TO: PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE & FROM: Robert Sapien, Jr.
STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE
SUBJECT: FIRE DEPARTMENT SWORN DATE: April 6, 2022
RECRUITMENT/HIRING ACTIVITY
AND BILINGUAL SERVICES STATUS
ANNUAL REPORT
Approved Date
RECOMMENDATION
Accept the annual report on San José Fire Department sworn personnel recruitment and hiring activity for calendar year 2021, including communication/marketing activities, analysis, qualified applicant pool diversity, and sworn demographic data by rank, as well as the status of sworn bilingual services as of December 2021.
BACKGROUND
The San José Fire Department (Department) engages in ongoing recruitment and training efforts to maintain authorized non-sworn and sworn staffing levels. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2020-2021, staff conducted a variety of hiring and promotion recruitments that filled 79 sworn vacancies and 25 civilian vacancies, over 12% of 848.48 total authorized positions. Each classification has unique job requirements and minimum qualifications and thus requires a separate recruitment process. External recruitments are conducted for the entry-level Firefighter rank and internal recruitments are conducted for promotion to non-management sworn ranks. Ongoing career development and training are critical to delivering safe, efficient, and effective responses to all community risks including fire, rescue, hazardous materials releases, and emergency medical services (EMS) requests. The Department provides ongoing training offerings that assist sworn personnel in achieving their career development goals. Department staff are engaged in all sworn recruitments in coordination with the Human Resources Department. Communication and marketing for external recruitments are supported by the Public Information Manager in the Office of the Fire Chief.
External Sworn Recruitments (Firefighter Recruit)
Firefighter recruitments attract many applicants for a limited number of position openings. The Department establishes and maintains Firefighter Eligibility Lists at approximately two-year PSFSS COMMITTEE: 04/21/2022
ITEM: (d)2.
4/12/2022
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
intervals depending on the timing of hiring and list viability. Firefighter Recruits are external recruitments with a rigorous multi-step process and a 20-week entry-level academy that prepares them for field duty. Upon successful completion of the academy, they graduate into the Firefighter classification and begin their probationary period in the Bureau of Field Operations.
In FY 2020-2021, amidst COVID-19 pandemic conditions, the Department conducted a Firefighter recruitment to establish an eligibility list. Social media, word of mouth via Department employees, advertising platforms, and notification of persons on the Department’s Firefighter interest list were primary outreach channels. Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, including a prohibition from in-person recruitment activities, 1,135 applications were received.
The Department’s minimum qualifications allow persons with little or no firefighting background to enter the service; however, qualified applicants will have obtained emergency medical technician certification or a paramedic license to meet minimum qualifications.
Firefighter minimum qualifications at the time of application include:
1. 18 years of age
2. High school diploma, or general education development (G.E.D.) certificate
3. Valid CA Driver’s License
4. Physical Ability Test (CPAT) Certificate
5. Valid Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Certificate and/or Paramedic License In the FY 2020-2021 recruitment, due to limited availability of CPAT testing opportunities and EMT and Paramedic school closures resulting from COVID-19 pandemic measures, requirements for CPAT and EMT were waived until time of hire. This temporary waiver sought to allow otherwise qualified, newly interested applicants time to complete CPAT certification and EMT and paramedic training after the application filing deadline.
Internal Sworn Recruitments (Promotions)
The Fire Department and Human Resources Department conduct processes establishing promotional eligibility list for the six non-management Fire Department ranks above Firefighter including Fire Engineer, Fire Inspector, Arson Investigator, Fire Captain, and Battalion Chief.
Each classification has unique job requirements and minimum qualifications and thus requires a separate recruitment process. In promotional recruitments, applicants meeting minimum qualifications for the position and successfully passing all phases of the testing process are placed on a promotion eligibility list ranked by total test scores, seniority, and other points as applicable. In Fiscal Year 2019-2020 the Department established eligibility lists for the Battalion Chief, Fire Captain, Fire Engineer, and Fire Inspector ranks. Promotion eligibility lists generally expire after two years and may be extended up to two six-month periods. The City Municipal Code specifies how promotions from an eligibility list will be administered:
Rank on an eligibility list determines the order of names certified as available for appointment. The ten highest are certified for one vacancy. Where there is more than one vacancy, the number certified is the number of vacancies plus ten. The
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
appointment authority may select any eligible form among the certified eligible to fill the available vacancies, as there is no requirement to select certified eligibles in rank order. (City Municipal Code Section 3.04.780.F.1) In calendar year 2021, there were 28 sworn personnel promotions which included 1 Battalion Chief, 23 Fire Captains, 1 Fire Engineer, and 3 Fire Inspectors. Additionally, an internal/external recruitment resulted in the appointment of an external candidate to Assistant Fire Chief.
Recruitment Marketing and Outreach
The Fire Department seeks to optimize recruitment marketing and outreach efforts within its limited resource capacity. These efforts leverage interest from employee affinity groups, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and social media, web page, and advertising platforms.
Women’s Bootcamp
The San José Fire Department Women’s Boot Camp was proposed and developed by a Department female firefighter. The Boot Camp engages and inspires women to pursue a highly rewarding Fire Service career. Delivered by female firefighters, the one-day camp introduces interested attendees to the physical and mental demands of the job and offers hands-on exercises using firefighting tools and equipment and small group and one-on-one dialogue sessions. The 2020 camp was broadly announced by the Department and drew 54 registered participants within three minutes of registration opening, with an additional 50 individuals on the waitlist. The 2020 event was well attended, and attendee feedback was captured to guide improvements for future camps. The Department is committed to providing at least one Women’s Boot Camp event annually; however, the 2021 event was canceled due to COVID-19 precautions. The 2020 Women’s Bootcamp video is featured on the Fire Department’s website to attract participants to attend the next Women’s Bootcamp scheduled on May 14, 20221.
Accredited Local Academy
The San José Fire Department is recognized as a State Fire Marshal Accredited Local Academy (ALA). An ALA is defined as a partnership between a fire agency serving a specific authority having jurisdiction and the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to deliver approved State Fire Training (SFT) curriculum within a given region. The ALA status enables the Department to deliver approved SFT curriculum with the support of Department certified instructors, allowing internal scheduling, prioritization, and coordination. 1 https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments/fire-department/recruitment
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium (The Academy) The South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium2 operates under a Joint Powers Agreement with eight community colleges and certifies training in law enforcement, fire services, emergency medical training, dispatch, and more. The Academy reaches approximately 2,700 full-time equivalent students each year including professionals from more than 70 City and County agencies. The Academy delivers entry-level Fire Service training and continuing education curriculum for fire service professionals. The Department works closely with The Academy to provide timely courses for career development and offers opportunities for development and recruitment. For example, in 2021, The Academy accepted the enrollment of two San José Fire Department-sponsored Explorer Post 888 alumni into its EMT course. The Department continues pursuing opportunities to leverage its relationship with The Academy for recruitment and training.
San Jose Fire Explorer Post 888
The San Jose Fire Explorer Post 8883 maintained its presence in the community during 2021.
This program helps young adults, 16-18 years old, prepare for a career in the fire service with classroom training and hands-on lessons on the drill grounds. Participants work with the Fire Department to learn firefighting and leadership skills, all while having fun and earning community service hours. This program provides one of many pipelines to the fire service and many of these participants matriculate to local junior colleges and EMT programs to obtain their certification, a minimum qualification to become a firefighter.
Advertising, Marketing, and Social Media Resources
The Fire Department has a very robust and user-friendly landing page that features current employment opportunities and the Electronic Interest Card via the E-Notification system. This system allows those interested in a job with the Fire Department to sign up for notifications when jobs are open. The Fire Department has a prominent social media presence and advertises employment opportunities and events on platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. To further enhance recruiting strategies, LinkedIn will be added for the next recruitment cycle.
Career Fairs
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Fire Department did not participate in career fairs in 2021.
However, staff will be participating in a variety of career fairs and community outreach events as those restrictions continue to loosen, with several in-person career fairs and community outreach events being announced for 2022. The Fire Department will join the Public Safety Career Fair in 2 South Bay Regional Public Safety Training: https://theacademy.ca.gov/ 3 San Jose Fire Explorer Post 888. https://sjff.org/in-your-community/san-jose-fire-explorer-post-888
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
partnership with local police and sheriff departments on April 23, 2022 in San José and will seek to be present at other events throughout the year as time and resources allow.
Sworn Bilingual Services
The Department maintains a vision to provide bilingual capabilities in all services delivered including emergency medical services, fire suppression, fire prevention, and public education activities by staffing certified bilingual sworn employees at all fire stations on each work shift.
At the end of December 2021, there were 136 sworn employees in the Department who spoke a second language with 21 languages recognized for certification.
Fire Department “Vision 2023” Strategic Business Plan
The City Council approved the Fire Department's “Vision 2023” Strategic Business Plan (Plan) on June 7, 2016. A key focus area of the Plan, titled Sustainable Workforce, established goals toward “Active recruitment of a diverse workforce, on-going training for line staff, succession planning, reduced job-related injuries, improved health and safety of line staff.” These goals are:
1. Actively recruit, train, and support a talented and diverse workforce.
2. Ensure that all personnel have the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to excel within their role in the organization.
3. Provide career development opportunities to personnel to reach their fullest professional potential.
4. Provide and promote a culture of safety, health, and wellness.
Within each goal are several specified objectives. The Department remains focused on achieving the goals and objectives of the Plan.
ANALYSIS
2021 Firefighter Recruitment Activity
The current Firefighter Eligibility List was established on September 6, 2020. The Firefighter Eligibility List typically expires after two years and may be extended depending on Department needs and list viability. Demographics from the current eligibility list are illustrated in Table 1 below.
Table 1: September 2020 Firefighters Eligibility List Captured Demographics Demographic Data Point Number Percent
Applicants 1,135 100%
California Resident 1,024 90%
Out of State Resident 111 10%
San José Resident 135 12%
Non-San José Resident 1,000 88%
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
Demographic Data Point Number Percent
Gender: Male 1,042 92%
Gender: Female 80 7%
Gender: Undisclosed 13 1%
EMT Certified 898 79%
Licensed Paramedic 129 11%
Non-EMT/Paramedic 108 10%
American Indian or Alaskan Native 11 1%
Asian 124 11%
Black, African American 79 7%
Mexican, Hispanic, Latino or Spanish Origin 327 29%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 23 2%
White, Caucasian 505 44%
Undisclosed (Race/Ethnicity) 66 6%
Two Firefighter Recruit Academies were held in 2021. Twenty-two (22) Firefighters graduated from Recruit Academy 21-01 and were assigned to the Bureau of Field Operations as of September 5, 2021; and Recruit Academy 21-02 began on November 15, 2021, with 19 new Firefighters that will be assigned to the field starting April 16, 2022. 2021 Promotional Activity
The 2021-2022 Adopted Department Operating Budget authorized 719 sworn positions. As of December 31, 2021, 684 (approximately 95%) of the 719 authorized positions were filled with 35 vacancies remaining.
Table 2: Authorized Full-Time Sworn Positions
Sworn
Position (Rank)
Authorized
Positions
Filled
Positions
Vacant
Position
Fire Chief 1 1 0
Assistant Fire Chief 1 1 0
Deputy Fire Chief 4 3 1
Battalion Chief 21 18 3
Fire Captain 175 168 7
Arson Investigator 3 3 0
Fire Prevention Inspector 13 13 0
Fire Engineer 234 220 14
Firefighter 267 257 10
Total 719 684 35
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
As previously noted, the Department seeks to actively recruit, train, and support a talented and diverse workforce. To that end, demographic data is maintained to monitor progress and guide recruitment efforts. Table 3 provides gender and race/ethnicity data across sworn ranks.
Table 3: Sworn Personnel Demographics
Senior
Staff
BC CA AI FPI FE FF
Female (24) 1 3 1 6 11
American Indian, Alaskan Native (4) 2 4
Asian, Pacific Islander (50) 1 15 2 18 14
Black, African American (17) 1 7 2 4 3
Mexican, Hispanic, Latino (120) 1 5 29 3 47 35
White, Caucasian (277) 4 11 80 3 6 117 58
Undisclosed Race/Ethnicity (187) 4 19 27 134
Current data pulled as of March 2022
Bilingual Services
In response to community emergencies, verbal communications are most critical in the 9-1-1 Dispatch Center as incident details are gathered and prearrival instructions are provided for 9-1-1 callers while field resources are en route. Fire Communications dispatchers utilize language interpreter services provided by Voiance. When a non-English speaking caller is on the line, the Voiance service is accessed by the dispatcher. When the language is known, the dispatcher can connect directly to an interpreter for the most encountered languages. Otherwise, a Voiance operator assists with the identification of the language and patches the call to an available individual meeting the language required. The dispatcher then proceeds to follow protocols with the interpreter’s assistance. In calendar year 2021, the service was utilized 2,528 times, or on
2.83% of total incidents.
Sworn responders frequently encounter non-English speaking civilians in emergency situations where translation is beneficial to emergency mitigation. In these situations, responders must rely on a Fire Department responder’s matching language skill or a third-party translator. In calendar year 2021, responders reported requiring language translation at 2,815 incidents, approximately
3.2% of the 89,067 total incidents. These instances in the Department’s records management system (Firehouse) where responders reported meeting the language translation need 100% of the time through bilingual Fire Department Responders, assistance from bystanders, bilingual Police Department Responders, Language Line Solutions translation service, or other means as shown in Chart 1 below.
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
Chart 1: Language Translation Needs as Reported by Responders (Calendar Year 2021) The Fire Department currently recognizes 20 languages for certification. The City of San José’s Human Resources Department provides testing and services for employees pursuing certification.
Table 3: Current Certified Bilingual Employees
Recognized
Language*
Sworn
Certified
Dispatcher
Certified
Other non-Sworn
Certified Total
Armenian 1 0 0 1
Assyrian 1 0 0 1
Cambodian 1 0 0 1
Cantonese 5 0 0 5
French 1 0 0 1
German 1 0 0 1
Japanese 1 0 0 1
Korean 1 0 0 0
Mandarin 1 0 3 3
Portuguese 4 0 0 4
Russian 4 0 0 4
Spanish 98 0 7 105
Tagalog 7 0 0 7
Turkish 1 0 0 1
Vietnamese 16 1 1 19
Total 136 1 11 148
*Arabic, Croatian, Greek, Hmong, Persian are recognized however there are currently no employees certified in these languages.
41%
2%
9%
46%
3%
Bystander
Language Line
Other
Fire Department Responder
Police Department Responder
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
Department employee bargaining agreements specify compensation rates for bilingual skills. In calendar year 2021, sworn staff bilingual compensation totaled $418,667.61 with a combined total compensation of $427,314.61 for all employee groups in the Fire Department as noted in Table 4 below.
Table 4: Bilingual Compensation by Employee Groups
Description Bargaining Unit Compensation Total Paid
Fire Bilingual Pay (Sworn) IAFF* $127.00/pp $418,667.61 Oral/Written Bilingual Pay
(Non-Sworn/Management) MGMT/CAMP/MEF $40.00/PP $5,887.00 Oral Bilingual Pay
(Non-Sworn/Management) MGMT/CAMP/MEF $29.00/PP $2,760.00 TOTAL $427,314.61
*International Association of Fire Fighters
The number of sworn employees receiving Bilingual Pay has averaged 19% over the last 5 years.
Table 5: Sworn Certified Bilingual Employees
EMPLOYEE GROUP 2009 2013 2017 2019 2020 2021
IAFF Employees
Receiving Bilingual Pay 169 131 131 127 129 136
Number of IAFF
Employees 739 660 668 687 662 684
% of IAFF Employees
Receiving Bilingual Pay 22.87% 19.85% 19.61% 18.49% 19.48% 19.88% Current number of certified bilingual employees (as of December 31, 2021) Language Needs by Fire Station
In calendar year 2021, the Department responded to 89,067 total incidents. Following each incident, Company Officers enter language needs into a required field on the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) form in the Firehouse Records Management System. Chart 3 identifies the most common incident-related languages encountered by sworn personnel.
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
Chart 3: Incident-Related Languages Encountered
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding The table below provides the common language needs and aggregated "others" by fire station derived from the Firehouse Records Management System. Fire Station 34 was the most recently designated as a “High Need” location for bilingual services based on prior data. 52%
29%
7%
3%
2%
2%
2%
1% 1% 1% 1%
Spanish
Vietnamese
Other
Chinese
Tagalog
Russian
Persian
Cantonese
Hindi
Portugese
Korean
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
Table 6: Calendar Year 2021 Language Needs by Fire Station Fire Station Total Language Needed Calls Deviation from Average Station Bilingual Status Chinese Hindi Korean Persian Portuguese
RussianSpanish
Tagalog
Vietnamese
Other
1 52 -29.88 High Need 14 0 0 0 0 0 21 0 7 10
2 122 40.12 High Need 8 2 0 0 0 0 87 5 17 3
3 171 89.12 High Need 0 0 1 0 0 3 125 1 40 1
4 128 46.12 High Need 6 2 3 4 0 8 92 2 7 5
5 92 10.12 High Need 7 0 0 0 0 1 46 0 25 13
6 34 -47.88 0 2 0 0 0 1 28 0 2 1
7 17 -64.88 2 0 0 0 0 0 12 0 2 1
8 65 -16.88 High Need 0 1 0 0 3 0 53 0 6 2
9 16 -65.88 1 1 0 4 0 0 4 1 3 2
10 47 -34.88 1 1 0 1 0 2 27 1 8 6
11 9 -72.88 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 3 3
12 36 -45.88 0 0 0 5 0 0 19 1 5 6
13 33 -48.88 0 0 0 10 0 2 10 2 3 6
14 71 -10.88 7 0 3 4 0 14 34 4 5 0
15 11 -70.88 3 0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 3
16 419 337.12 High Need 1 1 1 0 2 0 283 4 114 13
17 13 -68.88 2 0 1 2 0 1 3 0 2 2
18 187 105.12 High Need 2 1 1 1 0 2 97 1 72 10
19 91 9.12 2 0 1 0 5 0 30 2 40 11
20 8 -73.88 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 1
21 152 70.12 High Need 2 1 0 0 3 0 88 3 50 5
22 7 -74.88 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 2
23 55 -26.88 5 1 0 0 0 0 14 8 22 5
24 208 126.12 High Need 4 5 0 4 0 0 78 8 94 15
25 9 -72.88 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 2 1
26 294 212.12 High Need 5 1 0 0 0 0 89 2 180 17
27 38 -43.88 2 1 0 0 0 0 21 2 8 4
28 2 -79.88 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
29 23 -58.88 0 3 0 2 0 1 14 0 1 2
30 69 -12.88 4 0 3 1 0 3 45 1 5 7
31 56 -25.88 4 4 0 1 0 0 14 3 22 8
33 6 -75.88 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 1
34 205 123.12 High Need 7 2 0 0 11 0 105 6 67 7
35 38 -43.88 1 1 1 1 0 1 20 0 11 2
Total 2784 81.88 91 30 16 43 24 42 1480 57 824 177
*Unknown 4 2 1 0 0 2 13 1 0 8
*Note: Unknown fire station area total (31) excluded to determine average across all fire stations.
Language Demand Trends
The San Jose Fire Communications Center utilizes an interpreter service (Voiance), which is contracted by California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) to assist in processing incoming 9-1-1 calls. Department field personnel utilize a separate interpreter service provided by Language Line Solutions when needed. Language Line Solutions is also used by the Fire Communications Center if an interpreter service is needed for a non-emergency phone call.
Voiance and Language Line Solutions utilization for calendar year 2021 is noted in Table 7.
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
Table 7: San José Voiance & Language Line Translation Service Utilization Sources: Voiance & Language Line Solutions Data (as of CY 2021) Language
Number of
Emergency
Responses
Number of Field or
non-Emergency
Responses
Percent of Total
Spanish* 1,345 14 53.76%
Vietnamese* 661 21 26.97%
Mandarin* 142 7 5.88%
Tagalog* 64 2.53%
Russian* 54 1 2.18%
Farsi (Persian) 46 1 1.86%
Punjabi 46 1.82%
Cantonese* 35 2 1.46%
Korean 33 1 1.34%
Cambodian 9 0.36%
Japanese* 7 0.28%
Hindi 5 0.2%
Arabic 4 0.16%
Bosnian 1 0.04%
Serbian 3 0.12%
Somali 3 0.12%
Tigrinya 3 0.12%
Amharic 2 0.08%
Portuguese* 2 0.08%
Thai 2 0.08%
Armenian 1 0.04%
Bengali 1 0.04%
Bosnian 1 0.04%
Bulgarian 1 0.04%
Burmese 1 0.04%
Filipino 1 0.04%
German* 1 0.04%
Persian 1 0.04%
Oromo 1 0.04%
Polish 1 0.04%
Romanian 1 0.04%
All Calls Languages
2,528 2,481 47 100%
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
Bilingual Capabilities per Station
Fire personnel may bid for positions at fire stations where vacancies exist as announced in Assignment Orders. These positions are awarded in the bidding process principally by seniority in rank except in circumstances where organizational needs supersede. Vacant positions at fire stations identified as high need for bilingual capabilities are awarded to the high seniority certified bilingual bidder. In these circumstances, this information is communicated during the bidding process via the Assignment Order announcement with the following language (the last Assignment Order was published in December 2021).
The Department has a vision of providing bilingual capabilities at every fire station on every shift and encourages bilingual personnel to bid on these positions as they become available.
Based on the needs of the community, the Fire Chief may elect to assign personnel with bilingual skills to these stations. Using the bid results of Assignment Orders, the following fire stations are to be considered the priority group for bilingual assignments on the next bid. This priority list of fire stations is not a static list and can change with each assignment order; the changes will be based on personnel movement and language needs. Battalion Chiefs are encouraged to assign bilingual relief personnel to those fire stations where a language need has been identified.
Table 8 below reflects the current number and assignment distribution of language certified line personnel.
Table 8: Bilingual Capabilities per Fire Station
STATION A-SHIFT B-SHIFT C-SHIFT TOTAL
STATION
BILINGUAL
STATUS
1 Spanish (1)
Russian (1), Spanish
(1), Vietnamese (1) 4
2 Spanish (2),
Vietnamese (1) Vietnamese (1) Spanish (1) 5 High Need
3 Russian (1) Spanish (1) 2 High Need
4 Spanish (1) Spanish (1) Spanish (1) 3 High Need
5 Turkish (1) Vietnamese (1) 2 High Need
6 Portuguese (1) Spanish (2),
Vietnamese (1) Spanish (1)
5 7 Spanish (2) 2
8 Russian (1),
Spanish (1)
Spanish (1)
Spanish (1)
4 9
Assyrian (1)
Spanish (1)
Spanish (2)
Vietnamese (1)
5 10 Spanish (1) Japanese (1) Vietnamese (1) 3
11 0
12 0
13 Spanish (1) Spanish (1) 2
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Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
STATION A-SHIFT B-SHIFT C-SHIFT TOTAL
STATION
BILINGUAL
STATUS
14 Spanish (1) Spanish (1) Russian (1) 3
15 Tagalog (1) Spanish (1) French (1) 3
16 Spanish (2),
Vietnamese (1)
Spanish (3) Spanish (5) 11 High Need
17 Spanish (1) Spanish (1) 2
18 Spanish (1) Spanish (1) Vietnamese (1) 3 High Need
19 Spanish (1) 1
20 Spanish (1) Spanish (2) Spanish (3) 6
21 Spanish (1)
Cantonese (1),
Spanish (1),
Vietnamese (1) Cantonese (1) 5 High Need
22 Korean (1) Spanish (1),
Vietnamese (1)
3 23 Spanish (1) 1
24 Spanish (1) Tagalog (1) Spanish (1) 3 High Need
25 Spanish (1),
Tagalog (1)
Spanish (1) 3
26 Vietnamese (1) Spanish (2) Spanish (1),
Vietnamese (1)
5 High Need
27 Spanish (1) Spanish (1) Spanish (1) 3
28 German (1) Spanish (2) Spanish (2) 5
29 Vietnamese (1) Spanish (2)
Spanish (1),
Vietnamese (1)
5 30
Cantonese (1),
Spanish (2)
Cantonese (1),
Spanish (1),
Tagalog (1)
Portuguese (1),
Spanish (2) 9
31 Spanish (1) Spanish (2) 3
33 Station Closed Station Closed Station Closed
34 Portuguese (1),
Spanish (2) Spanish (1)
Armenian (1),
Tagalog (1),
Spanish (1) 7 High Need
35 Spanish (1)
Spanish (1),
Tagalog (1) Khmer (1) 4
Total 37 41 44 122
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
Suggestions/Recommendations for Program Modifications Based in Part on an Annual Meeting with Leadership Team, Local 230
International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), Local 230 and the Department engaged in a discussion in July 2021 to discuss the Department’s Bilingual Program. Local 230 offered feedback on recruitment efforts, bilingual skills training for current employees, providing cell phones to on-duty bilingual firefighters, improving the transfer of information gathered by dispatchers, and improving field data reporting. The Department continues collaborating and discussing best management practices and options to continue to ensure a high level of service to the community. Input from Local 230 will be explored further, where feasible, to ensure residents, businesses, and visitors are provided with multilingual communication options by Fire personnel.
Some of the areas identified include:
1. Strengthen data entry quality in the Firehouse records management system.
2. Provide Firehouse reporting refresher training to all sworn personnel in FY 2021-2022.
3. Evaluate and expand, as appropriate, Department-recognized certified languages.
The Department will continue to consider adding to the list of recognized certified languages on a case-by-case basis, dependent upon community needs. Additionally, we will evaluate the assignment distribution of bilingual relief personnel, especially relief personnel to close the gap in bilingual positions at fire stations where bilingual skills are not currently available. It is anticipated that Fire Station 37, slated to open in the second quarter of 2022, will be designated as a Bilingual Station based on an analysis of historical data to support the need.
The Bilingual Policy requires the Fire Department to assign a certified bilingual employee at each fire station, on each shift. With 33 fire stations and three shifts, 99 placements are required to achieve the program vision. At the end of 2021, fire station bilingual skill assignments improved from 74 of 99 to 82 of 99. Currently, 14 bilingual relief personnel are available and are assigned to fire stations lacking bilingual skills, when feasible. The Fire Department will continue to maximize the placement of relief personnel and will continue to engage IAFF, Local 230, and other stakeholders to improve the distribution of bilingual skills across fire stations.
Additionally, public education videos were created in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Chinese to deter the use of illegal fireworks and help residents understand how to report illegal fireworks. Much of the fireworks outreach conducted ahead of July 4th was replicated heading into New Year and Tet/Lunar New Year 2021.
As COVID-19 restrictions are modified or lifted, the Fire Department will remain flexible and continue to participate in numerous public education events throughout San José and will post educational materials such as community safety information through social media platforms.
Each of these services requires customer contact with community members with varying cultural and ethnic backgrounds that will allow the Fire Department to broaden its reach to diverse communities.
PUBLIC SAFETY, FINANCE, AND STRATEGIC SUPPORT COMMITTEE April 6, 2022
Subject: Fire Department Sworn Recruitment/Hiring Activity and Bilingual Services Status Annual Report
The Department's bilingual policy seeks to place a Firefighter, Firefighter/Paramedic, Fire Engineer, or Fire Captain, on each shift at each fire station. Each of these sworn ranks is represented by IAFF, Local 230.
CONCLUSION
The Fire Department remains committed to meeting the City of San José’s needs through its robust Recruitment/Hiring and Bilingual Services Programs. Efforts will continue to increase the diversity of candidates seeking employment in the Fire Service, improve retention, and appropriately deploy bilingual staff to best meet the needs of the community.
Outreach efforts are key to attracting a highly qualified, diverse candidate pool along with enhanced recruitment efforts. Recruitment is an essential element in fostering diversity within the organization. It allows those hired at the Firefighter level the potential to promote into leadership positions if they choose to pursue this plan in their career. The Fire Department aligns its outreach and recruitment efforts to attract qualified candidates in support of advancing the goals and objectives of the San José Fire Department’s Strategic Business Plan (“Vision 2023”), which includes the active recruitment and maintenance of a diverse workforce supporting the plan’s Sustainable Workforce Focus Area.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
The Department evaluates recruitment and hiring needs, as well as the Bilingual Program on an ongoing basis. Information provided in this report will be revised and reported annually to the Public Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support Committee.
COORDINATION
This memorandum was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office, Human Resources Department, and the City Manager’s Office.
/s/
ROBERT SAPIEN, JR.
Fire Chief, Fire Department
For questions, please contact James Williams, Assistant Fire Chief at (408) 794-7001.