Social Justice Committee: Fire and Police Recruitment Plan

1 year plan that aims to increase the number of minority and female Officers and Firefighters 5% by October 2021

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As many are aware, one of the biggest issues in Freeport that the Mayor’s Social Justice committee is tasked with addressing is the fact that the Fire and Police departments are not representative of our diverse community. At this week’s SJC meeting Patricia Norman reviewed the first draft of a 1 year plan that aims to increase the number of minority and female Officers and Firefighters 5% by October 2021. I have laid out the month by month Fire and Police recruitment plan below, keep in mind however that this is a first draft and is therefore subject to change.

October 2020:

  • Attend college and university job/career fairs
  • Accept applications
  • Orientation meeting, written test, and agility tests
  • Personal evaluation profile
  • Preliminary interviews, physical exam
  • 10/26/2020- Deadline for all documents
  • 10/27/2020- Regular meeting of The Board of Fire and Police Commission- Review applicants
  • 10/28/2020- Presentation invitations w/ personal history mailed- Order tests

November 2020:

  • Maintain regular communications with college placement officers for next application cycle
  • 11/7/2020- Registration, orientation, agility, written exams
  • 11/23/2020- Reference and background checks completed
  • 11/24/2020- Regular meeting of The Board of Fire and Police Commission- Review candidate backgrounds
  • Maintain communication with candidates through the remaining steps of the process

December 2020:

  • 12/1/2020- Special meeting of The Board of Fire and Police Commission- Oral interviews w/scenarios to assess candidates thought process, temperament, critical thinking skills, problem solving and decision making skills and other critical attributes important to the work
  • 12/2/2020- Initial eligibility list (Request for “points” letters mailed)
  • 12/13/2020- Points deadline/Final eligibility list established
  • 12/14/2020- Apply points- poly, psych, and medical exams
  • 12/22/2020- Regular meeting of The Board of Fire and Police Commission- Review poly, psych, and medical exams

January 2021:

  • Attend college and university job/career fairs
  • 1/11/2021- Paperwork to PTI
  • 1/20/2021- Swearing in
  • Assign mentors
  • 1/24/2021- Report to PTI

February 2021:

  • Attend college and university job/career fairs
  • Maintain communication with college placement officer

March 2021:

  • Attend college and university job/career fairs
  • Maintain communication with college placement officers

April 2021:

  • Attend college and university job/career fairs
  • Maintain communication with college placement officers
  • Follow up with local leaders

May 2021:

  • Attend college and university job/career fairs
  • Focus on local candidates

June 2021:

  • Follow up with interested candidates
  • Focus on local candidates

July 2021:

  • Determine needs of the department: Vacancies (current and anticipated), succession planning
  • Review and update recruiting materials: brochures, job descriptions, applicant tracking tools
  • Review civil service requirements, review current hiring plan
  • Post anticipated vacancies
  • Establish timeline for each round of hiring
  • Provide diversity training for staff

August 2021:

  • Identify promotions
  • Determine recruitment budget
  • Establish recruitment calendar
  • Identify recruitment team members: familiar with community, EEOC policy, and SJC
  • Prepare posting with requirements at college and university campuses, social media, and in local department for employee referral
  • Identify internal contact for new recruits
  • Identify recruitment/career fairs: colleges and universities (including HBCUs), community organizations, churches, school, ect.

September 2021:

  • Advertise and distribute applications at job/career fairs, community centers to attract local candidates
  • Identify locations of the candidates/demographics we wish to attract
  • Establish relationships with university placement officers
  • Review screening process
  • Review timeline for hiring process
  • Provide diversity training for staff

Nick Nunez is the City Hall Correspondent for The Voice of Freeport