A consultant will be hired to assist in diversifying the talent pool for the fire department, reports The Tribune Live.
The National Testing Network will be paid a maximum cost of $49,875 for a study of fire bureau hiring practices and the struggle to attract more women and minorities.
The consultant will collect hiring data, conduct focus groups in city neighborhoods, compare the makeup of the fire bureau with other cities similar in size and prepare a report on the findings.
The fire bureau consists of 670 employees: 99% are male and 90% are white, according to the city.
In the past, Pittsburgh hosted job fairs, TV ads, community outreach efforts and a partnership with Westinghouse High School.
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