18 and 36
Education: GED or HS Diploma
DWI is not an absolute failure
Misdemeanors: Class A within 5yrs, B within 1 year
Physical, Physical Agility, and Drug Screen
Firefighter and Paramedic Certification
Police Department
Age: Between 18 and 45
Education: GED or HS Diploma AND 60 College Hours with at least a 2.0gpa (or active duty for 3 yrs)
No DWI in the past 10 years
Misdemeanors: Class A None, B within 10 years
Physical with Drug Screen
No Police Officer Certification
Where Do We Recruit?
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Advertising
Texas Commission on Fire Protection
International Association of Black Firefighters
International Association of Women in Fire Service
International Association of Firefighters
National Association of Hispanic Firefighters
North Texas Women Firefighters
EMS1
Fire Rescue 1
Fire Recruit.com
City of Denton Website
Department Website and Facebook
Local Schools
DISD Career Fairs (Multiple
Events)
DISD Careers on Wheels (Multiple Events)
TWU Kinship fair
UNT Emergency Management Program
Special Events
Denton Juneteenth
Denton Cinco de Mayo
Denton Blues Festival
Day of the Dead Festival
Denton Public Safety Day
Denton Heart Walk
Denton Arts and Jazz Festival
Arts, Antiques, and Autos
Denton Turkey Trot
Where Do We Recruit (cont)?
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Fire Academies
North Texas Fire Academy
Collin College
Navarro College
Tarrant County College
Weatherford College
McLennan College
Vernon College
Tyler Junior College
Fire Texas A&M Extension Services
Desoto Fire Academy
North Central Texas College
Paramedic Schools
El Centro College
Collin College
Weatherford College
Blinn College
Tarrant County College
Grayson College
Hill College
How Do We Advertise?
The Denton Fire Department utilizes a wide variety of traditional and non-traditional forms of advertising and marketing to
increase the candidate pool.
Print ads in trade magazines
Social Media
Email
City Website
Information Booths at Community Events
Booths at local Fire and EMS Trade Shows
Visit Schools
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Exam Demographics
10
2013
Number
Registered
2013
Percent
Registered
2014
Number
Registered
2014
Percent
Registered
2015
Number
Registered
2015
Percent
Registered
2016
Number
Registered
2016
Percent
Registered
2017
Number
Registered
2017
Percent
Registered
African
American 29 9.6%16 6.3%20 10.3%25 13.4%31 11.9%
Caucasian 230 75.9%199 78.7%140 72.2%115 61.8%178 68.2%
Hispanic 33 10.9%32 12.6%23 11.9%31 16.7%33 12.6%
Asian Pacific 5 1.7%1 0.4%4 2.1%4 2.2%7 2.7%
Native American 6 2.0%2 0.8%2 1.0%1 0.5%2 0.8%
Other 0 0.0%3 1.2%5 2.6%10 5.4%10 3.8%
Total 303 100.0%253 100.0%194 100.0%186 100.0%261 100.0%
Male 279 92.1%244 96.4%182 93.8%176 94.6%253 96.9%
Female 24 7.9%9 3.6%12 6.2%10 5.4%8 3.1%
303 253 194 186 261
2017 Exam
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Number
Registered
Number
Present
Percent
Present
Number
Passed
Percent
Passed
PHS
Submittals
PHS
Percent
African American 31 10 32.3%6 60.0%3 50.0%
Caucasian 178 76 42.7%74 97.4%45 60.8%
Hispanic 33 9 27.3%9 100.0%2 22.2%
Asian Pacific 7 3 42.9%3 100.0%2 66.7%
Native American 2 1 50.0%0 0.0%0 N/A
Other 10 2 20.0%2 100.0%1 50.0%
Total 261 101 38.7%94 93.1%53
Male 253 96 37.9%89 92.7%50 56.2%
Female 8 5 62.5%5 100.0%3 60.0%
Total 261 101 38.7%94 93.1%53 56.4%
Currently the Fire Department does not have any specific
scholarship programs.
Civil Service hiring practices limit the hiring guidelines which
make individual scholarship programs difficult to offer.
With Meet and Confer it may be possible to come up with a
mutually agreed upon alternative hiring program that includes
potential scholarships or similar items.
Do We Offer Scholarships?
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Continue recruiting in the same way.
Adjust the minimum qualifications in which candidates are
required to be a firefighter and paramedic prior to being hired.
This can have significant cost increase per candidate
Fire academy programs are approximately four month
Paramedic schools range are approximately Six to12 months
Estimated cost is approximately $31,000-$94,000 per individual
depending on the school needed. This estimate does not
include any potential backfill overtime.
Next Steps
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Develop a “Homegrown” recruiting program.
Partner with Denton ISD’s ATC program in the development of a fire academy to go along with their already established EMT program.
Program would provide most of the necessary training for candidates to complete during high school.
They could then go right into Paramedic School at NCTC upon graduation and be ready to be hired within 6 months of graduation.
This program would require a change in our Meet and Confer agreement.
Next Steps
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Comparable City Requirements
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Department Firefighter Paramedic EMT College Credit Hours
Arlington no no no no
Carrollton
no, but will receive 23
credit hours
no, but will receive 39
credit hours
no, but will receive 5
credit hours 30 hours, with 2.5 GPA
Fort Worth no no no
12, or a HS diploma or
GED
Frisco yes yes, or EMT yes, or paramedic no
Garland no no no no
Grand Prairie no yes no no
Irving no no no no
Lewisville yes yes no no
McKinney no no no 30 hours
Mesquite no no no
60 hours or 30 hours
and 2 years active
military
Plano yes yes no no
Richardson no no no no
Questions?
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