Recruitment and retention has always been of great importance to the San Francisco Fire Department. In a Department charged with the health and safety for a population of over 800,000 residents, the Department has always focused on attracting, recruiting, retaining, and training the most qualified candidates possible.

The Department is pleased to reply that many of the recommendations contained in this section have already been implemented by the Department in its most recent H2 Firefighter test administered in October 2001.

· Recommendation of Auditor"s report

The Fire Chief should:

1.6.1 Direct the new Division of Fire and Medical training, with support from the new strategic Policy, Planning and Analysis Unit to:

· Develop a recruitment process which recruits applicants with prior EMT or Paramedic training, and /or advanced science education, and which gives preference to applicants with advanced education qualifications.

·Assessment of Department

The Department concurs with the recommendation of the Auditor.

The current policy of the Department is to focus recruitment efforts on individuals who possess skills identified as essential to the mission of the Department. The most recent H2 Firefighter exam, administered in October 2001, targeted individuals with the following traits:

· Those living in San Francisco communities

· Those with bilingual skills in Cantonese and Spanish

· Paramedics / EMTs / fire science certifications or licenses

· Physically fit

The Department has included its most recent recruitment brochures (attachment 1.6.1A) which asked members to identify which skills they possessed. This assists with retention efforts made by the Department in its focus to insure candidates that possessed such skills/backgrounds were retained in the process.

The Department took the following additional steps to attract individuals with a paramedic /EMT/ fire science background:

· Assigned a firefighter paramedic (FF/PM) to work on PM recruitment full time, beginning in July up through application drop-off

· Set up recruitment tables at SF City College

· Distributed recruitment information at SF City College Fire Science Classes

· Placed advertisement on SF Paramedic Association website

· Placed advertisement on State EMS Agency Website

· Purchased mailing labels of subscribers to JEMS magazine (Paramedic readership) and sent letters and recruitment info to all subscribers, approximately 1,860

· Purchased mailing labels from National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians and sent letters and recruitment information to all subscribers, approximately 5,321

· Wrote to all paramedic schools in the State of California to advise current and past students of the Department"s job opportunity

All of the above measures were considered to be best resources to reach licensed paramedics of all backgrounds

As a result of this effort, the breakdown of applicants who identified themselves as having one of the specific skills targeted, with specific regard to the skills identified above are as follows (NOTE: Some of the applicants may possess more than one of the categories noted):

The results of this recruitment proved to be effective in targeting the desired applicants. It should be noted that Paramedics are in great demand throughout the State of California and nationwide. Other Departments are finding it difficult to recruit and retain paramedics and firefighter / paramedics (FF/PM).

The Department will use the certification rule that regulates the procedure for selection from the eligibility list ("rule of the list") to its best benefit. This rule allows the hiring body, the Department, the ability to determine the criteria and hire accordingly. For example, if there was a need to hire paramedics, an entire group of paramedics could be selected and put through the academy. Additionally, individuals that are already EMTs, (which comprise a greater percentage of the eligible candidates) may be more motivated to work in the medical field and be good candidates to participate in cross-training to become paramedics.

·Department Action plan and timeline

Completed as part of the most recent H2 Firefighter exam, administered in October 2001.

· Recommendation of Auditor"s report

The Fire Chief should:

1.6.1 Direct the new Division of Fire and Medical training, with support from the new strategic Policy, Planning and Analysis Unit to:

· Incorporate external review panels into the recruitment process

·Assessment of Department

The Department concurs with the recommendation of the Auditor and has already implemented this process.

The Department will use an oral review panel for candidates as the second phase of the H2 testing process. This panel will include at least one member of the community we serve.

·Department Action plan and timeline

Completed as part of the most recent H2 Firefighter exam, administered in October 2001.

· Recommendation of Auditor"s report

The Fire Chief should:

1.6.1 Direct the new Division of Fire and Medical training, with support from the new strategic Policy, Planning and Analysis Unit to:

·Expand the Cadet Program course content to include paramedic experience

·Assessment of Department

The Department concurs with the recommendation of the Auditor and has already implemented this process.

H2 candidates will receive EMS training as a component of the didactic classroom portion of the new H2 Firefighter recruitment program.

·Department Action plan and timeline

Completed as part of the most recent H2 Firefighter exam, administered in October 2001.

· Recommendation of Auditor"s report

The Fire Chief should:

1.6.1 Direct the new Division of Fire and Medical training, with support from the new strategic Policy, Planning and Analysis Unit to:

·Expand the Classification H2 Fire Fighter recruits" field probation experience to include ambulance assignment

·Assessment of Department

The Department concurs with the recommendation of the Auditor and has already implemented this process.

·Department Action plan and timeline

Completed.

Firefighters currently on probation (105^th and 106^th Probationary classes) are being assigned to ambulances as part of a four /four / four month rotation. Successful completion of the ambulance portion of their probation is a condition of continued employment.

· Recommendation of Auditor"s report

The Fire Chief should:

1.6.1 Direct the new Division of Fire and Medical training, with support from the new strategic Policy, Planning and Analysis Unit to:

·Develop formalized career development programs for staff

·Assessment of Department

The Department concurs with the recommendation of the Auditor and has had this program in place for many years.

A formal career track was developed in 1997 and reissued this year. This program provides all Department personnel with a guide for career advancement and the training and educational recommendations for all positions in the Department.

All career options available to uniform personnel in the Department are outlined in this Department manual. For example, an H-2 Firefighter has the opportunity to pursue one of five (5) promotional opportunities; H20 Lieutenant, H4 Fire Inspector, H6 Fire Investigator, H3 Firefighter / paramedic, or H10 Chief"s Operator.

The San Francisco Fire Department Career Track Manual is included as Attachment 1.6.5A to this response.

The general order reissuing this manual is found as Attachment 1.6.5B to this response.

·Department Action plan and timeline

Completed.

· Recommendation of Auditor"s report

1.6.2 Review the deadlines for recruitment diversity goals to ensure that the Fire Department has sufficient Classification H-3 Fire Fighter Paramedics to meet service obligations.

·Assessment of Department

The Department concurs with the recommendation of the audit.

The Department recognizes the need for H-3 Firefighter Paramedics and will continue to target individuals with this skill set as part of the recruitment process for H2 Firefighter

·Department Action plan and timeline

The Department will continue its efforts to ensure outreach to licensed paramedics in its recruitment efforts.

· Recommendation of Auditor"s report

1.6.3 Analyze future paramedic training options so that the Fire Department can prepare a cost benefit comparison between in-house EMS Academy and utilizing paramedic training programs provided by other public and private sector agencies.

·Assessment of Department

The Department concurs with the recommendation of the audit.

The Department will prepare a cost benefit comparison between in-house EMS Academy and utilizing paramedic training programs provided by other public and private sector agencies.

The Department has conducted multiple surveys of other paramedic training programs to compare cost, schedules, and curriculum. The Department formed a partnership with another public agency, City College of San Francisco (CCSF), three years a provide the paramedic training program. The program is an official course offering of CCSF, which provides a degree of financial and staff support for the program. The Department also works collaboratively with San Francisco General Hospital and other private City hospitals to meet the training requirements of the program. CCSF, General Hospital and the Department all agree that it requires the cooperation and resources of all three agencies to maintain the current program.

Paramedic programs are complex and expensive to run. Privately run programs find it difficult to remain viable because of low fees, high drop out rates, the length of the program, and the difficulties of managing a program that requires support from ambulance companies and hospitals for training sites and internships. Locally, programs run by the San Francisco Center for Prehospital Research and Training and San Mateo Hospital Consortium have closed. Community colleges also find it difficult to maintain these programs for similar reasons. Paramedic training programs at Skyline and Chabot community colleges have recently been discontinued. More paramedic training programs may soon close due to the difficulty of meeting the new state requirement that the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs accredit all EMT / Paramedic programs.

As the audit points out, the San Francisco Fire Department program is "one of the few fire departments to fully pay the costs of cross-training its staff by offering cross training on duty." Despite this generous incentive, it has been difficult to recruit large numbers of interested firefighters. The Department is optimistic that more members will opt for cross-training when firefighter paramedics are able to routinely rotate between engine companies and ambulances. Requiring students to attend a paramedic training program at a remote site that may not be able to conduct training on a schedule compatible with the student"s work schedule is not a positive incentive.

The Department will continue its research into the mechanism other large Departments use to train firefighters as paramedics, and collecting information on paramedic programs available in the greater Bay Area.

·Department Action plan and timeline

The Department anticipates that this research project will be complete by July 2002.

· Recommendation of Auditor"s report

1.6.4 Analyze the costs and benefits of requiring staff to undertake their cross training off duty.

·Assessment of Department

The Department concurs with the recommendation of the audit.

The Department is currently in the process of analyzing the cost and benefits of requiring staff to undertake paramedic cross training off-duty. The Department is beginning a pilot program in January of 2002 that requires San Francisco firefighters participating in the Department"s paramedic training program to attend training off-duty whenever the classroom or clinical training is held on the student"s day off.

Part of the greater research for this analysis will require examination of the MOU between Local 798 and CCSF.The new 798 MOU (FY 2001-2003) contains very specific clauses pertaining to members who begin, leave or succeed in cross training from firefighter to paramedic. The following excerpt is taken directly from the MOU:

"29.1 Employees who begin participation in the Department"s paramedic cross-training program after ratification of this Agreement, and who obtain a California paramedic license and are appointed to an H-3 Firefighter/Paramedic position shall, upon successful completion of the cross-training program, receive a lump sum payment based on the following formula:

a. Three percent (3%) of base pay for all periods of active participation in the paramedic cross-training program beginning with the commencement of the employee"s participation in the program and ending with the completion of the initial six (6) month training requirements, and

b. Five percent (5%) of base pay for all periods of active participation in the paramedic cross-training program beginning with completion of the initial six (6) month training requirements and ending with completion of the program.

29.2 However, if, within five (5) years of the date of the original paramedic license, an employee who received a lump sum payment related to the paramedic cross-training program fails to maintain a paramedic license or requests to be reinstated to an appointment not requiring a paramedic license and such request is approved, such employee shall be required to repay the money he/she received.

29.3 Employees who enrolled in the paramedic cross training program prior to ratification of this Agreement, shall continue to receive a three percent (3%) biweekly paramedic training differential. The paramedic training differential shall be increased to five percent (5%) biweekly upon satisfactory completion of the initial six (6) month training requirements and continued participation in the paramedic cross training program."

·Department Action plan and timeline

The Department begins the pilot program to assess the feasibility of providing paramedic cross training to members while off duty. The Department anticipates that the analysis will be complete by July 2003.