Efforts continue to recruit candidates for future firefighter and police officer positions, in addition to several other positions currently open with the City of Bartlesville.
The City currently has open positions for Community Development director, police dispatcher, and maintenance and sanitation workers, but applications are also being accepted for upcoming positions for the police and fire departments.
“We accept and keep on file applications for firefighter and police officer positions on a continuous basis,” said Human Resources Director Laura Sanders, noting that retirement is the most common reason for turnover in the police and fire departments.
“We continually monitor how many employees are eligible for retirement within each department so we can be as proactive as possible in filling those positions as quickly as we can,” Sanders said. “This is particularly necessary for the fire and police departments, as those positions are essential, of course, and are typically more difficult to fill due to the involvement of shift work and more extensive background checks.”
Sanders said the fire department, in particular, has several employees eligible for retirement soon.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to retire, but it does mean we need to be prepared in case they do,” she said.
Police: New positions
Several police officers are needed due to the creation of eight new positions for the department that will open this year — six new School Resource Officers (SROs) and two that will be dedicated to mental health issues. Existing police officers will likely fill those positions once new officers are hired and trained, according to Deputy Chief Rocky Bevard.
“We will probably assign the new SROs as we get new officers hired and trained, so it will be a gradual process,” Bevard said.
He encourages anyone who is interested to fill out an application, accessible on the City’s website, www.cityofbartlesville.org.
“We think we’re the best police department in the state,” Bevard said. “I would encourage anyone who is interested in becoming an officer to either fill out an application or give us a call for more information.”
The City offers competitive pay and excellent benefits, including insurance, “Zero card” coverage, retirement funding, generous sick, family sick and vacation leave, and 11 paid holidays per year.
Applications can be completed online. For more information, visit www.cityofbartlesville.org or contact the Human Resources Department at 918.338.4221.