Subject: 20735/SOP Amendments/Fire Department Date: Wed, 30 Aug 1995 14:31:03 -0500 RESOLUTION NO. 20735 A RESOLUTION ADOPTING AN AMENDMENT TO SECTION 16 OF THE CHATTANOOGA FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES RELATIVE TO PROMOTIONAL PROCEDURES FOR THE POSITIONS OF CAPTAIN AND LIEUTENANT. _________________________ BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, That Section 16 of the Chattanooga Fire Department Standard Operating Procedures be and is hereby amended by deleting said section in its entirety and substitut- ing in lieu thereof a new Section 16 in its entirety, a copy of which is attached hereto and made a part hereof by reference. ADOPTED: September 26, 1995 PAN.tlm 0C CFD Standard Operating Procedures Section 16 - Promotional Procedures 16.1 The promotional procedures for the positions of Captain and Lieutenant consists of a three (3) component exami- nation process including: Part I - A written examination prepared by a recognized professional consulting firm experienced in development, publication, and analysis of public fire service examinations. The written examination will constitute thirty-five percent (35%) of the overall score. Part II - A performance examination where each candi- date will appear before a panel of three (3) senior, higher-ranking officers. The names of three (3) evaluators and an alternate will be named by the Fire Chief and approved by the Administrator of Safety prior to the start of the promotional test process. Members of the panel will ask each candidate to perform five (5) tasks selected randomly from a task list prepared by subject matter experts (SME's) within the Chattanooga Fire Department. The performance items shall be related to the current fire department operations and procedures. The performance examination will constitute thirty-five (35%) percent of the overall score. Part III - Seniority will constitute thirty (30%) percent of the overall score. Seniority credit will be awarded for one and a half (1.5) points for each year up to twenty (20) years of fire department service. 16.1.01 Fire personnel applying for promotion must meet the following criteria: (A) Firefighters applying for Lieutenant/Driver must be certified on pumper, and/or aerial ladder, and/or snorkel, and/or telesqurt, and/or quint. Neither tanker nor tillerman certification is sufficient to qualify a firefighter to take the Lieutenant/Driver promotional test. Firefighters must be certified at least one year on one of the above apparatuses to be eligible to take promotional examination. Firefighters must be able to drive both a standard (straight shift) and automatic transmission apparatuses. (B) Privates must be in grade for five (5) years before becoming eligible to be promoted to Lieutenant/ Driver. (C) Lieutenant/Drivers must be in grade for three (3) years before becoming eligible for promotion to the rank of Captain. Therefore, a Lieutenant/Driver must have a minimum of eight (8) years of fire department service to compete for a Captain's position. Civilian and acting service time will not count towards eligibility. (D) Privates that have been certified as a driver, in accordance with one of the apparatuses listed in 16.1.01(A), shall receive bonus points for every year they have been certified. The points will be added to his/her total score at the rate of one (1) point per year up to a maximum of five (5) years, or five (5) maximum points. Training Division records must confirm the driver certification. (E) Promotions must be made within sixty (60) days of vacancies. Promotions may be made on an acting basis. 16.1.02 The role of the Personnel Department shall be to coordinate, conduct and monitor the test process, and report test results. Examination scores of candidates for promotion will be prepared by the Personnel Director who will certify to the Administrator of Safety and the Fire Chief, a list of those candidates determined qualified for promotion. 16.1.03 The results of certified promotional examinations will be valid for a period of two (2) years. The certified promotional examinations will begin in January, 1996 and continue every even year thereafter. Firefighters may take the promotional examination on the even-numbered year which precedes their eligible date for promotion provided all other criteria have been met. 16.1.04 Promotions to the rank of Assistant Chief and Deputy Chief are by appointment and are not subject to the above provisions. 16.1.05 The promotional policy set forth above is authorized by Section 2-143 of the Chattanooga City Code: Basis for determining qualifications for employment and promotion; physical examination. Qualifications for employment or in-service promotions shall be based upon merit and fitness to be determined, so far as is practicable, by suitable, job-related, competitive, objective, written and/or oral knowledge tests; skills examination, where appropriate; psychological examination, where appropriate; interviews; background examination; medical examinations, including physical fitness and agility examinations, where appropriate; and experience. The personnel director shall work closely with the department heads to prepare relevant examination components and procedures tailored to meet the specific needs of the departments and to ensure the employment of the best qualified applicants. It shall be unlawful for one (1) person to be employed in more than one (1) position at the same time without specific prior approval of the mayor. At the discretion of the department head, before any person is hired such person may be required to have a physical examination at the expense of the city and the physician performing same shall indicate on the report to the mayor or department head whether such person is physically able to perform the duties of the job for which such person is an applicant. Prior to the examination, a written job description shall be furnished to the physician. 16.1.06 Promotions are based on a total of one hundred (100) percentile points with the following: COMPONENT MAXIMUM PERCENTILE POINTS Written Exam 35 Performance Exam 35 Seniority 30 100 16.2 Final Selection Final selection of those to be promoted will be made by the Administrator of Safety in consultation with the Fire Chief. The Personnel Director will, if feasible, submit a list of up to six (6) candidates' testing process scores plus any tied scores beginning with the highest score for each promotional vacancy. The list submitted by Personnel will include, when possible, test scores from the eligibility list consistent with the City of Chattanooga Affirmative Action Program.