Career Progression and Succession Planning Continuing Education, Officer Development, Promotional Methods, and Candidate Evaluations Deputy Chief Michael Young (Retired) National Fire Protection Association. All rights reserved.
Fire Service Delivery United Kingdom British and Scottish Fire Services are centralized organizations based on a national paramilitary system and have a uniformity of services United States & Canada Wide variety of fire service models, levels of service delivery Dependent upon form of government City or town, county, unincorporated area Geography and size of area of responsibility Population and building density Urban or suburban Rural or remote
Factors Influencing the U.S. Fire Service Just as communities differ in size, geography, topography, population and density, so do fire departments, which vary in size, staffing levels, training, and promotional requirements and methods.
Factors Influencing the U.S. Fire Service Department variables Full-time paid professionals Combination department Paid-on-call or volunteers Recruitment & hiring Statewide civil service entry exam Local community-based testing and hiring Local county exams Many call/volunteer fire departments conduct their own fitness and physical assessment test processes
Fire Department Organizational Types Paid: Full-time fire service; hiring may be done through a civil service system or in-house Combination: Full-time firefighter force augmented by part-time, paid-on-call or volunteer firefighters Paid-On-Call: Firefighters who respond to and are compensated for incidents as they occur Volunteer: Firefighters who receive no financial compensation
Civil Service System A statewide human resources department that processes employment applications, administers entrance and promotional examinations Some major cities have a municipal civil service division to perform this function Candidates must meet certain criteria to apply: Be at least 18 years old Possess a valid driver s license Have a high school diploma or G.E.D. No previous felony convictions May not smoke tobacco products
Statewide or Municipal Entrance Exams Entrance examinations are usually given every two years. If you pass the written examination, you must then pass a medical exam and physical strength and agility test to be placed on an eligibility list. The eligibility list is usually valid for only two years, until the results of the next exam are validated. Candidates for the statewide exam may select up to three cities or towns of their choice to which they send their results. Most communities institute a residents preference policy in hiring before candidates from outside the city or town are considered.
Why is Smoking Prohibited? Most cities and towns prohibit the candidate from smoking for their career, both on-duty and off-duty, as a condition of the health care coverage and retirement plan benefit requirements. Many states have cancer and heart/lung presumption laws that presume certain types of cancer, lung disease or heart attacks to be job-related due to the environmental risks firefighters encounter throughout their careers. If the firefighter suffers from a covered illness and must retire, he/she becomes eligible for a job-related disability retirement as if they were injured on the job.
Hiring Preference for Veterans and Children of LODD and Disabled Firefighters Disabled veterans and veterans receive preference in placement on the eligibility list. Absolute preference is given to any child of a firefighter killed in the line of duty or one who has been permanently disabled.
Recruit Training Training of recruit firefighters may be conducted at a state fire academy About a 12 week process Graduates are certified as FF 1 & 2 levels, as well as first responder and haz-mat operational level qualified Large cities often have their own fire training facilities Call and volunteer departments may conduct training in-house or may send their recruits to a local, county or state fire academy
Education Career development and continuing education: Recruit training Fire academy Departmental in-house training Higher educational institutions: Associate s degree programs: Fire science, EMS, public safety Bachelor s degree: Emergency management, public administration National Fire Academy, Executive Fire Officer Program
Self-Guided Study Online research, vocation-based websites Professional journals Conferences Seminars Conventions Technical journals, textbooks
Promotional Opportunities Each fire department s promotional process varies with the type of organization, size and location. Statewide civil service promotional exams are offered on a two-year cycle. The city or town decides to call for an exam depending upon the anticipated job openings due to retirement, injury or promotion of an individual to a higher rank. Examinations require a candidate to read several fire service textbooks; questions are culled from the reading materials.
Promotional Process If a candidate receives a passing score, their name is placed on the eligibility list. Their raw exam score is combined with a training & experience score, which takes into account previous education, trainings, certifications and years of experience. Candidates are then interviewed and evaluated for promotion by the hiring authority in the community (fire chief, mayor, town manager or a committee). Some communities have conditions for promotion, such as years on the job, before you can take the exam for the next rank.
Assessment Center Promotional Process Alternative option to the basic written examination A third-party company is hired to administer the promotional test Tests may include: written exam, which may be based upon dept. SOG s, fire science, personnel or supervisory styles oral interview to evaluate public speaking and communication skills hypothetical fire problem scenario assessing knowledge of tactics and strategy budget preparation exercise and presentation evaluating management skills and ability to analyze, formulate a plan and present justification to officials coherently In-box exercise to assess organizational skills and abilities This type of process is becoming more popular
Call and Volunteer Departments Promotions in call and volunteer departments are often based upon seniority, previous performance or arbitrary decision of the fire chief. Some fire chiefs are appointed by the town officials. In other more rural areas, the position of fire chief is an elected position determined by those within the membership of the fire department. In a fire district, a board of engineers or commission may be the hiring authority which appoints a fire chief.
Depiction of Benjamin Franklin, advocate of the volunteer fire service Founder of the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 7, 1736 Also co-founder of the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss of Fire, The First Mutual Insurance Company
Leadership & Succession Planning It is the Job of Every Leader to Work Yourself Out of a Job * * Jim Mathis, Reinventing Your Leadership: Change Your Strategy, Change Your Results National Fire Protection Association. All rights reserved.
Leadership & Succession Planning You don t plan to fail.. You fail to plan Hire people who can replace you! Leadership Responsibility Authority Give your people permission to act
NFPA Codes and Standards Website key word search for officer development (over 1,400 hits) NFPA 1021, Standard for Fire Officer Professional Qualifications Identifies job performance requirements (JPRs) for a fire officer NFPA 1521, Standard for Fire Department Safety Officer JPRs necessary to perform functions of health/safety officer or incident safety officer NFPA 1035, Standard for Fire & Life Safety Educator, Public Information Officer, Youth Firesetter Intervention Specialist, and Youth Firesetter Program Manager Professional Qualifications
NFPA Codes and Standards NFPA 1001, Standard for Fire Fighter Professional Qualifications NFPA 1031, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Inspector and Plan Reviewer NFPA 1033, Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire Investigator NFPA 1041, Standard for Fire Service Instructor Professional Qualifications
Chief Officer Certification International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) in 1998 initiated a program to certify chief officers Based upon criteria developed in Canada Modified by an IAFC task group This process is extensive and professional Many communities list having this certification as a preferred or required qualification for candidates being recruited for chief officer positions
What Defines a Good Leader? If we know what we want in a leader, it shouldn t be difficult to find and develop those skills in those who aspire to rise to leadership positions. If we are not able to identify what we are looking for, how can we begin to train successors to fill the leadership positions in our organization? Without knowing what to look for in a candidate, we aren t able to guide and develop the next generation of fire service officers, chiefs and leaders. Is leadership a function of rank, or reputation and respect?
What are the JPRs of a Good Leader? Skills Talents Attributes Qualities Traits Characteristics Features
Assets & Qualifications Wisdom Confidence Honesty Experience Common sense Competence Commitment Dedication Education Training Judgement Empathy Accountability Communication skills Open-minded Forward-thinking Responsible Caring Motivation
It seems like the command staff keeps getting younger and younger
When Should Succession Planning and Leadership Development Training Begin?
Notice that the chief is not at the top of the ladder A good chief supports his/her troops He/she encourages them to advance upward He/she acknowledges that the most important resource is his/her employees
Good Luck in Your Career, Stay Safe
Questions
Thank You! Mike Young dcyoungpfd@verizon.net 508-941-4609 53