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Part-Time Firefighters

CHAPTER SIX : RECRUITMENT

Previous chapters of this report have covered a number of key issues in relation to part-time firefighters. In a number of instances, respondents have also referred to the need for effective recruitment and communication in order to help bring about effective integration within the local authority fire brigades in Scotland. Issues in relation to recruitment will be discussed in this chapter and chapter seven examines issues relating to communication.

Barriers to Recruitment

6.1 Discussion at the workshop sessions revealed that recruitment is a serious problem in some areas of Scotland, and there is an estimate that some brigades are suffering as much as a shortfall of 20% from their desired staffing level. Furthermore, this is a problem that is perceived to be worsening over time.

6.2 During the course of the discussions, respondents referred to difficulties in recruitment of part-time firefighters and this was attributed to a number of key factors:

• The disinclination of employers to allow staff to adopt the role of part-time firefighter in addition to their full time job
• Increased mobility, so that many potential part-time firefighters simply do not work within a tight enough radius of their home to be able to respond to a shout. In some areas, this has led to a problem with daytime cover
• An inability, or disinclination, on the part of many individuals to commit to being on 24 hour call, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
• A lack of understanding and awareness from the broader general public as to the role and responsibilities of a part-time firefighter, which serves to reduce numbers of potential firefighters
• Medical standards for recruitment being too high
• Lack of pension and other benefits such as sick pay, holiday pay etc

Creating Diversity within the Fire Service

6.3 There is an acceptance that the bulk of part-time firefighters are male mid 20's to mid 40's and that there is a need to encourage a far greater diversity of individuals to consider becoming a part-time firefighter. Most respondents commented on the need to create interest in a job with the Fire Service from a more diverse range of individuals, and most also had a preference for minimum standards of recruitment to be applied. Once again, the following quotation again emphasises the need for flexibility within the system.

"Well recruitment criteria should be a minimum standard, whether we then look at the percentage of times that they are available and have a different, slightly different system where, we are more flexible. Certainly that would help, it would probably lead to more numbers. But we would have to have a minimum level of training that they must carry out and, it might lead to different types of contracts for a period that they would be available as well."

(Senior Personnel)

Potential Changes in Recruitment Practice

6.4 A number of the issues previously raised in this report in relation to training are perceived to go some way towards addressing recruitment problems. The South Wales pilot was also seen to address many issues in relation to recruitment and retention. For example,

• Offering shifts should encourage a more diverse range of individuals to apply to become firefighters; for example, mothers may consider becoming part-time firefighters during the day when children are at school
• Offering a choice in shifts worked may encourage some individuals who would not currently obtain permission from their employer to be available to respond to incidents outwith their usual working hours
• Offering a guaranteed salary provides a commitment from the Fire Service which may attract some individuals

6.5 Additionally, comments made at the workshop session referred to changes in recent employee legislation, such as the Working Time Directive. These changes are perceived to offer opportunities for the introduction of a number of new initiatives aimed at increasing the potential recruitment pool for the Fire Service. However, the Working Time Directive was not considered in a positive light by many respondents, and the Fire Service will need to make it clear that it is not the directive forcing change, but that change within the Service is required and change will be a positive move forwards for firefighters and the communities they serve.

6.6 Some fire stations have already moved towards changes in recruitment practice in order to encourage a more diverse range of individuals to join the service. Initiatives adopted have included :

• open days to which the general public are invited, and attendance at other local events, to provide information about the Fire Service
• provision of information to the broader general public regarding the role and responsibilities of a part-time firefighter
• pro-active and direct approaches to employers, particularly those within the public sector who are perceived to have a greater social duty than their counterparts within the private sector
• specific targeting of underrepresented groups such as women

6.7 One senior manager who has actively been attempting to recruit more females within his brigade noted a good rate of success. On one level, his brigade had been sending out general messages about working within the Fire Service; on a more specific level, additional information relating to recruitment criteria such as age were provided.

"We've noticed an increase recently of female applicants. We're putting the message out and I think people are now sort of saying 'well, that's not an age barrier, there's not a problem being female' or whatever. What tends to happen is that when people hear there's female firefighters, they realise that it is not as macho as they might have perceived or that you do not have to be super fit. We say ' you're trained' and this is the message we're getting out. We put out press releases, we try to have open days and word of mouth works too."

(Senior Personnel)

6.8 As noted in the literature evaluation, one or two brigades have taken on a full time member of staff with a remit to deal specifically with recruitment. In these instances, where full time dedication is given to this aspect of the job, there have been reports of increased interest from potential firefighters in the Fire Service and increased recruitment, together with less firefighters leaving the Service, thus also addressing retention issues.

6.9 Some senior managers and firefighters pointed to a lack of information onat recruitment and suggested that promotional videos could be supplied alongside promotional recruitment literature at an initial point of contact. We would recommend introduction of a system whereby enough initial information is provided to a potential firefighter in order for them to familiarise themselves with the likely role and responsibilities of the job and enable them to make the decision as to whether they wish to apply for the job. Thereafter, potential firefighters could attend necessary meetings over the course of one day in order to provide any necessary information, undergo medicals and so on. This should help to resolve difficulties with some employers who are reluctant to lose a member of staff on a number of different occasions. At present, word of mouth appears to play a key part in dissemination of information. However, on its own, this limits the number and type of people who will be provided with information on the role of a part-time firefighter and may prevent progress towards a more diverse workforce.

6.10 One suggestion made at the workshop session was that it would help raise the profile of part-time firefighting in general if a national soap opera such as Coronation Street were to introduce a character who was a part-time firefighter!

6.11 At present, it may also take some time between initial application to become a firefighter, acceptance into the service and then commencement of employment. For some, this lengthy period of time can be demotivating. It was acknowledged by workshop attendees that this process is far too slow and needs to be speeded up. We would recommend that recruitment drives are undertaken at a time when there is a specific need for firefighters and that those applying for the service who are then accepted, should start training within a very short timeframe. If ad hoc applications come in at a time when there is no specific need for firefighters, a senior officer should reply to the application, explaining that further contact will be made as, and when, there is a need to recruit more firefighters.

6.12 In areas where it is not possible to raise interest from potential firefighters and thereby increase numbers, it might be possible to close certain fire stations at times where cover is difficult to come by. For example, some senior managers noted that there are some areas in Scotland whereby daytime cover does not currently exist. In these instances, it may be best to acknowledge this situation and only offer cover at night time.

6.13 During the course of the group discussions among part-time firefighters, it also became apparent that one key means by which information is provided to potential firefighters is that of word of mouth. Some firefighters admitted that this places restrictions on the types of people who are encouraged to enter the Fire Service, as they tended to hold conversations with a relatively restricted peer group and did not always consider other types of people who might be effective part-time firefighters. Additionally, information also tended to be provided on a selective basis and a potential firefighter might not be provided with wholly accurate and definitive information. Issues in relation to communication will be discussed in the following chapter.

6.14 During the course of the workshop sessions, a number of initiatives were suggested, each of which was perceived to work towards alleviating some of the recruitment and retention problems currently being faced by the Fire Service. These included :

• The provision of creches so that childcare facilities can be available for parents, allowing females in particular to be targeted
• An increase in call out times - perhaps from the current level of five minutes to eight minutes - in order to increase the size of catchment areas for fire stations
• Some form of payment to employer organisations to reduce their costs when firefighters respond to a calloutshout
• Changes to benefits paid to unemployed individuals - at present, unemployed individuals in receipt of benefits lose these if they become part-time firefighters as they are deemed to be in some form of employment. If it were possible to allow unemployed individuals to continue to receive some form of benefit while working as part-time firefighters, this would increase the pool from which the Fire Service could recruit
• Offering greater flexibility in retirement age - allowing fitness assessments and assessing individuals' willingness to continue working for the Fire Service after the age of 55 to be the determinant of retiral, not age. Those deemed healthy enough to continue by occupational health professionals should be allowed to continue working if they wish
• Offering more flexibility in shifts / rotas to be worked
• Offering opportunities for part-time firefighters on holiday to offer temporary cover when on holiday if additional cover is need. This would only work if there were standard qualifications that could be produced in order to prove competency to offer temporary cover
• Offering "standard" qualifications so that transfers can easily be made between different brigades. This would help with retention especially
• Offering the same benefits to part-time firefighters as are currently offered to whole-time firefighters. These include holiday pay, sick pay, pensions and so on. If available, these would help to overcome some of the retention problems currently being experienced by the Scottish Fire Service
• Changing the culture of the Fire Service and removing cultural and attitudinal differences

6.15 Overall, there was agreement that the employment market is continually changing and that there will be a need for the Fire Service to continue to introduce new and innovative solutions to deal with issues of recruitment and retention. Additionally, there was a view expressed at the workshop sessions that focus needs to be placed more upon the "product" rather than the "marketing" and that without changes to the product, recruitment and retention problems will continue. Issues in relation to communication are covered in the following chapter.

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