Recruitment Initiative 1 - National Fire Academynfa.usfa.fema.gov/pdf/efop/efo47673.pdf · Fire prevention activities have become much more technical and as a result have demanded

Recruitment Initiative 1

Running head: RECRUITMENT INITATIVE

Do Sedgwick County Fire District Employees Value an Internal Fire Prevention

Recruitment Initiative?

Tavis D. Leake

Sedgwick County Fire District #1, Park City, Kansas


CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of

others is set forth, quotation mark so indicate, and that the appropriate credit is given

where I have used the language, ideas, expression, or writings of another.

Signed: ________________________


Abstract

The Sedgwick County Fire District has not been able to fill open fire prevention

positions with internal operations personnel. SCFD recently retired ninety percent of the

fire prevention division due to an early retirement buy-out program. If SCFD does not

get qualified people in prevention, uncorrected code violations will increase leading to

deaths among civilians and firefighters. Commercial buildings that are not in compliance

would cause ISO (Insurance Service Office) ratings to increase along with individual

insurance premiums. The purpose of this research was to identify the reasons why

operations employees are not applying for openings in fire prevention.

The descriptive research method was used answering: What are the minimum

qualifications for working in fire prevention? What are the KSA’s (knowledge, skills, and

abilities) required for fire prevention work? How do fire departments with effective fire

prevention programs recruit, select, hire, and retain qualified personnel? What are the

promotional opportunities for working in prevention? Do fire departments allow fire

prevention personnel to return to operations for continued advancement? The

procedures included a literature review, interviews, and a questionnaire.

The results of the research show that operations personnel are worried about the

specialized training; about whether or not they would be able to return to operations

someday with the same rank and title; would their operational skills deteriorate due to

the different job assignment.

SCFD should consider rotating operations personnel through the fire prevention

bureau in order to provide a resource list of people with the knowledge, skills, and

abilities to someday work in prevention and help dispel any rumors, stigmas, or barriers.


Table of Contents

Certification Statement……………………………………………………………………….2 Abstract………………………………………………………………………………………...3 Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………..4 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………5 Background and Significance……………………………………………………………….6 Literature Review……………………………………………………………………………..9 Procedures…………………………………………………………………………………...16 Results …………………………………………………………………………………….....19 Discussion……………………………………………………………………………………24 Recommendations…………………………………………………………………………..26 Reference List……………………………………………………………………………......28 Appendix: A Organizational Chart………………………………………………………….31 Appendix: B Questionnaire Cover letter …………………………………………………..32 Appendix: C Questionnaire………………………………………………………………....35 Appendix: D Questionnaire Results……………………………………………………….36


Do Sedgwick County Fire District Employees Value an Internal Fire Prevention

Recruitment Initiative?

Introduction

In September of 2012, the researcher attended the Executive Leadership course

offered by the United States Fire Administration (USFA) at the National Fire Academy

(NFA) as part of the Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP). The curriculum provided

an all-inclusive analysis of executive effectiveness when confronting important issues

and problems that are adaptive in nature. The content areas included staying alive,

developing self to exercise leadership, decision-making, politics managing multiple

roles, taking risks, networking purpose and integrity, using feedback, thinking

systemically, transitions, and thinking politically.

The problem is Sedgwick County Fire District recently retired ninety percent of

the fire prevention division due to an early retirement buy-out program. If SCFD does

not get qualified people in prevention, uncorrected code violations will increase leading

to deaths among civilians and firefighters, along with ISO (Insurance Service Office)

ratings increasing would cause individual insurance premiums to rise. ISO collects

information on the building codes in effect in a particular community, as well as how the

community enforces its building codes. The data is analyzed for Building Code

Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS®) and assigned a grade from 1 to 10. Grade

1 represents exemplary commitment to building-code enforcement; Grade 10 indicates

no recognizable enforcement. Insurers can use the grading’s to grant premium credits

for buildings constructed under strictly enforced codes (Zapp, J).


The purpose of this applied research project is to prevent the consequences of

not filling the open fire prevention positions. Uncorrected code violations will increase

leading to deaths among civilians and firefighters, along with ISO (Insurance Service

Office) ratings increasing would cause individual insurance premiums to increase.

The study uses descriptive research methodology. The research questions are:

(1) what are the minimum qualifications for working in fire prevention? 2) what are the

KSA’s (knowledge, skills, and abilities) required for fire prevention work? (3) how do fire

departments with effective fire prevention programs recruit, select, hire, and retain

qualified personnel? (4) What are the promotional opportunities for working in

prevention? (5) Do fire departments allow fire prevention personnel to return to

operations for continued advancement?

Through descriptive research, literature review, questionnaires, and interviews,

the author intends to identify the need for a fire prevention recruitment process to create

a fire prevention selection list of qualified personnel that would significantly impact the

department and community.

Background & Significance

Sedgwick County is situated in the South-Central portion of Kansas in the

Arkansas River Valley. According to the April 1, 2000 U.S. Census, there were 452,869

residents (176,444 households) identified within a 1,008 square mile area or 449

persons per square mile. Population growth within Sedgwick County has been

approximately 12.5% since the 1990 U.S. Census, and a 13.2% increase for the city of

Wichita. City of Wichita land area as of January 2000 was approximately 137 square

miles or about 13.6% of Sedgwick County’s total land area.


Sedgwick County’s overall per capita income was identified in 1999 as $27,442

versus the State of Kansas average of $26,705. According to a 1997 model-based U.S.

Census Bureau estimate, 11.3% or 51,174 persons were reported below the poverty

level.

Susceptible populations within the county according to the census indicates

almost 8% or 35,697 of the population is under age 5 (pre-school) and 11.4% or 51,574

of the population is age 65 or older. The county seat is the largest city within the county

is Wichita with a population of 344,284.Other communities with populations over 1,000

within Sedgwick County are as follows: Derby (17,807), Haysville (8,502), Bel Aire

(5,836), Park City (5,814), Mulvane (5,155), Valley Center (4,883), Oaklawn (3,135),

Clearwater (2,178), Goddard (2,037), Maize (1,868), Cheney (1,783), Colwich (1,229),

and Kechi (1,038).

Established in 1955, Sedgwick County Fire District covers over 620 square miles

within Sedgwick County, KS (pop. 455,000) with nine strategically located stations. The

District serves the suburban cities of Kechi, Garden Plain, Haysville, Goddard, Park

City, Maize, Andale, Bel Aire, and the Oaklawn Improvement District as well as several

other unincorporated towns. Farmland constitutes the majority of the remaining District

with a number of housing additions scattered throughout the area (Census, 2009).

Sedgwick County Fire District has an enhanced first responder (automatic aid)

agreement with the city of Wichita Fire District; this agreement moves some of the

District first due area inside Wichita’s city limits. The District also maintains automatic

aid agreements with Butler County Fire District #1 and Andover Fire and Rescue. This

District has also entered in mutual aid agreements with 15 other fire service Districts.


The Fire District was formed when County Commissioners saw a need to protect

farmhouses and railroad bridges in the unincorporated areas of Sedgwick County.

Since that time, the District has evolved into a full service Fire District providing services

to rural, suburban, and urban areas of Sedgwick County.

Through the years, the District has built relationships with neighboring

jurisdictions. These relationships have led to mutual and automatic aid agreements. As

times change and alarm numbers increase, the need for multi-jurisdictional response

has increased. Several fire district stations have the opportunity to respond with at least

three other fire service organizations on any given alarm.

The purpose of this research project is to identify the reasons why operations

employees are not applying for openings in fire prevention. The Sedgwick County Fire

District is divided into two divisions; operation, and fire prevention. The Fire District is

accredited through the Commission on Fire Accreditation International. There are 143

career firefighter – emergency medical technicians working at nine fire stations, with five

people minimum staffing per engine, crossed staff with a squad and tender.

The fire prevention division consists of four people including the Fire Marshal.

The division is responsible for plans review, building inspections, fire investigations, and

public education. According to public education officer Patricia Peterson who retired

after 32 years of service in 2010, the district for many years has not be able to fill open

fire prevention positions with operations personnel. The inability to fill open positions in

fire prevention with operations personnel could suggest barriers, stigmas, or an “us and

them” complex.


The United States Fire Administration (USFA) established 5 strategic goals. One

goal is to lessen the risk at the local level through prevention and mitigation” is directly

connected to efficient and effective personnel in open positions in fire prevention.

The purpose of this research project is to identify the reasons why operations

employees are not applying for openings in fire prevention. The National Fire

Academy’s (NFA) Executive Development course curriculum included organizational

culture and change. Determining if there are any barriers, stigmas, or commons

problems among other departments will assists the researcher in identifying the reasons

why the open positions are not being filled by operations personnel and change the

culture and the way of doing things.

Literature Review

Several factors relevant to this Applied Research Project are covered in the

current literature. The researcher performed interviews with local and knowledgeable

personnel about the subject. They were selected based on their positions in the

department, their knowledge of the issues and area, and their availability. The research

questions were used to guide the interviewers.

Fire protection departments throughout the country are organized in diverse

ways to help with fulfillment of targeted goals and purposes. Benchmarks appear to be

centered on meeting the represented community fire protection and prevention needs.

Not all fire departments have fire prevention divisions. In some jurisdictions, traditional

fire prevention bureau functions simply are not performed or are performed by another

agency or agencies. In the aftermath of a fire that killed 25 employees of the Imperial

foods chicken processing plant in Hamlet, North Carolina; the fire chief stated that the


entire incident centered on the lack of enforcement of existing codes. The fire

department was adequately staffed to perform inspections (Yates, 1991).

The fire prevention bureaus is charged with overseeing the engineering plans for

construction, enforcement of codes, and education of those in involved in construction.

The bureau also performs other functions of fire prevention with the highest degree of

competence and professionalism. All of the fire prevention division’s staff, including the

bureau chief in charge of the division must have the highest qualifications, technical

excellence, and work experience. The notion that the chief of prevention is only an

administrative position that could be filled by promoting individuals form fire suppression

without the slightest fire prevention work experience and background is misguided.

Considering the technical advancement and the complexity of fire and life safety

systems and performance-based designs, promoting an inexperienced person might not

best serve the fire chief or community (Buckman J. 2005).

Fire prevention activities have become much more technical and as a result have

demanded the inspector to be qualified. Placing the proper individuals in the

organization is an important goal for a fire prevention chief. In the past, fire prevention

bureaus were a dumping ground in some fire departments. The lame, lazy,

troublemakers and those who wanted to ride out their last days in the department found

their way into the fire prevention organization. It is critical that prospective personnel for

the fire prevention organization be selected based on their desire to work in the

organization, make a difference, be willing and able to learn, commit to the job for an

extended period of time, and be willing to take on a new set of responsibilities that are

much different than those they had in a fire company (Barr & Everslove, 2003). Some


departments have had success in requiring a tour of duty in the organization prior to

promotion to the senior ranks. This policy can be beneficial, especially if new personnel

are exposed to the realities of fire prevention work and can acquire an appreciation for

it. On the other hand, the practice of forded transfers into fire prevention can be a

problem-manifested by high turnover and dissatisfaction among personnel (Barr &

Eversole, 2003).

One basic aspect of a comprehensive public protection plan is the concept that it

is infinitely better for community to prevent fires altogether, or to mitigate them

automatically through fire safety education and built-in fire protection features, that to

depend solely on the fire suppression capabilities of the community’s fire department

(Foley, 2003). It’s doubtful that young people grow up aspiring to become a fire

education specialist or fire inspector. Foley, states that historically, much more energy

and many more resources have been devoted to evaluating, planning, and

implementing fire suppression/firefighting capabilities than fire prevention capabilities.

Benjamin Franklin, the Father of the American fire service once stated” an ounce of

prevention is worth a pound of cure.” While most people would agree with Franklin’s

concept, the American fire service has not embraced it as far as an emphasis on

prevention.

American Burning (NCPC, 1973) highlighted the fact that fire inspections can

reduce numbers of fires and the losses associated with fire. America Burning does

recommend partnering with the private sector to mitigate the fire problem in the United

States. However, the author’s recommend that this should be done in conjunction with


an effective inspection program. These inspections should be performed by trained

firefighters who can bring a high level of expertise to the inspection process.

In the past, most fire prevention activities were limited to a small nucleus of full-

time specialists who might be civilian or uniformed personnel. The size of the

department and the community served determines whether it is necessary to maintain

full-time fire prevention personnel. The prevention responsibilities of the fire department

are greater than can be performed strictly by specialists. Fire suppression personnel

have been increasingly active in code enforcement and inspections. With proper training

and support, suppression personnel are effective in performing code enforcement

inspections. It is important that all fire department personnel recognize that fire safety

education and prevention are a major part of the firefighter’s responsibilities. (Cote, A.

E. 2003)

For years, smart and knowledgeable people have convened to discuss the

prevention paradigm starting with the 1947 President’s Fire Prevention Conference. It

continued with the comprehensive “America Burning” report in 1973, and the “America

Burning-Revisited” report in 1987, and ending with the most recent fire chronicle

“America at Risk” in 2002. All of these fire connected resources have made

recommendations in order to lessen the loss of life and property. The list includes

making fire prevention a main concern, shifting from suppression to prevention, and the

need to provide public education.

The National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control (1973) also

recommended that local governments put fire prevention efforts equal as suppression

efforts. Wakeham, (1995) found that as fire prevention budgets were reduced that fire


losses increased, as did firefighter and civilian injuries from fire. “Both the Public Fire

Education Planning, and the Fire Chief’s Handbook agree that communities and fire

departments will always need fire fighters but and effective risk reduction through

education, enforcement, and engineering is required in a comprehensive prevention

strategy (Barr & Eversole,2003).

Corbett (1990) found that fire inspectors generally held the rank of Captain or

Lieutenant and were the backbone of the fire prevention bureau. This same author

found that some jurisdictions hired civilians as plans reviewers and fire protection

engineers. Corbett states that the assignment of “proper individuals” would be a

challenge for any fire chief. Ideally, the fire chief would have volunteers who wanted fill

these positions. These willing volunteers would be more apt to approach these job

assignments with a higher level of motivation and would in turn have a positive

reflection on the department because these individuals would mostly likely display

energy and professionalism during fire prevention activities.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 2009 edition covering the

Standard on Professional Qualifications for Fire Inspector and Plan Examiner (NFPA

1031) stipulates mandatory skills for the fire inspection officers. Chapter 4 of NFPA

1031 state that these individuals must “Recognize a hazardous fire growth potential in a

building or space, given field observations, so that the hazardous condition are

identified, documented, and reported in accordance with the applicable codes and

standards and the policies of the jurisdiction.”

Moreover, the NFPA 1031 states that fire inspectors must also possess the

following requisite knowledge: “Building construction with emphasis on fire-related


construction, evaluation of methods of construction and assemblies for fire rating,

analysis for test results and manufacturer’s specifications.” Another requisite knowledge

includes the following: “Determine fire growth potential in a building or space, given field

observations or plans, so that the contents, interior finish, and construction elements are

evaluated for compliance and deficiencies

The International Code Council offers certification as a Fire Inspector I. To

receive Fire Inspector 1 certification, you must pass a 60-question, multiple-choice

exam within two hours. The exam is open-book and covers general provisions for fire

safety, general inspection administration, occupancies, and regulated materials and

processes (ICC, 2009).

NFPA 1033 Standard for professional qualifications for fire investigator, states

that the fire investigator must be at least 18 years of age; have a high school diploma;

pass a background and character investigation; and stay current with the fire

investigation methodology (NFPA, 2009).

NFPA 1035 Standard for life safety educators general requirements are

knowledge of organizational structure, fire behavior, function and operations; human

behavior during fire ; injury causes/prevention; community risk, learning theory,

prevention strategies, educational methodology; standardized fire and life safety

messages, natural hazard issues, escape planning; current homeland security topics;

escape planning; hazard identification and correction; basic fire protection systems and

devices; emergency reporting; fire fighter; personal protective equipment ; liability

issues; public relations; high risk audiences and behaviors; special needs; social and


cultural trends, community resources, personal image and professionalism (NFPA,

2009).

The emphasis on training all members of the fire department in fire prevention

work, in addition to establishing a dedicated permanent fire prevention staff, is indicative

of their foresight in utilizing all available resources to educate the public, in addition to

creating a shared vision for the entire department. The total involvement of all

personnel, particularly those assigned to suppression activities, should not only

decrease the incidence of fire, but should also demonstrate maximum utilization of

personnel and competent management. Fire department management is responsible for

maintaining highly trained and effective operation units to perform tasks involving both

fire suppression and fire prevention. The degree of competency achieved by a

department in these areas reflects well upon the abilities of a department’s

management (Carter & Rausch, 1989).

The National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control noted that fire

prevention was assigned too frequently a much lower priority than other fire department

activities, particularly suppression. IN 1973, the National Commission on Fire

Prevention and Control published the “America Burning Report.” The report was based

on two years of extensive study on the fire problem in America. After more than quarter

century, the American fire service still has not implemented the gist of recommendation

contained in that report. A consideration of equal importance is the need to change

priorities in the field of fire protection. Currently, about 95 cents of every dollar spent on

the fire services is used to extinguish fires; only about 5 cents is spent on efforts-mostly

fire prevention inspections and public education programs to prevent fires from starting.


Dedicating more funds to fire prevention could yield huge payoffs in lives and property

saved (America Burning, 1973, p.7)

In Summary, the literature review provided a thorough study into the types of

requirements from different departments and the minimum qualifications from the

recognized authorities such as the National Fire Protection Association, and the

International Code Council. Through this research it was apparent to the researcher that

some type of background or knowledge in prevention areas is needed to hire, promote,

and retain qualified prevention employees. Studying what different departments require

to move into fire prevention provided the researcher with a background of importance of

the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to ensure the best individuals are recruited

into fire prevention. Recruitment efforts must be in place prior to the vacancies in order

to hire, and promote qualified prevention personnel. According to the literature review

when fire prevention is viewed as just as valuable as suppression and the dollars reflect

this; recruitment and retention numbers should either equal or surpass suppression

recruitment efforts. Learning the requirements and components of an effective fire

prevention bureau influenced this research project significantly.

Procedures

Descriptive research was conducted to assist with answering questions relevant

to the problem statement of: The problem is Sedgwick County Fire District recently

retired ninety percent of the fire prevention division due to an early buy-out program.

This research included resources available via the World Wide Web, the National

Emergency Training Center Learning Resource (LRC), and the Wichita State Public

Library. If SCFD does not get qualified people in fire prevention, uncorrected code


violations will increase leading to deaths among civilians and firefighters. Commercial

buildings that are not in compliance would cause ISO (Insurance Service Office) ratings

to increase along with individual insurance premiums. The researcher began the

research process by asking five questions. 1. What are the minimum qualifications for

working in fire prevention? 2. What are the KSA’s (knowledge, skills, and abilities)

required for fire prevention work? 3. How do fire departments with effective fire

prevention programs recruit, select, hire and retain qualified personnel? 4. What are the

promotional opportunities for working in prevention? 5. Do fire departments allow fire

prevention personnel to return to operations for continued advancement?

The purpose of this research was to identify and develop an internal people with

the ability to fill fire prevention positions within the Sedgwick County Fire District. This

was accomplished by a literature review, interviews, and a questionnaire. The

questionnaire was sent to various departments of varying sizes in order to get the most

comprehensive data. The interview questions were sent to firefighters, officers, and

chiefs, active and retired that have worked either in prevention or operations. The

research began at the National Fire Academy. Resources were collected at the

Learning Resource Center while on campus and later through the online access.

Several key words were used such as: fire prevention, sustainability, inspector, fire

investigator, plans review, and public and life safety educators.

A questionnaire and interview questions was conducted to establish if other

departments comparable and non-comparable to Sedgwick County in population value

a fire prevention recruitment initiative? The questionnaire was limited to fifteen

questions designed to gather a simple answer from the person filling out the


questionnaire. The interview questions were limited to eight questions designed to

gather a simple answer from the person responding to the questions. A cover letter was

sent with the questionnaire and interview questions stating the purpose of the document

with instructions on how to complete and date of return. The questionnaire can be found

in Appendix B, and the interview questions can be found in Appendix E.

Descriptive research was utilized to: (1) answer the purpose of this research

paper by identifying and developing internal personnel with the skills necessary to fill fire

prevention positions with SCFD, (2) to solve an existing problem and apply new

methodologies, (3) reduce the “slow down” or dissolving of fire prevention due to lack of

qualified applicants, and (4) to establish some minimum qualifications for working in fire

prevention.

Descriptive research involves five procedural steps:

The first step in descriptive research is to select the subjects to be studied. After

reviewing the problem and selecting the departments for the questionnaire, and the

personnel for the interview questions. A comparative study was used to determine if

other fire departments similar in population value a fire prevention recruitment initiative.

The second step is whether or not a sample is necessary. A sample was

necessary to answer the research questions: (1) What are the minimum qualifications

for working in fire prevention? (2) What are the KSA’s (knowledge, skills, and abilities)

required for prevention work? (3) How do fire departments with effective fire prevention

programs recruit, select, hire, and retain qualified personnel? (4) What are the

promotional opportunities for working in prevention? (5) Do fire departments allow fire

prevention personnel to return to operations for continued advancement?


The third step is to select a technique for collecting required data (survey,

personal interviews, and / or personal observations).

The fourth is to conduct selected data collection activities. There are tables, and

graphs to illustrate the data collection activities.

The fifth and final step in descriptive research is to organize, analyze, and

document collected data in detail. The data has been collected, organized, and

documented in detail. Utilizing the results from the interview questions and

questionnaire, the researcher determined what minimum qualifications are

recommended by departments of similar and different sizes. Using this information

SCFD could successfully implement a minimum requirement guideline for fire

prevention.

The literature reviewed for this research was assumed to be factual, objective,

and unbiased. A limitation of the questionnaire was the various assumptions or

implications drawn from the questions asked. Another limitation experienced during the

research process was the limited number of persons that participated in the interview

questions, and the reliability of the people responding to the questions. Did they

respond negative or positive based on which division they’re working in?

A final limitation was the development of minimum knowledge, skills, and abilities

by the researcher alone. Preferably, a research and development team would be

created to identify and develop an internal people qualified to fill fire prevention

positions within the Sedgwick County Fire District.

Results


The end result of this applied research project was the development of some

minimum qualifications for SCFD personnel who aspire to work in fire prevention. The

results of the research are based on the literature review, questionnaire and interview

questions. According to the results of the questionnaire, it can be readily observed that

the fire service places most of its resources towards reacting to a fire after it starts

rather than before it begins. Appendix D summarizes the data collected for both the

questionnaire and interview questions.

Research Question 1. What are the minimum qualifications for working in fire

prevention?

According to the results of the questionnaire and interviews, “Desire”, and

“Interest” was the minimum determining factor for working in fire prevention. Applicants

with a desire and interest to work in fire prevention were most often chosen over

applicants who did not exhibit a desire to do the work. A person’s desire profile not only

affects how they react to work and people but also how they react to work itself. When a

job interferes with your desires, you may feel trapped by a job, or one may hate going to

work every day (Reiss, 2000).

Research Question 2. What are the KSA’s (knowledge, skills, and abilities)

required for fire prevention work?

Research conducted in the literature review revealed that fire investigators must

be at least 18 years of age; have a high school diploma; pass a background and

character investigation; and stay current with the fire investigation methodology (NFPA,

200). Fire Inspector and Plan Examiner (NFPA 1031) stipulates requisite skills for the

fire inspection officers. Chapter 4 of NFPA 1031 states that these individuals must


“Recognize a hazardous fire growth potential in a building or space, given field

observations, so that the hazardous condition are identified, documented, and reported

in accordance with the applicable codes and standards and the policies of the

jurisdiction.” Fire prevention and life safety depends on thorough, accurate fire

inspection of occupancies and review of building plans -- including an understanding of

performance-based code options. The field has dramatically changed in recent years,

and the 2009 edition of NFPA 1031: Standard for Professional Qualifications for Fire

Inspector and Plan Examiner reflects the requisite knowledge and skills needed to

perform the challenging tasks in today's complex built environment. Fire and Life Safety

Educator Levels I, II, and III; Public Information Officer; and Juvenile Firesetter

Intervention Specialist Levels I and II specifically covers the requirements for (NFPA,

2009).

Research Question 3. How do fire departments with effective fire prevention

programs recruit, select, hire, and retain qualified personnel?

Even if your fire department has adopted a culture of fire prevention, it still can be

difficult to have individuals willing to move from fire suppression to fire prevention or to

keep the culture of fire prevention. One of the key starting points of fire prevention

education training is at the recruit level. Fire departments do not spend enough time

teaching recruits the benefits and importance of fire prevention. Certainly they go over

fire sprinklers, fire alarms and standpipes but do they address a total fire prevention

program to include fire and life safety education, fire inspections, construction document

review and fire suppression system maintenance? Fire chiefs and city managers can

address this by having a clear and defined career path for fire prevention personnel


regardless of their status as sworn or civilian. City managers can target fire prevention

during budget cuts or consolidation efforts with other municipal entities. There are fire

departments that no longer have fire prevention as part of their service. This role has

been consolidated with either community development or public works. Modifying an

organization's culture is not easy, let alone an entire entity such as the fire service. This

is not an impossible task. The first step begins with the chief of the organization who

can foster an environment that rewards fire prevention efforts. The organization can

establish a culture where fire suppression personnel agree to the role of fire prevention

and clearly have been taught how fire prevention benefits them and their fellow

firefighters (Chiaramonte, 2008).

Research Question 4. What are the promotional opportunities for working in

prevention?

There are some great prospects for promotion in both the public and private

sector fire prevention related careers. The key issues in successfully preparing for and

securing a good position internally and externally are:

o Obtaining and maintaining appropriate credentials

o Understanding and participating in the selection process

o Understanding the scope of the various positions

o Seeking the job that fits the career objectives

o Attaining proper education and training

There are a number of fire prevention related promotional opportunities in

federal, state, and local government. Examples of internal and external promotions

include:


o Industry (inspections, education, hazard mitigation)

o Health Care (fire protection for facilities)

o Insurance (loss control, consultants, inspectors)

o Building ( design and construction, fire behavior)

o Private Fire Investigator ( loss control, arson discovery)

Having the appropriate level of education is attractive for promotion and many

potential employers. Some employers may require a college degree in a specific field. It

demonstrates a level of interest in a specific technical area. In addition, the successful

completion of a program of study normally indicates to the employer that an individual

has the interest and initiative to undertake and complete a challenge (Cote, 2004).

Research Question 5. Do fire departments allow fire prevention personnel to

return to operations for continued advancement?

According to the results, approximately 87% of the departments surveyed

allow prevention personnel who come from operations to return to operations for future

advancements. Below are examples of advancements from prevention to operations:

Fire Chief Kenneth J. “Buzz” Snyder has served as the chief of Marshall

Fire Department since May 1992. During his tenure many positive changes have been

implemented to improve the level of Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services to

the residents of Marshall and Harrison County. Beginning with 36 dedicated,

knowledgeable employees in 1992, the Marshall Fire Department has grown into a

highly advanced department with 51 employees with a strong desire to provide the

highest level of service to our citizens in need. In the past 19 years the Marshall Fire

department has evolved from a basic level Fire and Emergency Services Department to


a highly trained and equipped Emergency Response Department. All of the initial goals

and standards set for the Marshall Fire Department have been achieved and surpassed.

http://www.marshalltexas.net/departments/fire/chiefs

Gainesville City Manager Kip Padgett today announced Interim Fire Chief

Jerome Yarborough as the sole finalist for the position of Fire Chief. Yarbrough has

been employed with the City of Gainesville for 28 years and is a Georgia EMT-I. He has

served in the Fire Prevention division since 1997 as a Fire Inspector and Arson

Investigator. He served as Fire Marshal before being name Fire Chief in August 2008

and Interim Fire Chief in 2012. http://www.gainesville.org/fire-chief-finalist-announced

Chief Qualman began his career in the fire service as a volunteer and a

member of the John Brown University campus fire department in 1969. During his time

in college, he also briefly served as volunteer in the Siloam Springs (AR) Fire

Department. After graduation, he became a volunteer with the Aubry Volunteer Fire

Department in Stilwell, Kansas. With this department, he served in the ranks of Captain

and Assistant Chief. He held the career position of Fire Marshal for the Leawood

(Kansas) Fire department from 1978 to 1983. Moving to Colorado in 1983, he served as

Assistant Chief of Fire Prevention with Parker Fire Protection District until August of

1986, when was appointed Fire Chief. Following the consolidation of South Metro Fire

Rescue and Parker Fire District in 2008, he was appointed fire chief for the new

Authority. http://www.southmetro.org

Discussion

Through the review of literature, questionnaire results, and interviews, the

researcher supports what others have found. That developing a proactive approach to


http://www.gainesville.org/fire-chief-finalist-announced

http://www.southmetro.org/


keeping prevention adequately staffed by utilizing minimum requirements, passion for

the work, and the individuals knowledge, skills, and abilities. (NFPA, 2009)

The literature review confirms that several departments utilize a person’s

passion, knowledge, skills, and abilities when recruiting personnel for fire prevention.

According to Chief Gary Curmode (SCFD), without a plan or guideline in place the

department will face the same scenario of the Sedgwick County Fire District in less than

five years. He went on to say that the district would use that time to begin a process to

identify and develop minimum requirements to recruit, hire, and retain prevention

employees (Curmode, 2012).

The researcher agrees with the literature that fire prevention is an essential part

of the fire service. Attempting to change attitudes, traditions, and resource allocations

will take time. This is why it is important for the Sedgwick County Fire District to be

proactive by initiating a recruitment guideline and by making fire prevention efforts equal

as suppression efforts (Wakeham, 1995).

By linking the results of the original research and the literature reviewed a

combination of information formed the final process. The Sedgwick County Fire District

will implement a process to identify and develop some minimum requirements to hire,

promote, and retain fire prevention employees. The components include: (1) a passion

for doing the work in fire prevention, (2) have the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the

working areas (plans, investigations, public education, and inspections) in prevention,

(3) be at least 18 years of age, (4) meet the minimum requirements established by the

authoritative (NFPA, & ICC,) agencies. (5) combined training (operations and


prevention) efforts. (6) allocating more funds toward prevention in order to recruit, hire,

promote, and retain fire prevention employees.

The literature review revealed that the majority of fire service organizations

conduct some type of prevention efforts be it inspections, or public education. According

to the response to the questionnaire, plans review and fire investigations were not

always staffed within the departments.

This research study has several organizational implications. First, for the

Sedgwick County Fire District to become an advocate for fire prevention within the

department and the communities they protect by establishing a process for recruiting,

hiring, promoting and retaining personnel for an effective fire prevention bureau.

Second, is to acknowledge published reports from “America Burning” and other

literature and respond with increasing budgets toward fire prevention. Finally, for the

Sedgwick County Fire District to establish itself as a local leader in community risks

reduction through its fire prevention efforts.

Recommendations

Based on the results of this research it is evident that the problem statement is

accurate, and to better serve the Sedgwick County Fire District, the researcher

recommends a written guideline for recruiting, hiring, promoting, and retaining fire

prevention employees within the Sedgwick County Fire District. As a descriptive

research paper, the end result will answer the SMART goals: who (Sedgwick County

Fire District), what (lack of recruitment into fire prevention), when (immediately begin a

written process to recruit, hire, promote, and retain prevention employees), where

(within the Sedgwick County Fire District), how (identifying and developing minimum


requirements, and why (build a pool of people with the knowledge, skills, abilities, and

the passion for the work in fire prevention). The research will also meet specific,

measurable, attainable, relevant, timely, evaluate, reevaluate, and satisfactory

objectives. The data collected through this research supports the recommendations

(EFO, ARP Evaluation form, 2007).

The researcher recommends that after the written guidelines for identifying and

developing qualified fire prevention employees has been implemented that a follow up

evaluative procedure be conducted to determine if changes or additions need to be

made. The written process for recruiting, hiring, and retaining prevention employees

should be aligned with the National Fire Protection Association Standards, Industry

guidelines, and other recognized authorities in the fire prevention field. This will

accurately serve the Sedgwick County Fire employees and the district they serve.

The following guidelines will be utilized to identify and develop qualified fire

prevention employees within the Sedgwick County Fire District.

A combined fire prevention and operations training should be developed so all

members of the fire district understand the components of fire prevention and

operations. The researcher proposes that this type of training should be done quarterly

so that all shifts can participate.

In conclusion, the researcher recommends to readers and other researchers to

review your departments current process or guideline for recruiting, hiring, and retaining

fire prevention employees. Poll the members of your department and see if they would

support an initiative to help secure the future of their fire prevention bureaus.


References

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http://www.cenus .gov/popest/cities/tables/SUB-EST2010-01.xls

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protection handbook. Quincy, Mass: National Fire Protection Association

Cote, A.E. (2004). Fundamentals of fire protection Quincy, Mass: National Fire

Protection Association.

Curmode, G (2012, December 13). Personal Interview.

Eversole, J. & Barr, R. (2003). The fire chiefs handbook: PennWell Corporation Tulsa,

Oklahoma

Foley, S. (2003). Resources for fire departments occupational safety and health.

Lighting Source LaVergne, Tennessee.

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Jones, A. W. (2009). International code council fire inspector practice exam. Country

Hills, Illinois: International Code Council publications. DOI: www.iccsafe.org

National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control (1973). America Burning.

Retrieved December 27, 2012 from

http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-264-pdf

National Fire Academy [NFA]. (2012, September) Applied Research Guidelines.

Executive Fire Officer Program. Emmitsburg, Maryland: Author.

National Fire Protection Association.[NFPA]. (2009, December).

NFPA 1031: Standard for professional qualifications for fire inspectors and plans

examiner, 2009 edition.

National Fire Protection Association (2009). NFPA 1033: Standard for professional

qualifications for fire investigator, 2009 edition.

National Fire Protection Association (2012). NFPA 101: Life Safety Code, 2012 edition.

Reiss, S. (2000), The 16 basic desires that motivate our actions and define our

personalities. The Berkley publishing group new york, new york pg. 166

Snyder, K. (1992). City of marshall. Retrieved from


Wakeman, W.T. (1995, May) Budgeting for danger. Fire Chief, 51-53

Yates, J. (1991). Chicken Processing Plant Fires. Retrieved from

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/tr-057.pdf

Zapp, J. (n.d.). Building code effectiveness classifications. Retrieved from

http://www.iso.com/Products/Building-Code-Effectiveness-Classifications/Building-

Code-Effectiveness-Classifications.html

http://www.iccsafe.org/

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http://www.iso.com/Products/Building-Code-Effectiveness-Classifications/Building-Code-Effectiveness-Classifications.html

http://www.iso.com/Products/Building-Code-Effectiveness-Classifications/Building-Code-Effectiveness-Classifications.html


Appendix A- Sedgwick County Fire District organizational chart


Appendix B- Cover letter and questionnaire to fire departments

7750 N. Wild West Dr. Sedgwick County, Kansas 67147

Phone: (316) 660-3473 Fax: (316) 660-3474

November 15, 2012 The Sedgwick County Fire District is conducting a study to identify and develop internal people with the aptitude to fill open fire prevention positions within the Sedgwick County Fire District. Part of the research will determine minimum qualifications, knowledge, skills and abilities required to work in prevention; how do fire departments with effective fire prevention programs recruit, select, hire and retain qualified personnel; what are the promotional opportunities for working in fire prevention; do fire departments allow fire prevention personnel to return to operations for continued advancement? I am requesting the assistance of your Fire Department in this survey by completing the attached questionnaire. I know you and your staff’s time is very valuable and I want to thank you in advance for your assistance. The survey is straight forward should take no more than 15 minutes to complete. Please return the attached questionnaire before January 31, 2013 via email. Thank you for your assistance and feel free to contact me at any time if you have questions or if further information is needed. Sincerely, Fire Marshal Leake Sedgwick County Fire District


Organization Name______________ Person Competing Survey_____________ Department Size_________________ Title______________________________ Do you have? Please Circle Fire Inspectors Fire Educators Plans Review Fire Investigators

1. Are your fire prevention personnel former operations personnel?

2. What are the minimum qualifications for transferring into fire prevention?

3. What are the knowledge, skills, and abilities, your department looks for when

hiring prevention personnel?

4. Do you have an effective fire prevention program and if so how do you recruit,

select, hire, and retain qualified personnel?

5. Do you allow prevention personnel to return to operations for continued

advancement?

6. Are there any stigmas for operations personnel to leave and transfer into fire

prevention? If so, what are the stigmas?

7. Are there any barriers keeping operations personnel from applying for unfilled

prevention positions, i.e. training, certifications, etc.?

8. Is there an automatic promotion for operations personnel going into prevention?

9. Is there a benefit to personnel going from a 56 hour work week to a 40 hour work

week, if this applies to your departments work schedule?

10. Do your prevention officers wear the same uniform as operations?

11. How many people are in your fire prevention division?

12. Are your prevention employees able to staff in operations when there are open

positions in operations?


13. Is the fire prevention rank structure the same as operations?

14. Do you have station prevention officers who work 24 hour shifts and assist with

fire prevention activities when available?

15. Do you see deterioration in operation skills when fire prevention employees are

allowed to cross-over back into operations?


Appendix C- Fire Departments used for the Questionnaire

The fire departments below are the jurisdictions who returned the questionnaire and their responses are included in the results. The external questionnaire included

departments of varying sizes to assist with collection of the most comprehensive data.

City State Population O’Fallon

Wildwood

Blue Springs

Fort Wayne

Concord

Loveland

Martinsville

Platteville

Atlantic City

Evendale

Augusta

Richfield

Olympia

Rochester

Iowa

Shawnee

MO

MO

MO

IN

MA

CO

VA

CO

NJ

OH

GA

MN

WA

NY

IA

KS

80,519

35,517

6,779

255,824

17,668

68,203

13,821

2,485

39,527

2,767

196,494

35,724

46,478

210,855

67,862

63,219


Appendix D Results from the fire prevention questionnaire

For the purpose of this questionnaire: To identify and develop an internal people with the skills to fill fire positions within the Sedgwick County Fire Prevention Division. __Fire Inspectors __Fire Educators __Plans Reviewer __Fire Investigators

1. Are your fire prevention personnel former operations personnel?

31 % had a combination of previous firefighters and civilians.

69 % are all previous firefighters only.

2. What are the minimum qualifications for transferring in fire prevention?

62 % stated there are no written minimum qualifications.

38 % have Fire Inspector 1 as a minimum qualification.

3. What are the knowledge, skills, and abilities, your department looks for

when hiring prevention personnel?

43 % look for inspection knowledge, building construction, and fire systems

knowledge.

57 % stated they would attain the needed knowledge, skills, and abilities through

on the job training.

4. Do you have an effective fire prevention program and if so how do you

recruit, select, fire, and retain qualified personnel?

100% stated they have an effective prevention bureau.

75 % recruit, select, hire, and retain qualified personnel in-house.

25%. recruit, select, hire, and retain qualified personnel internal and external.

5. Do you allow prevention personnel to return to operations for continued

advancement?


87 % stated prevention personnel cannot return to operations.

13 % allows prevention personnel to return to operations if there is an opening.

6. Are there any stigmas for operations personnel to leave and transfer

into fire prevention? If so, what are the stigmas?

62 % stated there is a stigma for leaving operations and going into prevention,

i.e. (close to retirement, recovering from an injury, can’t make it on the fire

ground)

38 % stated there are no stigmas associated with leaving operations to work in

fire prevention.

7. Are there any barriers keeping operations personnel from applying for

unfilled prevention positions, i.e. training, certifications, etc.?

87 % stated they did not have barriers keeping operations personnel from

applying for fire prevention positions.

23 % stated the specialized training required could be a barrier for some

personnel wanting to work in fire prevention.

8. Is there an automatic promotion for operations personnel going into

prevention?

50 % said yes it’s an automatic promotion to work in fire prevention.

50 % stated a person could transfer at the same rank, or transfer at a higher

rank.

9. Is there a benefit to personnel going from a 56 hour work week to a 40

hour work week, if this applies to your departments work schedule? Is


there a reduction in performance skills related to the 40 hour work

week?

43 % felt it was a benefit, i.e. (staff vehicle, home every night, and medical skills

decrease somewhat).

57 % stated there was no benefit.

10. Do your prevention officers wear the same uniform as operations?

75 % stated fire prevention wears a different uniform.

25 % stated they are the same.

11. How many people are in your fire prevention division?

31 % have one person as their fire prevention officer.

69 % have more than one.

12. Are your prevention employees able to staff in operations when there

are open operation positions?

93 % stated fire prevention personnel are not allowed to staff for open fire

operations positions.

7 % stated in an emergency, prevention personnel could fill an open spot at the

same rank.

13. Is the fire prevention rank structure the same as operations?

37 % stated the uniforms and titles are different. The rank was the same, but the

titles were different, i.e. (examples: captain in operations would be a deputy fire

marshal 2 in prevention, a battalion chief in operations would be a deputy fire

marshal 1).

63 % state they are the same.


14. Do you have field prevention officers who work 24 hour shifts and

assist with fire prevention activities when available?

18 % stated they have field investigators that assist the fulltime investigators

when needed.

82 % stated they do not have any 24 hour prevention officers.

15. Do you see deterioration in operation skills when and if fire prevention

employees are allowed to cross-over back into operations?

93 % stated yes, because their fire prevention people are not allowed to go back

and forth in between operations and prevention.

7 % stated they do see deterioration in (knowing their areas, operations of certain

apparatus, familiarity with new equipment, and medical skills).

Results: 75% cover all areas of fire prevention 25% had one or more.

Below is a pie chart of the results for questions: 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8.



Interview Questions

1. What do you think the minimum age should be to work in fire prevention?

2. What do you feel the minimum qualifications should be for someone going

into fire prevention?

3. What are the knowledge, skills, and abilities, required for fire prevention

work?

4. How do fire departments with effective fire prevention programs recruit,

select, hire and retain qualified personnel?

5. Are there promotional opportunities for working in fire prevention?

6. Do fire departments allow fire prevention personnel to return to operations for

continued advancement?

7. Do you see deterioration in operation skills when and if fire prevention

employees are allowed to cross-over back into operations?

8. Do you feel there is a stigma for people leaving operations to work in fire

prevention?


Interviewees ranged from Lieutenant, Captain, Chief and Fire Chief. Both operations and prevention personnel was chosen to be interviewed. A wide range

of departments was chosen based on small, medium, and large populations.

1) Interview with Fire Chief, Gary Curmode (Fire Chief, Sedgwick County

Fire District).

2) Interview with retired Lieutenant Patti Peterson, (Prevention Officer ret,

SCFD).

3) Interview with Lieutenant Clarence Moore, (Prevention Officer, Wichita

Fire Department).

4) Interview with Lieutenant Spencer Dean, (Captain, Sedgwick County Fire

District)

5) Phone Interview with Deputy Chief Antoine Meadows, (Operations, Atlanta

Fire Rescue).

6) Phone Interview with Fire Chief Wayne Kewitsch, (Richfield, MN Fire

Department)

7) Phone Interview with Fire Chief Mark Cotreau, (Concord, Mass Fire

Department).

8) Interview with retired Fire Marshal Greg Thompson, (Sedgwick County

Fire District).


Results of Interview Questions

1) All the interviewees answered the minimum age should be 18 years old.

2) The minimum qualifications varied from building construction, fire

investigation, and inspection knowledge.

3) The interviewees responded with varied answers from plans review, building

construction, to fire investigation.

4) The answers varied from training, education, and budget equalities between

prevention and operations.

5) The answers appeared to be dependent on the size of the department. The

smaller departments did not feel the opportunity was present, unlike the larger

departments who felt the opportunities are present.

6) The answer to this question appeared to also be related to the size of the

department. The smaller departments felt the opportunity was present, while

the larger departments felt the percentage was low.

7) The answer was varied from there are “no return” policy to troops should be

brought back in slowly dependent on how long they been out of operations.

Chief Gary Curmode mentioned a Captain returning from Afghanistan, and

instead of staffing 5 regular firefighters, he staffed six in order for the Captain

to get re-acclimated to the station.

8) These answers varied, the majority stated “yes” there is some form of teasing,

but they did not feel it was a stigma. Others felt in the past people who were

close to retirement or injured would transfer into prevention, and maybe that’s

were some of the negative press for prevention comes from.

Documents

Recruitment Initiative 1 - National Fire Academynfa.usfa.fema.gov/pdf/efop/efo47673.pdf · Fire prevention activities have become much more technical and as a result have demanded