It’s billed as an exercise in efficiency and economics, but a recruiting drive by the four core fire departments is also laying some groundwork for regional co-operation.
Even if no one is using the A-word — amalgamation.
For the first time, the fire departments of Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay and Esquimalt this week launched a joint recruiting drive.
Over the next few months, they’ll pare down what is expected to be hundreds of applications into a short-list of new firefighting candidates for the four departments.
The goal is to save time, money and energy.
“It just makes sense,” said Victoria Fire Chief Dan Atkinson.
“When we’re recruiting for candidates, the reality is we’re all looking for generally the same candidate.”
Atkinson said by pooling resources, the departments can more efficiently evaluate candidates while applicants also have a better experience — instead of running through a battery of tests four times, they do it once, with the results and information shared by all four departments.
“A single application now gets you looked at by four departments — you only have to apply once,” Atkinson said. “It’s a far better candidate experience, and it’s a far better employer experience, too. We think it’s going to open us up to a broader pool of candidates and we think we’ll get a more diverse application pool as well.”
Saanich Fire Chief Mike Kaye said the joint recruiting drive is no harbinger of departments merging, but it is a smart move, as there is always pressure for departments to be more efficient.
The departments already have agreements to work together when the need arises, and in previous years, Saanich and Oak Bay have done recruiting drives together, while Victoria and Esquimalt have done the same.
Individually, the departments do not have a large annual turnover of personnel — the two largest, Victoria and Saanich, estimate it averages out to about five people per year — but with all four, there could be as many as 15 openings this year.
The departments will have no trouble filling them. Saanich, which has 108 firefighters, issued a call for recruits last year that resulted in more than 200 applications.
Both Atkinson and Kaye expect that number could hit 300 with all four departments involved.
Kaye said potential recruits will know this is “going to be their one chance” for the next 12 to 18 months to get on with one of the four departments.
Whittling down those hundreds of applicants involves a series of tests ranging from the physical and technical to behavioural and mental, including gauging “emotional intelligence.”
“We’re trying to find people that have some resilience. It is a stressful job in dealing with other people’s emergencies, and you’re exposed to things,” said Kaye. “You need the emotional intelligence to be able to withstand some of the things they see.”
Atkinson, who oversees 112 firefighters, said standards have risen over recent decades, and they’re looking for people who want a career and plan to stick with them for the next 30 years.
While in the old days, brute strength might be enough to carry a candidate through testing and into the profession, that no longer applies, he said.
“We require a candidate with a very diverse skill set. We’re not looking for all of the same candidate, either. We know that well-rounded teams are generally comprised of people that are bringing different skills and strengths,” he said.
Candidates, he said, need to have mental fortitude, the ability to adapt and work in a team environment, resilience, coping mechanisms and “good strategies for stress control and a work-life balance.”
Atkinson said the recruitment process is also about preparing people for the realities of working in a city, where they’ll have to deal with the ongoing drug crisis, rapid growth and a physical environment that constantly changes.
“We don’t want anybody coming into this profession with blinders on. We want them coming in eyes wide open.”
Kaye said departments need young recruits as the population expands and the district plans more growth. He noted the current tallest building in the district, an 11-storey structure at the University of Victoria, will soon be eclipsed by an 18-storey tower at the Nellie McClung library replacement project, while plans call for towers across the district.
“We need to build up to have the resources to support this increased density, and our call volume just continues to grow at a steady rate,” Kaye said. “It’s trying to keep pace with that.”
The posting for recruits happens this week. When applications start coming in, a team of human resources professionals will sort through applications. Those who meet minimum qualifications will be invited to a written examination and psychometric assessment.
The next stage is a competency assessment where candidates are evaluated on how they problem solve, and go through a short interview.
Candidates who pass that stage are then invited to the more formal interview stage.
When that’s completed, the best of them are added to a pool for filling future vacancies.
Validating certifications and qualifications will happen in June, and the written test will be set in July. The competency assessment will happen in September, with interviews and validation set for October.
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“When we’re recruiting for candidates, the reality is we’re all looking for generally the same candidate.”
Atkinson said by pooling resources, the departments can more efficiently evaluate candidates while applicants also have a better experience — instead of running through a battery of tests four times, they do it once, with the results and information shared by all four departments.
“A single application now gets you looked at by four departments — you only have to apply once,” Atkinson said. “It’s a far better candidate experience, and it’s a far better employer experience too. We think it’s going to open us up to a broader pool of candidates and we think we’ll get a more diverse application pool as well.”
Saanich Fire Chief Mike Kaye said the joint recruiting drive is no harbinger of departments merging, but it is a smart move, as there is always pressure for departments to be more efficient.
The departments already have agreements to work together when the need arises, and in previous years, Saanich and Oak Bay have done recruiting drives together, while Victoria and Esquimalt have done the same.
Individually, the departments do not have a large annual turnover of personnel — the two largest, Victoria and Saanich, estimate it averages out to about five people per year — but with all four, there could be as many as 15 openings this year.
The departments will have no trouble filling them. Saanich, which has 108 firefighters, issued a call for recruits last year that resulted in more than 200 applications.
Both Atkinson and Kaye expect that number could hit 300 with all four departments involved.
Kaye said potential recruits will know this is “going to be their one chance” for the next 12 to 18 months to get on with one of the four departments.
Whittling down those hundreds of applicants involves a series of tests ranging from the physical and technical to behavioural and mental, including gauging “emotional intelligence.”
“We’re trying to find people that have some resilience. It is a stressful job in dealing with other people’s emergencies, and you’re exposed to things,” said Kaye. “You need the emotional intelligence to be able to withstand some of the things they see.”
Atkinson, who oversees 112 firefighters, said standards have risen over recent decades, and they’re looking for people who want a career and plan to stick with them for the next 30 years.
While in the old days, brute strength might be enough to carry a candidate through testing and into the profession, that no longer applies, he said.
“We require a candidate with a very diverse skill set. We’re not looking for all of the same candidate, either. We know that well-rounded teams are generally comprised of people that are bringing different skills and strengths,” he said.
Candidates, he said, need to have mental fortitude, the ability to adapt and work in a team environment, resilience, coping mechanisms and “good strategies for stress control and a work-life balance.”
Atkinson said the recruitment process is also about preparing people for the realities of working in a city, where they’ll have to deal with the ongoing drug crisis, rapid growth and a physical environment that constantly changes.
“We don’t want anybody coming into this profession with blinders on. We want them coming in eyes wide open.”
Kaye said departments need young recruits as the population expands and the district plans more growth.
He noted the current tallest building in the district, an 11-storey structure at the University of Victoria, will soon be eclipsed by an 18-storey tower at the Nellie McClung library replacement project, while plans call for towers across the district.
“We need to build up to have the resources to support this increased density, and our call volume just continues to grow at a steady rate,” Kaye said. “It’s trying to keep pace with that.”
The posting for recruits happens this week. When applications start coming in, a team of human resources professionals will sort through applications. Those who meet minimum qualifications will be invited to a written examination and psychometric assessment.
The next stage is a competency assessment where candidates are evaluated on how they problem solve, and go through a short interview.
Candidates who pass that stage are then invited to the more formal interview stage.
When that’s completed, the best of them are added to a pool for filling future vacancies.
Validating certifications and qualifications will happen in June, and the written test will be set in July. The competency assessment will happen in September, with interviews and validation set for October.