EARLY RECRUITMENT IN THE INNER CITY: A POSSIBLE ANSWER TO THE FIRE SERVICE'S DIVERSITY PROBLEM
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Authors
Wheeler, Rena
Subjects
diversity
fire service
recruitment
high school
early recruitment
teenagers
consent decree
fire rescue program
minorities
community outreach
Indianapolis Fire Department
IFD
Indianapolis Public Schools
IPS
Arsenal Technical High School
ATHS
fire service
recruitment
high school
early recruitment
teenagers
consent decree
fire rescue program
minorities
community outreach
Indianapolis Fire Department
IFD
Indianapolis Public Schools
IPS
Arsenal Technical High School
ATHS
Advisors
Matei, Cristiana
Wollman, Lauren
Date of Issue
2021-09
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
The Indianapolis Fire Department (IFD) and Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) created the Arsenal Technical High School (ATHS) Fire Rescue Program (FRP) for juniors and seniors in the heart of Indianapolis. The program's goals are multidimensional—community outreach, a pathway to a high school diploma, and a recruitment tool. For 10 years, however, the IFD has hired not a single program graduate. This research examines the IFD's history of recruitment, government-issued consent decree, and current demographics, comparing the department's diversity challenges to those in the workplace generally and in police recruitment. Given this context, this thesis defines the intended outcomes, critical problems, successes, and failures of the ATHS-FRP and offers a series of recommendations: incorporate other IPS schools into the program, create "legacy spots" for children whose parents work for the IFD, develop an emergency medical technician class during the senior year, emphasize IFD 9-1-1 telecommunications as an available career path, add half a point to the scoring packets of program graduates in good standing, create a part-time civilian job with the IFD to bridge the gap between graduation and the minimum hiring age of 21, and possibly, relocate the program to the new IFD Training Facility.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs (CHDS)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.