(a) The Civil Service Commission shall prepare and maintain eligibility lists from which the Mayor shall make appointments with confirmation by a majority of Council.
(b) The Civil Service Commission shall maintain separate lists for the Competitive Class, the Unskilled Labor Class, Police, and full time paid Firefighters. No person may be transferred from one list to another but may be placed on more than one list by separate application and examination. (ORC 124.43)
(c) Factors to be used in determining merit and fitness may include but need not be limited to written examination, oral examination, performance examination, physical examination, training, licenses or permits held, experience, and recommendations of previous employers. Factors that may not be considered are sex, race, political, or religious beliefs and no examination may contain questions related thereto. The Commission shall uniformly apply all factors used in preparing eligibility lists to all persons seeking placement on any list and shall give credit if the applicant possesses these objective criteria to a maximum credit of twenty percent (20%):
(1) All applicants.
A. Honorably discharged veterans shall receive an additional twenty percent (20%) of passing grade on any competitive examination and in case of a tie score an honorably discharged veteran shall be placed ahead of the person with an equal score. (ORC 124.23 (C))
B. When using means other than examination for establishing an eligibility list and all other factors are deemed equivalent, veterans shall be placed ahead of other persons on the list.
(2) Fire applicants.
A. An applicant with Level II firefighting qualifications shall receive an additional ten percent (10%) of passing grade on a competitive examination for the purpose of original appointment.
B. An applicant with Ohio Paramedic qualifications shall receive an additional ten percent (10%) of passing grade on a competitive examination for the purpose of original appointment.
C. When using any means other than examination for an eligibility list and all other factors are deemed equivalent, an applicant with firefighter II and/or paramedic certification(s) shall be placed ahead of other persons on the list.
D. Applicants having both certifications shall be placed above those having only one and paramedic certification takes precedence over firefighter.
(3) Lateral Entry- Fire. The process of lateral entry is established as a method for hiring experienced firefighter/paramedics from other jurisdictions who have obtained and maintained State of Ohio Firefighter II and Paramedic certifications. Applicants who have been actively employed full-time/career or have completed at least one (1) year of full-time equivalency (FTE) as a part-time employee, equal to 2708 hours for Cortland City Fire Department, at the time of application, may apply to such a position in the City of Cortland without sitting for a competitive Civil Service Examination.
(4) Selection Procedure and Criteria. The Fire Chief will review resumes and applications to determine which applicants meet the lateral entry criteria hereinafter described:
A. 1. An applicant must currently be employed as a full-time/career firefighter/ paramedic with one other agency; or
2. An applicant must currently be employed as a part-time firefighter/paramedic with 2708 hours of service completed.
B. An applicant must possess a valid State of Ohio Firefighter II Certification and State of Ohio Paramedic Certification and be current with all appropriate educational, American Heart Association Health Care Provider CPR and ACLS, and continuing education requirements as applicable.
C. An applicant must possess a valid driver's license.
As with candidates for appointment who participate in competitive Civil Service examination process, lateral entry candidates may be required to submit to the following, included but not limited to, a thorough background investigation, oral interview, physical competency test, and drug screening. In addition to any criteria set forth in this section, lateral entry candidates must meet the minimum qualifications for appointment to the position of firefighter/paramedic as may, from time to time, be enforced for candidates who participate in the competitive Civil Service examination process. Positions filled through these procedures are hereinafter exempt from taking a competitive written Civil Service Examination.
(5) Police applicants.
A. An applicant with a Bachelor's Degree shall receive an additional ten percent (10%) of passing grade on any competitive examination.
B. An applicant with an Associate Degree shall receive an additional five percent (5%) of passing grade on any competitive examination.
C. An applicant with 2080 hours documented law enforcement service shall receive an additional ten percent (10%) of passing grade on any competitive examination.
D. An applicant with a current Ohio Peace Officer Certification shall receive an additional ten percent (10%) of passing grade on any competitive examination.
(6) Lateral Entry-Police.
A. The process of lateral entry is established as a method for hiring experienced police officers from other jurisdictions.
B. In lieu of a competitive examination, the City Police Department is authorized to hire lateral transfers with the following qualifications:
1. Applicant must have attained the age of twenty-one (21) on or prior to the date of appointment.
2. Applicant must have a valid Driver's License and be insurable under any City Vehicle Insurance Policy.
3. Applicant must have two (2) years of full-time law enforcement experience and be currently employed, or previously employed within the past twelve (12) months, as a full-time police officer in the state of Ohio.
4. Applicant must possess a valid OPOTA certification.
5. Applicant must have successfully completed probationary period at current or most recent place of employment as a police officer.
6. Meeting the qualifications above exempts the applicant from being required to take a written, civil service examination, however, an applicant would still be subject to required background checks, including truth verification examinations, psychological and medical examinations, drug screenings, physical agility testing and any other additional methods deemed necessary by the department to ascertain the qualifications and abilities of the Applicant.
(d) An eligible list expires upon the filling or closing of the position. An expired eligible list may be used to fill a position of the same classification within the same appointing authority for which the list was created. But, in no event shall an expired list be used more than one (1) year past its expiration date.
(Ord. 0-52-22. Passed 10-17-22.)