FIRE 20/20 will conduct the first of ten free regional pilot training sessions of Recruiting & Retaining Diversity in The Fire Service on February 4, 2010 at West Metro Fire-Rescue District’s Training Center in Lakewood, Colorado.

The one-day training sessions present an overview of the strategies, tactics and practical aids that departments can use to more effectively recruit and retain a qualified, diverse, inclusive and safe workforce that respects, represents and reflects the communities they serve.

Recruiting & Retaining Diversity in The Fire Service is open to metro and mid-sized departments. Each regional session is limited to 12 department teams. A participating department team is comprised of four members: the fire chief, a local union leader, a recruitment officer, and an HR person.

Working as department teams, the sessions’ intended outcomes will enable participants to:

• Advocate the bottom line benefits of having a diverse and inclusive department.
• Reduce the risk of diversity-related lawsuits.
• Strengthen labor/management’s cooperation in proactively supporting diversity.
• Manage expectations about the impact of change.
• Assess what their departments need to do more of, less of, stop, or start to promote inclusion and ensure retention.
• Implement targeted recruitment campaigns that maximize limited resources and incorporate best practices from the fire service, business and military.

West Metro Fire-Rescue District is hosting the first session. We are currently looking for nine other metro or mid-size departments across the country that would like to host a regional session. Hosting departments can bring two additional participants for their team.

Host facility requirements:

• A room that comfortably accommodates 100 people with round tables and chairs that can be moved around.
• High speed Internet connection, LCD projection system, large screen, lavalier microphones.
• Provide coffee, tea and water; help arrange for lunch.

If your department is interested in hosting a session, please contact us: ff@fire2020.org.