When the Minneapolis Fire Department became a paid, professional department in 1879, it wasn't surprising that firefighters were all men and that they were all white. More surprising was that nearly a century later, in 1970, the demographics of the work force were unchanged.

However, today the department employs a very diverse work force that includes more than 40% women and minorities. At the entry-level rank of firefighter, the department is more than 50% women and minorities. But these changes have been hard fought, both in the courtroom and in the minds of department personnel.

Lessons in history

In 1970, a group of minority entry-level firefighter applicants filed a class action suit (Carter v. Gallagher, Court of Appeals Eighth Circuit, 452 F.2d 315, 331 (1971)) seeking injunctive relief from alleged discriminatory hiring practices of the fire department. The district court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, awarding absolute preference to minorities until 20 were hired by the department. The absolute preference was overturned on appeal, instead instituting that minorities be hired on a 1-to-2 ratio until 20 qualified minorities were hired. There's no doubt that the beginning of racial diversity in the Minneapolis Fire Department, which now stands at 30% overall minority employment, is due in no small part to that lawsuit.

Another milestone was reached in 1986 when the first group of female firefighters was hired. Today there are more than 80 women on the Minneapolis Fire Department, about 16% of the total work force. However, diversification came with some unfortunate and very inaccurate perceptions about hiring standards. False perceptions that the department achieved diversity by “lowering” hiring standards festered in the '70s, '80s and '90s, and sadly that perception still lingers in small doses.

However, the truth is that the department only recently instituted rigorous hiring standards related to the essential job functions of being a firefighter. Prior to the 1990s, the department's testing system consisted primarily of strength and endurance measurements that didn't accurately predict success on the job, and culturally biased written tests that had nothing to do with the job of firefighting. The number of push-ups and pull-ups candidates could complete in less than one minute rarely translated to success as a firefighter because one had nothing to do with the other.

It's not surprising that under that system hiring list after hiring list ended up with white males stacked at the top, female candidates stacked at the bottom, and other minority candidates interspersed between. A few women and minorities defied the odds and were hired, but progress was very slow.

Level the training field

The department revamped the entire testing system in 1995, validating the reading comprehension and physical components for job-relatedness and content. Success for the pass-fail reading test was set at the minimum level candidates needed to complete their EMT and hazmat examinations. The combat-style physical test, referred to as the work simulation test, included a chopping exercise, a ladder raise, a dummy drag, a hose drag, and a hose carry up and down several flights of stairs. The changes made an immediate difference not only in the diversity but in the quality of the firefighters because for the first time the department actually had hiring standards that had something to do with the job of firefighting.

Developers used the department's staff performance as the basis for work-simulation test scores. After the work-simulation test was “normed” and the scoring bands were set, the department opened all of the equipment and facilities used in the test to any candidates who wished to come train on the equipment and improve their technique. Candidates rarely had trouble with all of the components of the work simulation, so focused tutoring and practicing greatly improved women candidates' chances of being competitive in the testing process.

As the testing process continued to be fine-tuned, the department added another test to the process called the Employment Inventory/Customer Service Inventory. The EI/CSI is designed to measure attributes such as honesty, integrity and ability to perform in a team setting. Although these attributes had not traditionally been considered when testing firefighters, performance on the EI/CSI has translated to a significant decrease in disciplinary problems within the department.

Promotional opportunities

Hiring proceeded at a rapid pace between 1998 and mid-2002, by which time the department had replaced nearly half of its current strength.

Not only had the face of the fire department changed dramatically with the inclusion of women and minorities, the vast majority of those hired during that period were highly qualified to become future leaders of the department. The promotional ranks at the time contained very little diversity and more than a few performance problems. Collective bargaining agreements and civil service rules govern promotions in the lower ranks, and the challenge of overcoming the same obstacles in the promotional process remained.

The department first set out to even the playing field for those preparing for a promotional examination. Administration revised the job descriptions and revealed the subjects to be covered in the exam. In short, everyone in a position to take a promotional examination knew what pool of knowledge was necessary. There were no “secrets to success” shared only with the chosen few.

Next we developed an educational process so that every promotional candidate could prepare with college- or professional-based material in a classroom or clinical setting. We encouraged educational preparation, but didn't require it. However, most candidates took advantage of every opportunity to prepare for promotional exams.

The results again were dramatic. Merely shedding light on the entire process and leveling the playing field in all ways resulted in the most diverse promotional groups in the history of the department. The department has appointed 15 members to staff since 1998, most to the rank of deputy chief. The appointments were made up of a very diverse group of highly skilled employees, and included more than 50% women and minorities, including:

• Of the 170 firefighter cadets hired, 53% were women and minorities;
• Of the 58 fire motor operators/engineers promoted, 60% were women and minorities;
• Of the 57 captains promoted, 55% were women and minorities;
• Of the 13 battalion chiefs promoted, two were women and two were minority males; and
• Of the deputy chiefs promoted, one was a woman and one was a minority male.

The department is positioned to be led by a work force at all ranks that represents the communities it serves.

Managing perceptions

Once the department had been diversified throughout ranks, the next challenge was to manage employees' perceptions about the qualifications of groups who had been previously excluded — a challenge that remains today. For example, some less-educated employees “blamed” the inclusion of female firefighters for recent equipment changes and the private room constructions in the newer stations, even though both additions are there for the benefit of all employees.

We wanted to provide a work environment free of hostility, so the first step we took was to provide avenues for all employees to discuss their concerns. The department took a proactive approach to addressing any resistance to change by establishing three committees made up of employees of all ranks, races and genders. The Cultural Awareness Committee seeks to stay informed on issues rooted in cultural conflict, as well as to keep abreast of the hiring and promotional issues and various other policy issues.

In addition, the Quality Committee focuses on improving the delivery of service to the public and the internal management of resources, including rig and equipment selection, uniform changes and other internal policies such as the department's discipline grid. Finally, the Labor Management Committee, made up of union representatives and members of management, meets regularly to discuss issues that could lead to discipline, grievances and other collective bargaining disputes.

The department's acceptance of itself as a radically changed entity in the last five years remains the biggest challenge facing the department. Opening up the committees to anyone is the best tool to educate the fire department about itself, including how it has changed. The committee members have truly become the power brokers of the department.

The Minneapolis Fire Department is now among the most diverse in the country. What's important to remember is that the diversity the department now enjoys was achieved by focusing the testing process on all of the attributes it takes to become a successful firefighter for the long term. The standards were never lowered. The standards were, in fact, defined for the first time, and that focus made the department reflective of the community it serves and led to the hiring of a highly qualified and very diverse work force.

A good fire department must have both skilled and diverse employees to be truly forward-looking and progressive. Recent hiring and promotional lists within the Minneapolis Fire Department have been diverse, and hiring, promotional and training opportunities are there for everyone. The widespread participation of everyone on the various committees gives every employee the chance to bring his or her values and culture to the table, thus ensuring that positive change will continue and ultimately be understood and accepted.

---

Rocco Forté of the Minneapolis Fire Department began his career in the fire service in 1975 and was appointed to chief of the department in July 1998. As a city department head, he co-chairs the Citywide Labor Management Committee and the City Environmental Coordinating Team. Forté is the director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Management for the City of Minneapolis. He's a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Metro Fire Chiefs Association, Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association, National Fire Protection Association and Homeland Security Advisory Council. Forté is a graduate of Minneapolis Technical College; University of Minnesota Human Resources Management, Carlson School of Management; and the Fire Officers Program at the National Fire Academy. He was designated as Chief Fire Officer by the Commission on Chief Fire Officer Designation.