Does civil service serve the best interests of the fire service?
Patrick Agostinelli
Rochester, New York
I wrote the following essay after undergoing the hiring process for the Rochester (NY) Fire Department.
I wasn`t one of those lucky kids who knew exactly what he wanted to be when he grew up. In fact, it wasn`t until two years after my high school graduation that I decided to begin a career as a firefighter. It seemed simple enough. I was doing it for free, so the idea of leaving my spot in our small-town volunteer fire department and actually getting paid to do the job for the city fire department was very appealing. The money was great, the opportunities for advancement were better than what most other jobs offer, and the work would be exciting and rewarding. I was soon to realize, however, that getting a job in a municipal fire department involved much more than motivation and experience. I was now facing an unexpected and formidable obstacle: civil service.
I discovered that I would not be applying for the job as I would most other jobs. This would not be a matter of turning in a résumé and sitting through an interview. With civil service, there are standardized tests–tests that have little or nothing to do with the specifics of the job. And these tests are often delayed for years to defray costs. I was undaunted, though. I knew I would need an edge over the hundreds of other applicants hungering for the things a fire service career provides. So I went to a community college and earned an A.A.S. degree in fire protection technology. I had the time to accomplish this before the test was even administered, because civil service tests for fire department jobs are given only once every five years in this city. I even had time enough to go to another state and get a B.S. degree in a fire protection discipline. Now, I was unstoppable. I was experienced, educated, and ready to begin my passion–working in a firehouse back home.
But my precious college ego was shattered. Soon after I graduated, I was learning things they don`t teach within the idealistic confines of a college campus. I learned more than I ever wanted to know about how affirmative action, residency requirements, and political agendas affect the way firefighters are hired. Still unwilling to accept the fact that I might never be recognized for my qualifications, however, I looked for other ways to improve my standing as a candidate. I began doing volunteer work for the city fire department, learning about its operations and making friends along the way. This ended up being a very rewarding experience for me, although I couldn`t help but think that I was still jumping through hoops to get a job I felt I had earned a long time ago.
The long-awaited test was finally given, and I was first in line for both parts. I managed to beat the odds and score high enough to eventually get hired, so I guess I was pretty lucky. But the fight was not over. I knew about the civil service policy of awarding points for military service, but I had never seen any written criteria that said relevant education and experience would be beneficial. I knew from the past that cities had given hiring preference to minorities, but I rarely heard of instances of candidates being given hiring preference for attending college for fire protection or for working with a volunteer fire department. As it turned out, I learned that relevant experience and education were actually being recognized during the background investigation. This was a welcome surprise, because all I and others like me ever wanted was to compete on a level playing field. At least then we would know that we were or were not hired based on what we had done with our lives rather than where we lived or the color of our skin.
A prominent member of the fire service in this area has referred to the civil service as the “civil circus,” because he knows many young people who have experienced circumstances similar to those I have described. Perhaps such a title is unjust, but I can relate to his frustration watching qualified candidates get bogged down in a complex hiring process …. it is not my intention to offend anyone. I`m sure part of the original purpose of the civil service was to create a fair hiring procedure for public service jobs. The problem I have is that it seems to have evolved into a political tool that has grown too complex for its own good.
I would like to see those individuals who go the extra mile toward starting a fire service career gain recognition for their efforts. Municipalities should reward candidates for obtaining college degrees in fire protection, obtaining medical certifications, and working in volunteer fire companies or engaging in other relevant employment. Firefighters should not be hired solely on the basis of residency requirements or affirmative action standards. To do so is an insult to a profession that has become very complex in a number of ways during the past two decades. The fire service needs to tailor its hiring process to its own needs and not the needs of local, state, or federal politicians. The process should also be streamlined so that qualified, motivated individuals can begin giving what they have to offer back to their communities without spending years wading through political agendas and red tape. With these changes implemented, a fire department`s hiring process can become one of its greatest assets by selecting the best candidate for the job in the most efficient way possible.
