Victorville City Council
May 5, 2026

AB 2561 Presentation

AB 2561Status of City of Victorville Vacancies and Recruitment & Retention Efforts in 2025May 5, 2026 1 Summary of AB 2561On September 22, 2024, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 2561 (AB 2561) into law to amend the Meyers-Milias Brown Act and create a new obligation for public agencies to publicly address the status of their vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts. The new law became effective January 1, 2025. Legislature declared that high vacancy rates can lead to:Heavier workloadsBurnout/increased turnoverNegatively impact service deliveryKey Details & Mandates:Annual presentation on vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts before the formal budget adoption.If vacancy rate for a bargaining unit is at or above 20%, more comprehensive reporting may be provided upon request by the employee group.2 City of Victorville Workforce InformationFrom January 1, 2025, through February 18, 2025, the City of Victorville had a total of560 Full-time Authorized positions.From February 18, 2025, through June 30, 2025, the City of Victorville had a total of553 Full-time Authorized positions.From July 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025, the City of Victorville had a total of570 Full-time Authorized positions.Position CountCity of Victorville Full-time Authorized Positions72The Victorville Professional Firefighters498City of Victorville570Total Authorized Positions* As of December 31, 20253 DecNovOctSepAugJulJunMayAprMarFebJan20251148522895215159# of Vacancies Created1276638248821166# of Vacancies Filled575861596061415659657172# of Remaining Vacancies570570570570570570553553553553553560# of Budgeted FTE’s10%10.2%10.7%10.4%10.5%10.7%7.4%10.1%10.7%11.8%12.8%12.9%% of Vacancies 2025 Year End Vacancy Information
*Vacancy rates above are all budgeted positions including represented employees Average Vacancy Rate for 2025 = 10.7%
4 2025 Vacancy RatesVacancy Rate# of VacanciesCity of Victorville Authorized Positions8.3%6The Victorville Professional Firefighters10.2%51City of Victorville*As of December 31, 20255 Addressing Vacancies
Recruitment Retention6
Overview of the Recruitment Process Vacancy CreatedRecruitment RequisitionJob PostingApplication ScreeningCandidate Testing (if applicable)Candidate InterviewsConditional Job OfferPre-Employment ProcessJob Placement7 Recruitment: A Look Back at 2025113 Position Vacancies80 Job Postings5,523 Applications Received119 Vacancies Filled8 2025 Vacancy Data# of VacanciesVacancy Reason17Voluntary Separation24Newly Budgeted Positions25Retirement, Termination, Transfer47Promotion113Total9 Effective Recruitment & Retention ApproachesCreating a Positive Work CultureWork-Life BalanceCareer Development OpportunitiesEmployee RecognitionTuition Reimbursement Job Fairs10 Conclusion1. The City recognizes the importance of filling vacant positions and actively recruits to fill vacancies timely to ensure continuity of services to the public.2. The City invests in ongoing employee engagement and retention initiatives. 3. Addressing hard-to-fill vacancies remains a priority for the City and requires a multi-faceted approach. 11 Thank you.12

Victorville Professional Firefighters
Recruitment and Retention Update
Presentation
Victorville
Professional
Firefighters
Recruitment and
Retention
Update

PRESENTED TO VICTORVILLE

CITY COUNCIL
MAY 2026

Our
Commitment to
Victorville
• The Victorville Professional
Firefighters are proud to protect and
serve our community.

We are committed to maintaining
the highest standards of public safety
— but staffing challenges threaten
that mission.

With your support, we can
strengthen our department and
continue to deliver the service our
citizens deserve.

Vacancy
Snapshot
• As of December 31, 2025:
• 6 Total Vacancies
• 1 Captain
• 5 Firefighter/Paramedics
(FFPM)
How We Got Here
• Low Applicant Turnout:
• Lower amount of applications compared to
other Departments
• Applicants don’t qualify for recruitment
• Only 50% (or fewer) show up for testing
• Outdated Hiring Process:
• Lengthy process, discourages candidates
• Missed Opportunities:
• Candidates drop out during process to join
faster-moving, better-paying agencies
• Lack of reach for recruitment

Vacancy Toll on
Firefighters
• Forced 3-5 extra shifts monthly
• Increased fatigue and burnout
• Larger workload for firefighters
• Lost family time!!!!
• Risk to service quality

Retention Struggles
11 members have left for
other agencies!!
• 2 Captains → FFPMs
with Chino Valley, LA County
• 2 Engineers → FFPMs with LA
County, Redondo Beach
• 7 FFPMs → LA County, Ontario

Wage comparison 2025 (top step)
VFD Captain $129,382
VFD FFPM $107,077
Chino FFPM $146,968
LAcO FF $118,055 (not including medic stipend)
Recent
Competition for
FF/PM
Candidates
Agency Salary
(entry level 2025)
Victorville $92,515.82
Ontario Fire $106,036.95
Chino Valley $120,906.24
Rancho
Cucamonga
$106,135.49
How We Move Forward
Update hiring
process
1 Add dedicated
EMT spots as a
4th person
2 Adopt Firefighter
Candidate
Testing Center
(FCTC)
3 Adjust wages and
benefits
4 Help Us Serve Victorville Better
• We need your partnership to:
• Modernize our recruitment and hiring practices
• Improve retention efforts
• Offer competitive wages and benefits
• Together, we can secure the future of
Victorville's public safety.
4/26/2025 10