The rapid advance of technology has forced modern fire departments to critically re-examine their hiring, education, training and promotional policies. Emergency response agencies can't conduct business as usual and deliver state-of-the-art service in an era of dramatic change.

Serving a number of small rural cities and unincorporated areas around Wichita, Kan., Sedgwick County Fire District #1 is composed of 139 paid personnel and eight fire stations. Although the district was accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International in 2003 and considers itself a state-of-the-art fire department, the CFAI peer reviewers believed that the advancement policies and processes used by the district to hire and promote staff were haphazard and disjointed. This assessment prompted the district to examine these policies and develop a comprehensive plan for hiring, training, education, and promotion.

Advanced training and post-secondary education have become critical requirements in the fire service to ensure that it adequately protects citizens it's dedicated to serve. Additionally, firefighting personnel have a right to know the definitive steps necessary to achieve promotions in their chosen profession. Recognizing these realities, Sedgwick County Fire District #1 has embarked on an aggressive program to ensure that its members are adequately educated and constantly trained using the best classical training processes in conjunction with modern multimedia technology and training methodology.

Baseline requirements

Upon learning of the need to develop a comprehensive and logical means of promotion, Chief Gary Curmode tasked an ad hoc committee with developing a definitive program that would outline the educational and training requirements, from the basic level of firefighter up to and including the position of chief.

The committee was charged to create a comprehensive game plan within one year. Although committee members were well aware that all of their recommendations couldn't be implemented immediately, they did establish a baseline for employment in addition to promotional criteria. Fundamentally, fire district personnel must:

• Know their jobs very well.
• Be well-acquainted with the district's demographic make-up and geography.
• Have compassion and empathy for citizens.
• Have exemplary ethical character.
• Be committed to becoming the best they can be through a positive attitude.
• Maintain good physical and mental health and have a pleasant appearance.
• Maintain good scores in annual health audits or similar processes.
• Achieve consistently high performance evaluations.
• Score 85% minimum on competency tests.

With these criteria as a frame of reference, the committee recommended several career milestones. From the very start, all recruits entering the system must meet or exceed the minimum overall county hiring standards. If they qualify, they join the department as a probationary employee and are encouraged to pursue Emergency Mobile Intensive Care Technician certification over the next one to four years. They also must attain a working knowledge of the district's SOPs.

Probationary personnel must have completed or be enrolled in an academically recognized 24-hour fire science curriculum, and the pursuit of an associate's degree is highly encouraged. They also are recommended to pursue Firefighter I/Firefighter II and Driver/Operator certification. Upon mastering these requirements, a person is recognized as a competent firefighter.

Lieutenants & captains

After attaining the basic firefighter objectives, individuals may choose to sit for the lieutenant assessment center. To that end, candidates must attend standard-of-coverage training classes taught by district personnel. They also must achieve a Fire Instructor I and a Fire Officer I classification.

Personnel are encouraged to complete County Human Resources courses off-shift, and those aspiring to the rank of lieutenant also are recommended to take one basic fire inspection course. The attainment of an associate's degree is strongly encouraged. Personnel also are encouraged to join at least one of the district's more than 20 committees.

As finances allow, individuals may attend the Center for Management Development 11-week supervisory training program offered by Wichita State University. Candidates also are encouraged to attend a minimum of one course at the National Fire Academy.

If all prior prerequisites are met — those prescribed during probationary status as well as those of an active firefighter — qualified individuals are eligible to sit for the lieutenant's assessment center if they received a minimum score of 70% on a written qualifying examination. Sedgwick County's assessment centers traditionally consist of an interview process and a simulated emergency situation.

If individuals achieve the rank of lieutenant, they must fulfill the following criteria to sit for a captain's assessment center:

• Beginning Dec. 31, 2008, those seeking promotion must have an associate's degree.
• Promotional candidates are strongly encouraged to actively pursue a bachelor's degree at an accredited institution, as defined in the collective bargaining agreement.
• Candidates are recommended to attend the National Fire Academy every three years, as budgets allow.
• Candidates must attend a minimum of four staff meetings per year.
• Candidates must have received or be pursuing the rank of Fire Officer II.

Upon successfully completing (or pursuing) these criteria, an individual can sit for the captain's assessment center.

Chief-level positions

Captains who aspire to the rank of division chief should satisfy the following criteria:

• They should be actively pursuing a baccalaureate degree by the year 2008.
• They should be an EFO and CFO graduate.
• They should complete courses as budgets allow at Wichita State University's Center for Management Development, with an emphasis on the mini-MBA program's focus on human resources and leadership.
• They are encouraged to attend at least one annual conference.
• They are encouraged to be involved as an active participant in labor relations and collective bargaining.
• They must have been cross-trained in all elements of department operations.

If the responses to the recommended or required prerequisites are all positive, the individuals are qualified to sit for the division chief assessment center. If candidates successfully complete the assessment center, they're eligible for promotion to division chief.

Upon promotion, the following criteria must be satisfied to qualify for the positions of deputy chief of fire marshal:

• By the year 2009, individuals must have a bachelor's degree in a relevant fire science or management development program.
• By 2012, they must have a master's degree.
• Individuals must be CFO graduates; pursuit of the EFO is strongly recommended.
• Candidates are encouraged to attend a minimum of two annual conferences and attend all relevant staff meetings.
• Subject to the availability of funds, individuals are encouraged to attend the National Fire Academy.
• If fiscal resources permit, candidates are encouraged to complete all relevant courses offered by the Wichita State University's Center for Management Development.
• Individuals should have successfully completed or currently be enrolled in the National Safety Officer Certification program.

If all of these qualifications are met or are being pursued actively, individuals become qualified to sit for the deputy chief assessment center or the fire marshal assessment center.

To qualify for the position of chief, all of the previous prerequisites must be satisfied, along with any related training or education mandated by the director of public safety, the assistant county manager, the county manager, and/or the board of county commissioners. In the near future the district will be developing assessment center criteria for these three top fire district positions.

Growing pains

This program was implemented last year. Because many of the criteria require attainment or active pursuit of degrees, certifications and training levels by the years 2009 or 2012, the program has not been implemented fully.

Even so, a few hiccups have been discovered. For example, there has been some discussion on what constitutes an accredited organization for the attainment or pursuit of associate's or bachelor's degrees. The district currently is attempting to clarify what constitutes an accredited institution so that the program may be implemented fairly and consistently.

Complementary with these promotional processes, the district developed prerequisites for a Master Firefighter position. This process defines the highest non-commissioned officer ranking a Sedgwick County Fire District #1 firefighter can attain. It requires:

• A minimum of 10 years on the force.
• Passing a 100-question exam with a grade of 80% or better.
• The successful completion of a 10-station proctored SCBA drill on one 4,500psi bottle.
• The analysis of a problem scene scenario.
• Positive input from an individual's peers.

Three months are allocated to receive inputs from the candidate's peers, and the rank of Master Firefighter is conferred if the majority of the comments from peers are favorable. After three years, the individual must recertify.

This program remains in development because of several issues raised by agents of the collective bargaining unit. Once the kinks are worked out, the program will serve as a formal means for individuals not desiring an officer rank to be recognized by their peers as critical contributors to the district.

Overall, the promotional program has been well received. Young department members aspiring to officer-level ranks are now well aware that formal education and continued training are critical elements to the promotional process. Although many of the prerequisites would be difficult, if not impossible, for current incumbent staff to achieve, the entry of new blood into the process should alleviate many problems of personnel striving for positions without attaining specified levels.

After a grace period, these criteria will be enforced gradually, resulting in a consistent set of promotional guidelines. The fire district soon will be prepared to confront challenges facing the fire service. The process is dynamic, and the district intends to respond to environmental changes with new, aggressive polices when the need exists.

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Gary Curmode has served as chief of Sedgwick County (Kan.) Fire District #1 for the last 10 years. He completed his Chief Fire Officer Designation in April 2001, and he has an associate's degree in fire science, a bachelor's degree in secondary education, and a master's degrees in administration of justice and public administration.

Rick Brazill is a deputy chief with Sedgwick County Fire District #1, and John H. Leslie Jr., Ph.D., is a technical support specialist.