Firefighter Hiring Standards Policy (Whitehall Division of Fire, 2021) PDF

Policy Title: Firefighter Hiring Standards Policy - 1.20 Section: 1.0 – General Pages: 20 Issue Date: 11/15/2021 Approved: Revised Date: Chief Preston Moore Effective Date: 11/15/2021 1.0 Purpose: This policy establishes the Whitehall Division of Fire’s new employee hiring standards. 2.0 Resp...

Policy Title: Firefighter Hiring Standards Policy - 1.20 Section: 1.0 – General Pages: 20 Issue Date: 11/15/2021 Approved: Revised Date: Chief Preston Moore Effective Date: 11/15/2021 1.0 Purpose: This policy establishes the Whitehall Division of Fire’s new employee hiring standards. 2.0 Responsibility: This policy shall pertain to all personnel in this organization. It shall be the responsibility of the department officers to implement this policy. It shall be the responsibility of the department officers to train members in the application of this policy. It shall be the responsibility of each member to know, understand and use this policy as it applies to the situation at hand. Each member will use good judgment in the use of this policy. 3.0 Procedures and Information: 3.1 General A) The firefighter job description is available Monday through Friday from 0800hrs – 1700hrs for review at the Division of Fire administrative office. All candidates for selection to the position of entry-level firefighter must be at least 18 years of age but less than 35 years of age at the time of appointment. All candidates must possess a current State of Ohio EMT-Paramedic and Firefighter II certifications or show sufficient proof they are enrolled in classes from an accredited and chartered institution to receive those certification. 1 B) The process of Lateral Entry is established as a method for hiring firefighters who have already been working in the fire service at another jurisdiction. Firefighters who work at another jurisdiction may possess unique and exceptional qualifications and experience for which it is impracticable to ascertain the merit and fitness of applicants through a civil service test. Qualifications that are impracticable to test for include; but are not limited to, past performance, behavior, and demonstrated success as a firefighter. 1) If candidate is over 35 years of age at the time of appointment, his/her years of service with the Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund will be deducted from his/her current age. If the total of these two numbers is less than 35, the candidate will be eligible for employment as a firefighter with the City of Whitehall. The maximum credit of years of eligible service given to any candidate will be 20 years. 3.2 Firefighter Selection Process A) The Firefighter Selection Process is usually completed by means of the following chronological events, the sequence of which may slightly change in order to most efficiently meet the needs of the Division of Fire. 1) FORMAL APPLICATION a) Civil Service applicants for the position of firefighter are distributed and collected by the Whitehall Civil Service Commission and administrated by the City of Whitehall Human Resource Director. The candidate will be required to submit a Personal History Questionnaire as well. b) Lateral Transfer applicants for the position of firefighter are distributed and collected by the City of Whitehall Human Resources Director. The candidate will be required to submit a Personal History Questionnaire if the Fire Chief requests to further the candidate along in the process. 2) WRITTEN EXAMINATION a) Qualifying applicants for the position of firefighter will be notified by the Civil Service Commission as to the date, time, and location of the Civil Service examination. Identification will usually be required prior to admittance to the examination room. b) Lateral Transfer applicants will not be required to sit for the Civil Service Examination. The Human Resources Director will evaluate the applications for lateral transfer and forward potential candidates to the Fire Chief for review and selection to continue on in the process. 2 3) ELIGIBILITY LIST a) The Civil Service Commission will post a certified roster of eligible firefighter candidates who have successfully passed the written Civil Service examination, listing the highest scoring candidates in sequential order. Once an opening occurs in the Division of Fire for a firefighter, the Civil Service Commission forwards the list of names on the eligibility list to the Division of Fire for processing. b) Lateral Transfer applicants that have been screened by the Fire Chief will be developed into a list to schedule the Physical Agility Screening process as needed by the Whitehall Division of Fire. 4) PHYSICAL ABILITY ASSESSMENT a) The Whitehall Division of Fire has established a firefighter task-specific ability assessment in order to determine the physical fitness level of the candidate. This ability assessment has 10 components designed to mimic the physical demands of the job and establishes a pass/fail criteria. (See Whitehall Division of Fire Physical Ability Assessment attached). b) Candidates who pass the Physical Ability Assessment will continue in the process, remaining at their initial Civil Service ranking in sequential order. c) Lateral transfer candidates will be required to pass the Physical Ability Assessment in order to continue in the process. 5) RECORDS CHECK a) Each candidate will have a background check conducted by a source chosen by the City of Whitehall. This check will include, but not be limited to, a local, state, national and international criminal history as well as a driving record, tax record, credit history and financial report. 6) BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION a) A thorough and complete investigation into each candidate’s background is conducted. The function of the background investigation is to determine each candidate’s suitability for employment as a Whitehall Firefighter. The background investigation will include, but not be limited to, verification of credentials and identification, past and present employment, age, residence, citizenship, interviews with past and present co3 workers and school officials, neighbors, spouse, employers and personal references and anything deemed appropriate to determine a candidates ethics, lifestyle, character, abilities, and inclinations. 7) ORAL INTERVIEW a) Candidates who successfully complete the previous stages are then scheduled for an oral interview which is conducted by a panel consisting of the Safety Director, the Fire Chief, and other members who are selected to participate in the interview. In this process, candidates are evaluated and rated based on such considerations as appearance, image, demeanor, attitude, communication skills, mental alertness, judgement, reasoning, analytical ability, general personality, social interaction, interpersonal and human relations, and overall suitability. 8) MEDICAL EXAMINATION a) The medical examination is provided by the City and is conducted by a licensed physician selected by the City. The medical examination is administered to ensure the candidate has sufficient health and the physical ability necessary to perform as a firefighter, and that no condition exists that would pose a threat to the health or safety of the candidate or others. The candidate must be certified by the City’s examining physician as being in good general health and able to perform the full, regular, and demanding duties of a firefighter. And, though a standardized testing procedure is in place, the examining physician will be authorized to conduct any additional lab work, tests, or exams which the physician believes are necessary to best determine condition of health. Generally accepted medical and health standards shall be the premise for this examination, but candidates are specifically evaluated based on the following minimum standards: i. Must not be missing either eye, any limb, or the regular use thereof; ii. Must be free of cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary disease; iii. Must pass a vision exam based on visual acuity and depth perception; iv. Must have eyesight correctable to 20/20 in both eyes with or without glasses or contact lenses; v. Must have eyesight with a minimum, uncorrected vision of 20/40 in one eye and 20/100 in the other; 4 vi. Must have eyesight that is free of disease; vii. Must be free of parasitic and systemic skin disease; viii. Must not show evidence of intemperance in the use of stimulants, depressants, or other drugs; ix. Must have no obstruction to free-breathing, nor may there be severe sinus disease; x. Must have no disease of the ear, nose, or throat; xi. Must have normal hearing in both ears; xii. Must be free of actual or potential hernia; xiii. Must have no back problems; xiv. Must possess an index, middle and ring finger and a thumb on each hand; xv. Must possess a great toe on each foot; xvi. Must be free of defects of the brain and nervous system; xvii. Must have no epilepsy; xviii. Must have healthy kidneys and the urine must be normal; xix. Must pass a drug screen as delineated in the City’s Drug Free Workplace Policy. xx. A candidate may be provisionally appointed to the position of firefighter contingent upon the successful completion and passing of the medical examination. 9) START DATE a) The fire chief or his designee shall determine the appropriate start date for the firefighter to begin work. b) Personnel department seniority shall be related to the following: i. Hire date with Whitehall Division of Fire. ii. Ranking on civil service written test they were hired from (if multiple hires start on same date). iii. Date of initial application for the Lateral Position (if multiple lateral hires start on the same date). iv. If all above fail to rank seniority, the fire chief shall assign it. 3.3 Training and Probation A) Once selected for employment, the firefighter will be considered a provisional firefighter until successfully completing the initial phases of the Firefighter Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP), as established by Division Policy. B) After successful completion of all training phases as required by the Division of Fire as a provisional firefighter, the firefighter candidate will be considered 5 a probationary employee until the anniversary of one calendar year from his/her start date as a provisional firefighter. C) After successful completion of the one (1) year provisional/probationary period, the firefighter will be considered for permanent appointment to the position of firefighter. This one-year provisional and probationary period is considered to be the ultimate test of the job. If the candidate cannot perform acceptably as a provisional for probationary firefighter during the FTEP, the candidate will be dismissed. 3.4 Removal Standards A) The following occurrences or incidents in a candidates background may result in disqualification of the candidate from the selection process. 1) DRUG USAGE a) Any admission to, conviction of, plea of guilty or no contest including Alford pleas. b) Illegal use of drugs or substances, or, use or possession of any illegal drug within three years (36 months) of date of application. c) Any selling, manufacturing, or distributing of any illegal or dangerous drug (as defined by state or federal laws). 2) CRIMINAL HISTORY a) Any admission to, conviction of, plea of guilty or no contest including Alford pleas. b) Any felony. c) Any offense involving moral turpitude, including larceny, concealment, bad checks, embezzlement, perjury, etc. d) Any domestic violence offense. e) Any arson, bombing or related crimes, including threats. 6 f) Any crime involving sexual misconduct where the lack of affirmative consent by the victim is an element of the crime. g) Any crime involving the sexual or physical abuse of children, the elderly, or the incapacitated. h) Any crime against a person entrusted to his/her care or protection in which the victim is a patient or is a resident of a health care facility including, but not limited to, abuse, neglect, theft from, or financial exploitation. 3) INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT a) Inclusion on the National or Ohio Sex Offender Registry. b) Untruthfulness, intentional withholding of information or deliberate inaccuracies on any application, interview, or paperwork associated with this process. c) Cheating on any examination or testing associated with this process. d) Three or more garnishments involving more than one indebtedness in the previous twelve (12) month period. e) Any behavior that would bring discredit to the City of Whitehall. 4) MILITARY HISTORY a) Dishonorable discharge, General (under other than honorable conditions), Bad Conduct Discharge). b) Any misrepresentation of military service to include, but not limited to, dates of service, theater of service, Military Occupation Specialty (MOS) or equivalent, and awards, commendations, and decorations received. 5) DRIVING HISTORY a) Record of current driver’s license suspicion or revocation. b) Suspension or revocation for other than for administrative reasons within the previous five (5) years (60 months). c) Conviction of driving on suspended or revoked driver’s license within the previous five (5) years (60 months). 7 d) Record of conviction to include, but not limited to, reckless driving, eluding police, leaving the scene of an accident, or manslaughter (voluntary or involuntary). e) Conviction of DUI within the previous five (5) years (60 months). Those charges with DUI, but not convicted of lesser charges or cases of withheld disposition will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. f) Multiple convictions of DUI (or similar offenses if located outside the State of Ohio). g) More than two (2) moving violations within the previous one (1) year (12 months). h) More than three (3) moving violations within the previous two (2) years (24 months). i) Four or more demerit points (14, 15, 16, etc.) on an Ohio Operator’s License or the equivalent for out of state license. 6) NON-EXCLUSIVITY a) The listing of employment disqualifiers is not intended to be all inclusive. An applicant may also be disqualified for other concerns, which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Background investigators may evaluate all aspects of criminal or potentially criminal activity (including juvenile), prior drug use or enterprise, driving record, employment or work history, credential confirmation, military record, credit history, etc. 8 Whitehall Division of Fire Physical Ability Assessment Candidate _____________________________________________________ Date_____________________ Candidate Signature______________________________________________ 9 You will be permitted to wear any comfortable attire you like with the minimum being athletic shorts, tee shirt and athletic shoes that lace with a solid rubber sole. Helmet, weighted vests and appropriate sized structural fire gloves will be provided at the time of the test. You will be given a full verbal walkthrough of the agility test to address any questions. You will be asked if you understand the tasks you are to perform and the disqualifying criteria and then proceed. All events are pass fail and you must pass 8 events with no disqualifications to be eligible to continue through the hiring process. Event 1: High Rise Carry Purpose This event is designed to simulate the task of climbing stairs during a structural fire while wearing full protective gear and carrying 40-50 pounds of tools, High Rise packs, and other similar equipment. The event tests your lower body strength and aerobic capacity in performing this critical firefighting task. Description For this event, you will wear a 40 lb. weighted vest in addition to the 40 lb. weighted vest that you wear throughout the test (total of 80 lbs. for this event only). You will ascend a 12-step flight of stairs, turn around at the top, and then descend the 12- step flight of stairs. You must repeat this process 11 times. You may use the handrail. You must ascend and descend the stairs at a steady pace without pausing. Time Limit 2 min 30 sec. 10 Critical failure(s) -Not meeting time - Skipping steps -Falling -Stopping will be given 1 warning; the 2nd time, test concluded. - Overtime 3:00 = Disqualification Pass Fail Time_____________ Event 2: Paced Walk Purpose This event is designed to simulate the aerobic demands placed on firefighters while working for extended periods of time. It also allows you time to cool down after some of the more physically demanding exercises. The event tests your aerobic capacity in maintaining a brisk pace. Description You will walk at a set pace (no jogging or running allowed) following a marked 300-yard course. A proctor will inform you of your pace as you start walking and then once every 50 seconds. You may not run, even to catch up if you are behind pace. Time limit 3:00 Critical failure(s) - Not meeting time 11 - Pass Running Overtime 3:20 = Disqualification Fail Time________ Event 3: Charged Hose Advance Purpose This event is designed to simulate the task of carrying a 1 ¾” charged hose over your shoulder and dragging it through a fire site. The event tests your upper body strength, lower body strength, and aerobic capacity. Description You will advance a charged 150’ 1 ¾” hose until fully stretched and told to stop. Before you begin, you will stand at the starting line, pick up the nozzle, and place the hose line over your left or right shoulder. You will then advance the charged hose line until fully stretched. Time Limit 35 sec. 12 Critical failure(s) - Not meeting time - Attempting to pull hose any other way than forward over your shoulder. - Overtime 45 sec = Disqualification Pass Fail Time________ Event 4: Equipment Haul Purpose This event is designed to simulate the task of hoisting equipment such as hose packs and stretchers to the third story window of a building using rope. It also simulates the motion of extending the fly of a ground extension ladder by hoisting it with rope. Performed properly, the event tests both your upper and lower body strength, as well as your grip strength. Description While standing on an elevated platform you will hoist a 42 lb. simulated doughnut roll to yourself while safely leaning over the rail with feet planted firmly on the platform utilizing hand over hand technique. Time Limit 40 sec. Critical failure(s) - Not meeting time 13 - Pass Unsafe hauling of equipment or dropping equipment. Overtime 45 Sec = Disqualification Fail Time________ Event 5: Paced Walk Purpose This event is designed to simulate the aerobic demands placed on firefighters while working for extended periods of time. It also allows you time to cool down after some of the more physically demanding exercises. The event tests your aerobic capacity in maintaining a brisk pace. Description You will walk at a set pace (no jogging or running allowed) following a marked 300-yard course. A proctor will inform you of your pace as you start walking and then once every 50 seconds. You may not run, even to catch up if you are behind pace. Time limit 3:00 Critical failure(s) - Not meeting time 14 - Pass Running Overtime 3:20 = Disqualification Fail Time________ Event 6: Blind Crawl Purpose This event is designed to simulate the task of crawling in a burning structure to stay below smoke while carrying a tool as you advance to your destination. It is also intended to simulate high smoke conditions where you have no visibility and must follow one of several hose lines that have been advanced into the structure in order to find your way around. This event tests your aerobic capacity and coordination skills. Description Like in a real zero visibility situation during a fire, you must find your way around by following a hose to your destination and avoid getting off track on a hose that does not lead to your destination. You will crawl on your hands and knees for 50 feet following a simulated charged hose (designated the “target hose”) entangled with two other simulated charged hoses. Additionally, you will wear a mask that will block out all vision and you will carry or drag a sledgehammer. Before starting the event, you will put on the blackout mask. You will then drop onto your hands and knees in front of the crawl start line. The proctor will help you place one hand on the target hose and one hand on the sledgehammer. You will then crawl following the 50-foot target hose. During the crawl, you will drag the sledgehammer with you and must remain on the target hose without becoming disoriented or following either of the other two entangled hoses. When you reach the end of the target hose with the sledgehammer in hand, you have completed the event. 15 Proper technique requires that you use both hands to stay in constant contact with the primary hose when feeling past obstructions. The tool may need to be set down while using two hands; however, you must not lose the sledgehammer. You must complete the event with it in hand. Time Limit 2min 30 sec Critical failure(s) Not meeting time Taking off mask Standing up Finishing with incorrect hose Losing Tool Overtime 3:00 = Disqualification Pass Fail Time_______ Event 7: Forcible Entry Purpose This event is designed to simulate the task of using a heavy hand tool, such as a sledgehammer, to force open a door or breach a wall. The event tests your upper body strength, aerobic capacity, and coordination. Description You will use a sledgehammer to strike the keiser sled 8 ft. where you will be told to stop. Time Limit 45 sec Critical failure(s) - Not meeting time - Losing control of tool - Falling - Overtime 51 Sec = Disqualification 16 Pass Fail Time________ Event 8: Paced Walk Purpose This event is designed to simulate the aerobic demands placed on firefighters while working for extended periods of time. It also allows you time to cool down after some of the more physically demanding exercises. The event tests your aerobic capacity in maintaining a brisk pace. Description You will walk at a set pace (no jogging or running allowed) following a marked 300-yard course. A proctor will inform you of your pace as you start walking and then once every 50 seconds. You may not run, even to catch up if you are behind pace. Time limit 3:00 Critical failure(s) 17 - Pass Not meeting time Running Overtime 3:20 = Disqualification Fail Time________ Event 9: Rescue Drag Purpose This event is designed to simulate the task of dragging an incapacitated partner or victim from a damaged or burning structure. The event tests your upper body strength, lower body strength, and aerobic capacity. Description You will drag the mannequin 100ft backwards while standing. You must use the technique described by the evaluator, using the harness with your hands. You may stop and rest but your time will not stop. Time limit 1 min Critical failure(s) - Not meeting time - Unsafe body mechanics - Overtime 1:20 = Disqualification 18 Pass Fail Time________ Event 10: CPR Purpose This event is designed to simulate the task of performing initial medical treatment on a victim by administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This event tests your upper body strength and aerobic capacity. Description The time on this event is controlled; passing is based on correct performance only. There is no possibility to pass with 0 points. You will kneel down next to a CPR mannequin and perform chest compressions at rate of 100 compressions per minute for 2 minutes. You may remove your gloves for this event. Pacing is achieved by following the screen provided. You are allowed 10 seconds at the start of the event to achieve correct pacing for compressions then official time will begin. 19 Critical failure(s) - Not maintaining correct compression ratio, 3 warnings shall be given. On the fourth, the event will be concluded. End of Test After your test is concluded, you are permitted to leave the testing site. If medical attention is necessary, it will be provided. You will not be permitted to view your results or other candidates testing. On behalf of The City of Whitehall and the Division of Fire, we thank you for your interest in the position of Firefighter. 20