Agenda - Council - 08/13/2013 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Ramsey, Nowthen, St. Francis, Oak Grove, and Bethel, Minnesota Feasibility Study for Shared or Cooperative Fire and Emergency Services BFD did not record staffing information in the data supplied to ESCI but the other study agencies are able to generate sufficient personnel (excluding mutual aid personnel) to effectively mitigate most incidents. Application and Recruitment Processes The fire service in today's socioeconomic conditions is much different than that of 20 to 30 years ago. Historically, the volunteer fire service has been a community -based organization; today's systems are a mix of local residents, concerned citizens, and those seeking community involvement or additional income. One of the most challenging elements of today's volunteer fire service is recruiting personnel that have the desire and availability to provide the necessary time required to be a modern firefighter and emergency responder. While the study fire departments have all developed individual plans for recruitment and retention, there are several factors that should be included in any program. Although recruitment is becoming more and more difficult, minimum physical standards should be adopted in order to reduce future liability on the organization. This can be accomplished by implementing a number of nationally recognized programs. In addition, while formal aptitude testing is not common in the volunteer or pa id - on -call fire service, minimum knowledge criteria are usually included in most firefighter certification programs. This allows departments to determine whether or not personnel are capable of understanding simple written orders and standard operating guidelines that could impact personnel safety. NFPA 1582 outlines fire department occupational health and wellness programs and contains the basic elements that should be included in a pre -employment medical examination. Many departments across North America have adopted this standard and have sought out medical professionals capable of meeting the criteria. This is an important initial step, much like minimum physical standards, that will allow departments to control future liabilities by potentially identifying medical abnormalities prior to active service for new personnel. This is also important for existing members, particularly as they age. Numerous reports have been published about how annual medical examinations have uncovered potentially deadly medical conditions prior to the event. The final evaluation of recruitment programs involves the detail of the application process. Again, departments have evolved individually and have implemented several different components of evaluated potential candidates. The more common elements include: page 42 4 Emergency Services Cons -Wring 1.