Owensboro Fire Department and Owensboro Police Department are seeking amendments to the employee handbook that will help open the applicant pool to a wider audience. OFD is looking to bump the minimum age of firefighters from 21 to 18 while both agencies are looking to revise how applicants transfer in from other agencies.
At the City Commission’s regular meeting Tuesday, OFD said the desire to lower the age comes from many different factors but one is that the community more high school students are graduating with their associate’s degree, and this would enable a recent high school graduate who possesses an associate’s to apply.
Fire Cheif James Howard said that they often find that between 18-20, potential applicants are deciding if they want to go into the private sector or continue their education and go into other roles.
“We just want to give them an opportunity to grab some of that talent — some of that raw talent — and make sure that we’re the first ones who had the chance to develop that and have them become first responders here in Owensboro,” Howard said.
The drop is also not uncommon according to Howard. He said that there are other agencies in Western Kentucky and Southern Indiana that have 18 as a minimum age.
Even if the commission does rule to amend the handbook, Howard doesn’t anticipate that the majority of the people applying will be in the 18-20 age.
Howard said they also still would require the applicants to have certifications that are needed to be a staff member, like EMT or higher registry certification, CPR etc.
Both agencies are looking for certain language that excludes some applicants to be stricken for requirements of transfers from other agencies. The current requirements state that applicants must have served three consecutive years at an agency they are currently employed and within the field, they are applying for.
Both Chief Howard and Police Chief Art Ealum said they want o hold discretion to weigh between a two-year or three-year employee.
Additionally the handbook states they have to have been employed in the 12 months prior to applying.
Howard said this language amendment for example allows for those who sought military experience — whether a first applicant or a transfer — to have a shot at working for the departments.
