Page 9 - InCommand Volume 31

Community Engagement and involves a year-round effort to reach out to, maintain constant contact with, and mentor potential fire recruits. It involves creating partnerships with community leaders across all ethnicities and genders. The partnerships
include faith-based organizations and businesses who can assist by creating relationships between our community engagement team and potential recruits. It also includes partnerships with educational institutions that include kids from 8 years old to college. We are currently exploring
the formation of a public safety vocational program in our public- school system that will enable high schoolers to obtain basic fire and EMT certifications upon graduation.
Community engagement also allows us to address the issue of distrust in the minority community for people in uniform. History cannot be forgotten. There are a lot of people in minority communities who still have images embedded in their brains of fire hoses and German Shepherds being used
in attacks on civil rights workers. Those hoses and dogs were held by firefighters and police officers. It is our responsibility to change that image by fostering an environment of trust.
The second area we need to address is the hiring process. Is it truly an equitable opportunity? Diversity is not achievable without equal opportunity.
The previous hiring process required an applicant to be 18 years old, have
a high school diploma or GED, and have a valid driver’s license in order to sit for the written test. This resulted in the elimination of potential candidates who were seniors in high school,
on track to graduate, but were only
17 years old. It also made it nearly impossible for a large percentage of urban high school students in a public- school system that removed drivers’ education from its curriculum.
The previous hiring process involved background checks that assigned negative points to candidates for speeding tickets, negative employment evaluations, and other infractions that disparately affect potential candidates from minority or underserved communities.
The computerized testing
process requires fees for testing and practice tests. These fees have a disparate impact on those of a lower socioeconomic status, potentially rendering them incapable of taking the test. The physical agility testing (Firefighter Mile) also has a $100 fee, potentially eliminating a quality candidate with limited financial resources.
The hiring timeline also has a disparate impact on many candidates from underserved communities. The time period from test to hire can be
as long as two years. We often lose quality candidates who do not have the ability to wait for an extended period of time because of an immediate need to feed their families. As a result, we have lost candidates to factory jobs
or other jobs that can hire on shorter time frames.
TFRD has worked with the Citizens Committee for Firefighter Recruitment and Retention and the city’s Human Resource Department to address some of the issues with the hiring process. A high school senior who is 17 years old can now take the test if he or she is on track to graduate. The requirement to
have a driver’s license prior to the test has been changed to a requirement
to have it prior to being hired, giving the candidate more time to acquire
his or her license. Understanding the financial challenges of some potential candidates, we are now offering vouchers for testing to residents of the city of Toledo who wish to participate in the testing processes. We are also working with our Human Resources Department to re-evaluate the negative point system in the background process.
Effective recruiting strategies and the provision of equitable opportunities
are key areas in achieving the goal
of a department that reflects the community that it serves. We have to be up to the challenge.
Change is a process. The Toledo Fire and Rescue Department is constantly working to improve
our processes to insure equitable opportunity for all who desire to join our ranks. As a department, we are proud to say that our last graduating recruit class was one of the most diverse classes since 1984.
I completely disagree with the premise that quality has to be compromised or standards lowered
in order to achieve diversity in the
fire service. As a matter of fact, that premise irritates my soul! We must effectively recruit, mentor and educate potential candidates. We are here
to serve. We are privileged to serve. Recruits must understand our purpose and what it is that they must do to earn the privilege to serve. It is our duty and responsibility to provide equal opportunity for all who want to earn that privilege.
JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020 • www.ohiofirechiefs.org I n C o m m a n d 9