Opportunity #2: Staffing, Recruitment and Retention

Opportunity #2: Staffing, Recruitment and Retention

Recommendation 2.1: Establish a joint labor management committee review the promotional process.

The joint labor management committee should evaluate the promotional process in its entirety to ensure that test components correlate to the current job descriptions and JPRs established by the national standard as they relate to the positions within the Southington Fire Department.

As the ultimate goal should be to ensure a defensible promotion process in the event of a legal challenge, ESCI also suggests that the Southington Fire Department re-evaluate the merits of including the civilian Board of Fire Commissioners within the promotional process.

It is ESCI’s suggestion that the Southington Fire Department may improve the current promotional process by allowing the professional human resources and fire department personnel to conduct the entire process, thereby eliminating the potential political influence that could be introduced by the inclusion of the elected board.

Recommendation 2.2: Conduct reviews of current compensation structures, market competitiveness, and department compensation philosophies.

An agency’s ability to attract, hire, and retain personnel has a direct impact on its ability to provide the desired services effectively and efficiently. The Southington Fire Department is no different. Agencies should provide periodic reviews of current compensation structures, market competitiveness, and department compensation philosophies. These internal and external comparisons of equitable positions and workloads ensure the agency can attract and maintain an effective workforce.

Recommendation 2.3: The Southington Fire Department should make it a priority to retain their active existing volunteer firefighters.

Considering that the cost per call of an existing firefighter who responded to 25% or more of the Southington Fire Department’s calls in 2019 is 18.5% less than the cost of a new volunteer firefighter who responded to between 12.5 and 24% of Southington’s calls for service in 2019, the Southington Fire Department should make it a priority to retain their active existing volunteer firefighters.

ESCI recommends that the Southington Fire Department make it a priority to not only recruit new members, but to also retain its existing volunteer members by researching programs and activities that will support current department’s efforts to recruit and retain volunteer firefighters.

Recommendation 2.4: Establish participation requirements for volunteer firefighters to ensure that the town is not paying a higher cost per call for volunteer firefighters than it does for career firefighters.

When evaluating the cost of a volunteer firefighter compared to a career firefighter, ESCI used the total cost for an entry-level firefighter based on the 2019 salary and a 38% multiplier to the total cost accounted for employee benefits. ESCI notes that the cost of a career firefighter per call is actually less than the cost of a new volunteer firefighter who responded to between 12.5 and 24% of the calls for service in 2019. A new volunteer firefighter who responded to 25% or more of the calls for service in 2019 does provide a savings for the town compared to the salary of a career firefighter.

Recommendation 2.5: Review the medical evaluation program for compliance with NFPA 1582: Standard on Comprehensive Occupational Medical Program for Fire Departments.

In addition to reviewing the medical program for compliance with NFPA 1582, the Southington Fire Department should consider emphasizing health and wellness programs for its first responders because of an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer in the fire service. Prevention programs and health monitoring provide cost savings to fire organizations, reducing workers' compensation costs, sick leave/overtime hiring costs, and improves the overall mental and physical health and wellness of first responders.

Recommendation 2.6: Replace the height and weight requirements for career and volunteer firefighters with a periodic assessment under the supervision of the fire department health and fitness coordinator.

While height and weight requirements were once considered to be the primary measure of firefighter fitness, NFPA 1583, Standard on Health-Related Fitness Programs for Fire Department Members recommends a periodic assessment under the supervision of the fire department health and fitness coordinator.

ESCI noted that Article 29 of the 2018-2020 Contract between the Town of Southington and IAFF Local 2033 includes the following height and weight restrictions for career firefighters. These same requirements are listed at the top of the application to become a volunteer firefighter.

Figure 132. Firefighter Height and Weight Restrictions

6.2 Fitness Assessment

6.2.1 All members shall be cleared annually for participation in the fitness assessment by the physician as directed by NFPA 1582. 6.2.2* If a member has an acute medical problem or a newly acquired chronic medical condition, the fitness assessment shall be postponed until that person has recovered from this condition and is cleared as is required by 6.2.1. 6.3 Pre-Assessment Questionnaire. The health and fitness coordinator shall administer to all members a pre-assessment questionnaire that seeks to identify contraindications for participation in the fitness assessment and department exercise program. 6.4* Fitness Assessment Components. The annual fitness assessments shall consist of the following components: (1) Aerobic capacity (2) Body composition (3) Muscular strength (4) Muscular endurance (5) Flexibility

Recommendation 2.7: Track and monitor the five “Indicators for Change” to identify trends that may lead to the need for additional career staffing.

The Volunteer and Combination Officers Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs identified five “Indicators for Change” in its Red Ribbon Report. While there is no established rule about when a community should consider hiring additional paid firefighters, these Indicators do provide guidance for when a community should expect to increase paid staffing.

ESCI recommends that the Southington Fire Department begin automatically tracking the metrics listed below and monitoring them monthly to identify trends that may lead to the need for additional paid staffing.

Figure 133. Indicators For Change

IAFC

Indicators for Change 1. Community Growth Description

A history of community growth and projected increases in demand can help forecast and plan for changes in the delivery of emergency services.

2. Community Aging

A fire department’s ability to recruit new members is in part dependent on the supply of new, younger people who can be tapped for service. A community’s age profile can be an indicator of potential volunteer firefighter recruitment problems ahead. 3. Reduced Staffing Units responding with fewer than the required number of people needed to perform that unit’s functions pose a serious problem for the safety of citizens and the responders. 4. Extended Response Times When units regularly fail to get out of the fire station in a timely manner because of inadequate staffing resources, the community is endangered and fire department managers have a reliability problem.

5. Missed Calls

When an emergency call goes unanswered, the fire department has a serious problem, not just because life and property are at stake, but also because it is a failure highly visible to the public.