3.3. SR 02-23-2004*Item 3.3.*
City
TO:
FROM:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
MEMORANDUM
Mayor and City Council ,~~/~/
Bruce A. West, Fire Chief
February 23, 2004
Authorization to Hire Paid On-Call Fire Fighters
The Elk River Fire Depatu~ent has been in the process of hiring firefighters once again due to the
change of residency of members and resignation of John Follmer, a 21-year member of the Elk
River Fire Department. During the past few months, we have advertised, screened, and interviewed
potential candidates for the position of paid on-call firefighter for the Elk River Fire Department.
With the process now complete, I am requesting Council approval to fill six positions of paid on-call
firefighters. With the addition of six firefighter candidates, our roster will go to 39 with one position
left unfilled.
The Elk River Fire Department personnel committee has selected Joe Evenson, Ryan Lore, Wayne
Matteson, Tim Richie, Michael Tietz, and Cory Zierden. The Elk River Fire Deparnxient personnel
committee believes we have six excellent candidates for the position of paid on-call firefighter. With
the successful completion of their firefighter physicals, stress checks and background checks and
with the approval of the City Council, the new candidates shall start with the Elk River Fire
Depaxtinent shortly thereafter.
The process of recruitment and retention of firefighters has become a very difficult task for the Elk
River Fire Department. Increased family commitments and increased time commitments to the Elk
River Fire Depaxt~ent for training and fire calls has added to the problem of retaining firefighters,
not only the Elk River Fire Department but in all of the fire depaxmsents throughout the state of
Minnesota.
Of the six candidates, three each will be added to Fire Station 1 and three to Fire Station 2. We
continue to work with the two station concept and staffing is just one phase of our focus. I would
like to thank the fire depatta,ent personnel committee for all their hard work over the past year.
S:Offsite/Fire/firefighters/Auth. To hire memo