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Home My WebLink About2020-12-15 - Agendas -CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE qffARKANSAS Civil Service Commission December 15, 2020 9:00 am Virtual Meeting MEETING AGENDA Members: Jules Beck - Chair, Bo Bittle — Vice -Chair, Buddy Chadick, Edith Hawkins, Warren McDonald, and Paul Younger City Staff: Fire Chief Brad Hardin, City Attorney Kit Williams, Michele Bechhold, Civil Service Commission Staff Liaison 1. Consider a request to revise Article 1:01 of the Civil Service Commission Rules and Regulations to revise qualifications for applicants to the Fire Department. 2. Consider a request to revise Article 2:01 of the Civil Service Commission Rules and Regulations to revise qualifications for promotion within the Fire Department. 3. Consider a request to revise Article 6:02 of the Civil Service Commission Rules and Regulations regarding rehire of former Fire Department employees. Register in advance for this webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN 3dyuhzu7QsK1ahPhFVmSyA Webinar ID 943 9195 0102 Mailing Address: 113 W. Mountain Street www.fayetteville-ar.gov Fayetteville, AR 72701 IVA CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS TO: Civil Service Commission FROM: Assistant Fire Chief Thomas Good DATE: November 10, 2020 SUBJECT: Proposed Revisions to the Civil Service Commission Rules & Regulations The fire department is proposing the following changes to the Civil Service Commission Rules and Regulations. Section 1:01, we are proposing that the minimum age for hiring of firefighters be lowered to 18 to reflect recent changes in state law. In an effort to increase our candidate pool, persons age 18-20 would still have to comply with our current pre- requisites listed on item (g), however, applicants 21 and over, would not have to meet these requirements. On item (f-2) some grammatical changes that do not affect the intent of the statement. On item (g) we remove the wording describing the type of college hours they must have. This will allow for simpler verification of college education and remove any area of misunderstanding. In the comment section of 1:01 we are clarifying and noting the Arkansas State Code that specifies age requirements for police officers and firefighters. In the paragraph immediately following, removing some language that could be viewed as discriminatory and added the applicable state code. In Section 2:01, we are asking that the education requirements for promotion set to go into effect at the end of the year be postponed due to restrictions on outside training that have been imposed due to the pandemic in 2020. In Section 6:02, we ask that the fire department be given the same latitude as the police department in the re -hiring of employees who have left in good standing and who still have the required certifications to begin work immediately. Specific wording is below. Any proposed, additional text is in bold typeface and any proposed deletions are in a stFikethFeu " font. 1:01 QUALIFICATION FOR APPLICANTS All applicants for appointment to the Fayetteville Fire or Police Department must by the application deadline date: (a) Be a citizen of the United States; Mailing Address 303 W. Center St. www.fayetteville-ar.gov Fayetteville, AR 72701 IVA CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS (b) Provide documentary proof that applicant will be not less than 21 years of age by the test date.; Individuals 18 through 20 years of age may apply for appointment to the Fire Department if they meet specific criteria listed in (g) below; (c) Have graduated from an accredited High School or have passed the General Education Development Test indicating High School graduation level; (d) Have never been convicted of a felony; (e) Be of good moral character; (f) Ark. State Code provides that no person who has arrived at the age of thirty-five (35) shall be eligible for appointment to the Fire Department except where the applicant is already a paid firefighter. The maximum age of thirty-five (35) shall not apply to: 1. Any person who has at least two (2) years of previous experience as a paid firefighter with another department and whose years of experience as a paid firefighter, when subtracted from the person's age leaves a remainder of not more than thirty- two (32) years; or 2. Any person who is applying for a position within the Fire Department in which the primary function of the job-s involves duties that are administrative, managerial, or supervisory in nature. (g) Applicants for the Fire Department who are 18 through 20 years of age must have attained certification as an Emergency Medical Technician either through the State of Arkansas Department of Health or through the National Emergency Medical Technician Registry Program or possess one of the following prior to application: 1. Medical certification or license at a higher level (paramedic, nurse, etc.) 12 college credit hours , 3. Firefighter I and Firefighter II certification through IFSAC 4. Accredited Fire Academy certification (NFPA, Pro -Board, etc.) 5. A minimum of two years' honorable service in the US Armed Forces including National Guard. (h) Police department applicants must meet all minimum standards for employment for police officers set by the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards. Mailing Address 303 W. Center St. www.fayetteville-ar.gov Fayetteville, AR 72701 IVA CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS COMMENT: A. Citizenship is required by the Minimum Standards for employment for police officers set by the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards. B. Both the Minimum Standards requires all police officers must be at least 21 years of age. Ark. Code Ann. Sec. 14-51-301 requires a minimum age of 24 18 for appointment to any position on the fire department. C. The Ceode states only that the Rules prescribed by the Board (Commission) shall provide for the rejection of candidates as eligible who fail to comply with reasonable requirements of the Board as outlined in Ark. Code Ann. Sec. 14-51-301. in regard to age, se or -ph, ,sie a' enditi ,n Minimum standards set no maximum age for Police. D. High School graduation or a G.E.D. does not appear to be a requirement of state law. Minimum Standards sets this requirement and authorizes waiver of the requirement by the governing body of the city, not the Commission. E. Ark. Code Ann. Sec. 14-51-301 prohibits appointments of a convicted felon and Minimum Standards prohibit appointment of a person "convicted by any state or by the Federal Government of a crime, the punishment for which could have been imprisonment in a federal penitentiary or a state prison". 2:01 FIRE DEPARTMENT In the Fire Department, no person shall be eligible for examination for advancement from a lower rank to a higher rank until that person has attained EMT certification and the certification of Fire Fighter I & II, or their equivalent. (a) No person shall be eligible for examination for advancement to the rank of Driver/Operator until that person has completed a minimum of three years of continuous service at the rank of Fire Fighter with the Fayetteville Fire Department and has successfully completed the IFSAC Driver/Operator program, preceding the date of the written promotional examination. The IFSAC Instructor -I course will also be required after December 31, 20220. Mailing Address 303 W. Center St. www.fayetteville-ar.gov Fayetteville, AR 72701 IVA CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS (b) No person shall be eligible for examination for advancement to Fire Captain until that person has completed five (5) years continuous service with the Fayetteville Fire Department and has successfully attained and held the rank of Driver/Operator with the Fayetteville Fire Department for two (2) continuous years immediately preceding the date of the written promotional examination and has successfully completed International Fire Service Accreditation Congress, (IFSAC), Instructor -I. After December 31, 20220, Fire Officer I, Incident Safety Officer, Inspector I, and NIMS ICS 300 & 400 will also be required. (c) No person shall be eligible for examination for advancement to Battalion Chief until that person has completed at least eight (8) years continuous service with the Fayetteville Fire Department immediately preceding the date of the written promotional examination and has successfully attained and held the rank of Fire Captain for three (3) continuous years immediately preceding the date of the written promotional examination. After December 31, 20232 an Associate's Degree, or higher, from an accredited college or university will be required. 6:02 REHIRE OF FORMER EMPLOYEE (a) Any member of the Fire Department or Police Department who severs his or her employment with the Department, must make application pursuant to Sec. 1:02 and be certified pursuant to Sec. 1:03 — 1:06 of these regulations. (b) The Civil Service Commission may grant the Police Chief s or Fire Chiefs request to rehire a former Fayetteville police officer or firefighter who severed his or her employment in good standing and is available to promptly begin work as a police officer or firefighter when the Chief demonstrates to the Civil Service Commission the immediate benefits of hiring a police officer or firefighter who can promptly begin police or fire duties. Mailing Address 303 W. Center St. www.fayetteville-ar.gov Fayetteville, AR 72701