Discussion Regarding the Fire Chief's Retirement and Process to Fill the Position
 

Retirement
As the City Council is aware, after almost 27 years as a firefighter and over 23 years as Fire Chief, Chief Kapler has submitted a letter of retirement.  In the letter, Chief Kapler stated that his last day of employment with the City of Ramsey will be on or near March 1, 2016, contingent upon the completion of the new fire station.  Chief Kapler’s announcement has a significant impact on the City and staff is committed to filling this position with the best possible candidate, a candidate that demonstrates the qualities necessary to meet the City's mission, core values, and guiding principles as identified in the adopted Strategic Plan. 

Recruitment Process:  Internal versus External
Staff hopes to get direction from the City Council as to whether or not an internal recruitment should be conducted first, followed by an external recruitment, if necessary.  Or, if the City Council would prefer that internal and external candidates be considered in one collective recruitment process. Staff believes there are approximately five qualified candidates that are eligible to be considered within an internal recruitment process.  Staff believes there are pros and cons to both processes. 

Internal recruitment offers current high performing employees an increased opportunity to grow within the City, improving morale and can help retain institutional knowledge.  External recruitment provides the benefit of a larger applicant pool and an opportunity to consider a more diverse set of applicants and the talents others may bring to the table. 

Consequently, staff will conduct the upcoming recruitment based on the City Council’s direction.  An internal recruitment could be commenced immediately, or. if the City Council so directs, an external recruitment process would be conducted and any qualified internal candidates would be encouraged to apply.  Regardless of the type of recruitment that is conducted, staff will not be seeking assistance from an external recruitment firm. 
 
Survey
Staff intends to have discussions with, and/or survey, the Fire Department, the management team, and the City Council in order to develop a candidate profile that will best fit the current organization.  Staff will be seeking feedback regarding what qualities would be most important in the City's next Fire Chief or similar position.  

Interview Panel
Due to the critical nature and high profile of this position, the full Council may choose to participate in the final interview(s).  The City Council may wish for staff to seek interview panel members from outside of the City (e.g., a Fire Chief from a neighboring city).  Ramsey firefighter participation in the process is also recommended.

Interim Fire Chief / Interim Emergency Management Director / Timelines
Staff will have an interim Fire Chief recommendation secured by Chief Kapler’s retirement. In addition, since Chief Kapler is the City’s Emergency Management Director, staff will secure a replacement for this role as well.   There are three possible recruitment timelines attached to this case for the City Council’s consideration.  

Wages / Position Qualifications
The current Fire Chief pay scale is approximately three percent below the comparable market.  Staff desires the City Council’s direction regarding a possible adjustment to the pay scale.  The current position description’s minimum and desirable qualifications include: 

Minimum Qualifications:
Five years of formal supervisory experience and training, preferably in a municipal Fire Department. Certifications in the         following areas:  successfully completed state certification requirements fire fighters (Fire Fighter I and II, Hazardous Material Technician, First Responder certification, and Emergency Manager in the State of Minnesota.

Desirable Qualifications:
Post-secondary education and three years of Fire Chief experience.

Staff recommends increasing the minimum job requirements to include an Associate’s Degree and a minimum of five years command level supervisory experience; as well as increasing the desired qualifications to include a Bachelor's Degree and five years of command level supervisory experience.  Lastly, staff recommends adding a distance requirement for residency, such as no more than 15 miles from the Ramsey border, in order to ensure a prompt response during times of emergency.

Recruitment Considerations/Restructuring Options
Chief Kapler’s pending retirement creates an opportunity to look at options for the position and how it could be filled in terms of the position title as well as how the City recruits for its candidates.   Most metropolitan cities head their departments with a Fire Chief; however some have Public Safety Directors, which on average, tend to earn about $15,000 more per year than a Fire Chief.  Such a structure combines Police and Fire Departments, with an opportunity to gain better coordination and possible cost savings. Staff will be prepared to discuss the pros and cons of both options during the meeting, but a structural change of this type would require significantly more time for evaluation.

This case is expected to take 30 minutes
 

There is no funding required at this time.
 

Colleen Lasher, Human Resources Manager
 

The intended outcome of this work-session is to provide staff, by consensus, direction as to how to proceed with filling the role of the Fire Chief.