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Minority Recruitment Committee Meeting <br />August 7, 1999 <br />Page 4 <br />Fire Chief Burgin pointed out that there is a need to bring kids up and <br />acclimate them, which would be a form of recruitment. Mr Burgin <br />suggested starting a program now because we have kids coming up in <br />this City that we can start that program with right now. Mr. Burgin said <br />we need more involvement with the youth in this City. He said there are <br />tours weekly at the fire station, and he would welcome minority <br />churches to start bringing Sunday School Classes and their youth <br />groups on a regular basis to the fire station and to the police station. <br />Mr. Burgin said, if there is a community event, the Fire Department <br />should be invited to participate. Mr. Burgin told the Committee that any <br />contact that the Fire Department can have in the black community on <br />a regular basis in order to keep in touch with the kids and while they <br />are growing up, the Fire Department will be on their minds. <br />City Manager Malone wanted the Committee to recognize the fact that <br />there is very little turnover in the Fire Department. The Fire <br />Department jobs are desirable to those people who like that for a <br />career, and they work 24 hours on and 48 hours off, and most of them <br />have a sideline career that they are involved in. City Manager Malone <br />pointed out that there is a lot more turnover in the Police Department <br />and more opportunity to hire than in the Fire Department. City <br />Manager Malone said that recently six new positions had been created <br />and there is only going to be three more positions created, and if the <br />City does not have minorities to take the test, then, you can not hire <br />minorities in the Fire Department no matter what anybody wants. If <br />they are not involved in taking the test, they will not be on the list and <br />can not be hired. <br />Ms. Harris said she has done quite a bit of recruitment especially in the <br />minority area at four -year universities, and very seldom does she find <br />anyone that wants to be a fireman. Mr. Webb made the comment that <br />if they are going to get a four year degree, becoming a fireman is not <br />what they would want in a career. Mr. Burgin agreed and told the <br />Committee that they had recruited at colleges, but to him, it is just the <br />opposite of where the recruitment needs to be, that recruitment should <br />start in our community. Ms. Harris said her point is, maybe the need is <br />to look somewhere other than a four university. Ms. Harris stated that <br />