Excerpts from wglt.org:
The Bloomington City Council on Monday OK’d the fire department’s plan to ease hiring rules tied to paramedic licensing.
Previously, the city mandated only licensed paramedics be considered for open firefighter positions. But that no longer is the case with Monday’s vote.
The Bloomington Fire Department still expects its firefighters to be paramedics. But under the new policy, if a new firefighter doesn’t have the paramedic certification, BFD staff will train them.
The change builds a broader candidate pool in a climate where BFD, like many other U.S. fire departments, struggle to fill ranks.
Monday’s vote was 8-0. Ward 5’s Nick Becker was absent.
#1 by Wayne on October 28, 2023 - 11:25 AM
Austin is right. There’s nothing wrong with “hoping to see some initiative” but fire academies are over $2000 now, EMT is over $1000, and medic where I’m at is a minimum of $7500. That’s not considering the need for time off, or at least an accommodating schedule, which can be a nightmare by the time you hit medic school. And also, for a lot of departments, they’re already sending you to their academy of choice if you didn’t go to one they like. So yeah, the cost of onboarding and training a new person might be a lot higher than it was, but a lot of people just don’t have the time and money to invest in firefighter/paramedic training before they even get a job.
Besides, we can pretend the current screening processes of a lot of departments is bullet proof, but how many mutts and losers get through anyhow. The best place to figure that out is probation, as places like Orland, Aurora, and others are known for doing.
#2 by Austin on October 27, 2023 - 10:26 AM
The problem with that Greg is the education is expensive. You need a EMT certificate, some require a certain level of fire science education, and that is money out of their pocket. There are no shortage of companies who will pay for continuing education, certificates, or even help chip in for master degrees, if it will help the employer in the long run. I work for one such company. While all of this might be few thousand at your local community college, its a lot when you are young and looking to join FD. Especially with how much everything costs today. Or they can do what a lot of airlines are doing. They will put you in their own training program (United, Jet Blue), or pay you to go to flight school (Frontier), but you sign a contract for X amount of years to be with that airline. That is something that could work. The department pays for it, but you have to stay for at least 5 years.
#3 by Greg on October 27, 2023 - 9:28 AM
I know preference points exist to reward people for their education or experience but, is that much to ask to see a little initiative before hiring? Pretty sure plenty of jobs/companies still require it. Can you just walk in off the street to some company and want to be an accountant with zero prior effort or education? (I’m sure you can somewhere but you get my point) In the end, I’m not so stubborn or blind to reality though, if you need people, you have to do what can to get them. Maybe fat hiring bonuses if you are medic?
#4 by Matt C on October 26, 2023 - 11:15 AM
Been saying for a while now, departments are going to have to rethink what has become the standard for testing. I remember watching testing 40-50 years ago where you’d have 4 and 500 people show up. All with none or almost no experience. Then departments got stingy and thought it’d be easier to require prior certifications. Now they’re crying because the talent pool is drying up. Once upon a time, we got paid while getting our certs. May be time again.
#5 by Mike on October 26, 2023 - 7:17 AM
Departments really need to reconsider their hiring practices. Many departments want you to be certified BOF or FF2 already and at least EMT-B if not paramedic. Many departments are struggling to recruit people now. Get rid of the requirements and send your guys through an academy and get them the EMS training and licensure. This is all about trying to pinch Penny’s while departments are testing to establish lists every year now. The even better gimmick is “we want to diversify the department” well how are you going to do that when people can’t even get the minimum requirements to take your entrance exam.