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The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Recruitment and Outreach Practices

• LAFD personnel and stakeholders we interviewed felt that expanding the recruiting budget and staff would favorably impact outreach and recruiting efforts.
• Our interviewees reported a belief that some members of minority groups, and women especially, have had a lower propensity to apply for firefighter positions compared with white males, but that improving the diversity of the applicant pool is possible with a long-term outreach and recruitment campaign.

Adverse Selection Against Women and Minorities in the LAFD's 2013 Hiring Process

• In 2013, the number of firefighter applications submitted to the city dwarfed the number of available positions, with more than 13,000 applicants for fewer than 100 positions.
• Most applicants who met the minimum eligibility requirements were eliminated by either the written exam portion of the firefighter selection process or the requirement to submit their Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) certification within a specific time window.
• A larger proportion of Hispanic, black, and female applicants failed to take and pass the written test portion of the selection process, relative to white male applicants.
• A larger proportion of Hispanic, black, Asian, and female applicants failed to submit their CPAT certification within the required time window, relative to white male applicants.
• According to data from the organization that administers the CPAT, 94 percent of the people who take the test pass it. Hence, the CPAT itself does not eliminate many applicants.