SB2826 EnrolledLRB098 16310 JLK 51370 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Municipal Code is amended by
5changing Sections 10-1-7.1, 10-1-7.2, 10-2.1-6.3, and
610-2.1-6.4 as follows:
 
7    (65 ILCS 5/10-1-7.1)
8    Sec. 10-1-7.1. Original appointments; full-time fire
9department.
10    (a) Applicability. Unless a commission elects to follow the
11provisions of Section 10-1-7.2, this Section shall apply to all
12original appointments to an affected full-time fire
13department. Existing registers of eligibles shall continue to
14be valid until their expiration dates, or up to a maximum of 2
15years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
1697th General Assembly.
17    Notwithstanding any statute, ordinance, rule, or other law
18to the contrary, all original appointments to an affected
19department to which this Section applies shall be administered
20in the manner provided for in this Section. Provisions of the
21Illinois Municipal Code, municipal ordinances, and rules
22adopted pursuant to such authority and other laws relating to
23initial hiring of firefighters in affected departments shall

 

 

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1continue to apply to the extent they are compatible with this
2Section, but in the event of a conflict between this Section
3and any other law, this Section shall control.
4    A home rule or non-home rule municipality may not
5administer its fire department process for original
6appointments in a manner that is less stringent than this
7Section. This Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of
8Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the
9concurrent exercise by home rule units of the powers and
10functions exercised by the State.
11    A municipality that is operating under a court order or
12consent decree regarding original appointments to a full-time
13fire department before the effective date of this amendatory
14Act of the 97th General Assembly is exempt from the
15requirements of this Section for the duration of the court
16order or consent decree.
17    Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection
18(a), this Section does not apply to a municipality with more
19than 1,000,000 inhabitants.
20    (b) Original appointments. All original appointments made
21to an affected fire department shall be made from a register of
22eligibles established in accordance with the processes
23established by this Section. Only persons who meet or exceed
24the performance standards required by this Section shall be
25placed on a register of eligibles for original appointment to
26an affected fire department.

 

 

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1    Whenever an appointing authority authorizes action to hire
2a person to perform the duties of a firefighter or to hire a
3firefighter-paramedic to fill a position that is a new position
4or vacancy due to resignation, discharge, promotion, death, the
5granting of a disability or retirement pension, or any other
6cause, the appointing authority shall appoint to that position
7the person with the highest ranking on the final eligibility
8list. If the appointing authority has reason to conclude that
9the highest ranked person fails to meet the minimum standards
10for the position or if the appointing authority believes an
11alternate candidate would better serve the needs of the
12department, then the appointing authority has the right to pass
13over the highest ranked person and appoint either: (i) any
14person who has a ranking in the top 5% of the register of
15eligibles or (ii) any person who is among the top 5 highest
16ranked persons on the list of eligibles if the number of people
17who have a ranking in the top 5% of the register of eligibles
18is less than 5 people.
19    Any candidate may pass on an appointment once without
20losing his or her position on the register of eligibles. Any
21candidate who passes a second time may be removed from the list
22by the appointing authority provided that such action shall not
23prejudice a person's opportunities to participate in future
24examinations, including an examination held during the time a
25candidate is already on the municipality's register of
26eligibles.

 

 

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1    The sole authority to issue certificates of appointment
2shall be vested in the Civil Service Commission. All
3certificates of appointment issued to any officer or member of
4an affected department shall be signed by the chairperson and
5secretary, respectively, of the commission upon appointment of
6such officer or member to the affected department by the
7commission. Each person who accepts a certificate of
8appointment and successfully completes his or her probationary
9period shall be enrolled as a firefighter and as a regular
10member of the fire department.
11    For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" means any
12person who has been prior to, on, or after the effective date
13of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly appointed
14to a fire department or fire protection district or employed by
15a State university and sworn or commissioned to perform
16firefighter duties or paramedic duties, or both, except that
17the following persons are not included: part-time
18firefighters; auxiliary, reserve, or voluntary firefighters,
19including paid-on-call firefighters; clerks and dispatchers or
20other civilian employees of a fire department or fire
21protection district who are not routinely expected to perform
22firefighter duties; and elected officials.
23    (c) Qualification for placement on register of eligibles.
24The purpose of establishing a register of eligibles is to
25identify applicants who possess and demonstrate the mental
26aptitude and physical ability to perform the duties required of

 

 

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1members of the fire department in order to provide the highest
2quality of service to the public. To this end, all applicants
3for original appointment to an affected fire department shall
4be subject to examination and testing which shall be public,
5competitive, and open to all applicants unless the municipality
6shall by ordinance limit applicants to residents of the
7municipality, county or counties in which the municipality is
8located, State, or nation. Any examination and testing
9procedure utilized under subsection (e) of this Section shall
10be supported by appropriate validation evidence and shall
11comply with all applicable state and federal laws.
12Municipalities may establish educational, emergency medical
13service licensure, and other pre-requisites for participation
14in an examination or for hire as a firefighter. Any
15municipality may charge a fee to cover the costs of the
16application process.
17    Residency requirements in effect at the time an individual
18enters the fire service of a municipality cannot be made more
19restrictive for that individual during his or her period of
20service for that municipality, or be made a condition of
21promotion, except for the rank or position of fire chief and
22for no more than 2 positions that rank immediately below that
23of the chief rank which are appointed positions pursuant to the
24Fire Department Promotion Act.
25    No person who is 35 years of age or older shall be eligible
26to take an examination for a position as a firefighter unless

 

 

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1the person has had previous employment status as a firefighter
2in the regularly constituted fire department of the
3municipality, except as provided in this Section. The age
4limitation does not apply to:
5        (1) any person previously employed as a full-time
6    firefighter in a regularly constituted fire department of
7    (i) any municipality or fire protection district located in
8    Illinois, (ii) a fire protection district whose
9    obligations were assumed by a municipality under Section 21
10    of the Fire Protection District Act, or (iii) a
11    municipality whose obligations were taken over by a fire
12    protection district, or
13        (2) any person who has served a municipality as a
14    regularly enrolled volunteer, paid-on-call, or part-time
15    firefighter for the 5 years immediately preceding the time
16    that the municipality begins to use full-time firefighters
17    to provide all or part of its fire protection service.
18    No person who is under 21 years of age shall be eligible
19for employment as a firefighter.
20    No applicant shall be examined concerning his or her
21political or religious opinions or affiliations. The
22examinations shall be conducted by the commissioners of the
23municipality or their designees and agents.
24    No municipality shall require that any firefighter
25appointed to the lowest rank serve a probationary employment
26period of longer than one year of actual active employment,

 

 

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1which may exclude periods of training, or injury or illness
2leaves, including duty related leave, in excess of 30 calendar
3days. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section,
4the probationary employment period limitation may be extended
5for a firefighter who is required, as a condition of
6employment, to be a certified paramedic, during which time the
7sole reason that a firefighter may be discharged without a
8hearing is for failing to meet the requirements for paramedic
9certification.
10    In the event that any applicant who has been found eligible
11for appointment and whose name has been placed upon the final
12eligibility register provided for in this Division 1 has not
13been appointed to a firefighter position within one year after
14the date of his or her physical ability examination, the
15commission may cause a second examination to be made of that
16applicant's physical ability prior to his or her appointment.
17If, after the second examination, the physical ability of the
18applicant shall be found to be less than the minimum standard
19fixed by the rules of the commission, the applicant shall not
20be appointed. The applicant's name may be retained upon the
21register of candidates eligible for appointment and when next
22reached for certification and appointment that applicant may be
23again examined as provided in this Section, and if the physical
24ability of that applicant is found to be less than the minimum
25standard fixed by the rules of the commission, the applicant
26shall not be appointed, and the name of the applicant shall be

 

 

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1removed from the register.
2    (d) Notice, examination, and testing components. Notice of
3the time, place, general scope, merit criteria for any
4subjective component, and fee of every examination shall be
5given by the commission, by a publication at least 2 weeks
6preceding the examination: (i) in one or more newspapers
7published in the municipality, or if no newspaper is published
8therein, then in one or more newspapers with a general
9circulation within the municipality, or (ii) on the
10municipality's Internet website. Additional notice of the
11examination may be given as the commission shall prescribe.
12    The examination and qualifying standards for employment of
13firefighters shall be based on: mental aptitude, physical
14ability, preferences, moral character, and health. The mental
15aptitude, physical ability, and preference components shall
16determine an applicant's qualification for and placement on the
17final register of eligibles. The examination may also include a
18subjective component based on merit criteria as determined by
19the commission. Scores from the examination must be made
20available to the public.
21    (e) Mental aptitude. No person who does not possess at
22least a high school diploma or an equivalent high school
23education shall be placed on a register of eligibles.
24Examination of an applicant's mental aptitude shall be based
25upon a written examination. The examination shall be practical
26in character and relate to those matters that fairly test the

 

 

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1capacity of the persons examined to discharge the duties
2performed by members of a fire department. Written examinations
3shall be administered in a manner that ensures the security and
4accuracy of the scores achieved.
5    (f) Physical ability. All candidates shall be required to
6undergo an examination of their physical ability to perform the
7essential functions included in the duties they may be called
8upon to perform as a member of a fire department. For the
9purposes of this Section, essential functions of the job are
10functions associated with duties that a firefighter may be
11called upon to perform in response to emergency calls. The
12frequency of the occurrence of those duties as part of the fire
13department's regular routine shall not be a controlling factor
14in the design of examination criteria or evolutions selected
15for testing. These physical examinations shall be open,
16competitive, and based on industry standards designed to test
17each applicant's physical abilities in the following
18dimensions:
19        (1) Muscular strength to perform tasks and evolutions
20    that may be required in the performance of duties including
21    grip strength, leg strength, and arm strength. Tests shall
22    be conducted under anaerobic as well as aerobic conditions
23    to test both the candidate's speed and endurance in
24    performing tasks and evolutions. Tasks tested may be based
25    on standards developed, or approved, by the local
26    appointing authority.

 

 

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1        (2) The ability to climb ladders, operate from heights,
2    walk or crawl in the dark along narrow and uneven surfaces,
3    and operate in proximity to hazardous environments.
4        (3) The ability to carry out critical, time-sensitive,
5    and complex problem solving during physical exertion in
6    stressful and hazardous environments. The testing
7    environment may be hot and dark with tightly enclosed
8    spaces, flashing lights, sirens, and other distractions.
9    The tests utilized to measure each applicant's
10capabilities in each of these dimensions may be tests based on
11industry standards currently in use or equivalent tests
12approved by the Joint Labor-Management Committee of the Office
13of the State Fire Marshal.
14    Physical ability examinations administered under this
15Section shall be conducted with a reasonable number of proctors
16and monitors, open to the public, and subject to reasonable
17regulations of the commission.
18    (g) Scoring of examination components. Appointing
19authorities may create a preliminary eligibility register. A
20person shall be placed on the list based upon his or her
21passage of the written examination or the passage of the
22written examination and the physical ability component.
23Passage of the written examination means attaining the minimum
24score set by the commission a score that is at or above the
25median score for all applicants participating in the written
26test. Minimum scores should be set by the commission so as to

 

 

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1demonstrate a candidate's ability to perform the essential
2functions of the job. The minimum score set by the commission
3shall be supported by appropriate validation evidence and shall
4comply with all applicable state and federal laws. The
5appointing authority may conduct the physical ability
6component and any subjective components subsequent to the
7posting of the preliminary eligibility register.
8    The examination components for an initial eligibility
9register shall be graded on a 100-point scale. A person's
10position on the list shall be determined by the following: (i)
11the person's score on the written examination, (ii) the person
12successfully passing the physical ability component, and (iii)
13the person's results on any subjective component as described
14in subsection (d).
15    In order to qualify for placement on the final eligibility
16register, an applicant's score on the written examination,
17before any applicable preference points or subjective points
18are applied, shall be at or above the minimum score set by the
19commission be at or above the median score. The local
20appointing authority may prescribe the score to qualify for
21placement on the final eligibility register, but the score
22shall not be less than the minimum score set by the commission
23median score.
24    The commission shall prepare and keep a register of persons
25whose total score is not less than the minimum score for
26passage fixed by this Section and who have passed the physical

 

 

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1ability examination. These persons shall take rank upon the
2register as candidates in the order of their relative
3excellence based on the highest to the lowest total points
4scored on the mental aptitude, subjective component, and
5preference components of the test administered in accordance
6with this Section. No more than 60 days after each examination,
7an initial eligibility list shall be posted by the commission.
8The list shall include the final grades of the candidates
9without reference to priority of the time of examination and
10subject to claim for preference credit.
11    Commissions may conduct additional examinations, including
12without limitation a polygraph test, after a final eligibility
13register is established and before it expires with the
14candidates ranked by total score without regard to date of
15examination. No more than 60 days after each examination, an
16initial eligibility list shall be posted by the commission
17showing the final grades of the candidates without reference to
18priority of time of examination and subject to claim for
19preference credit.
20    (h) Preferences. The following are preferences:
21        (1) Veteran preference. Persons who were engaged in the
22    military service of the United States for a period of at
23    least one year of active duty and who were honorably
24    discharged therefrom, or who are now or have been members
25    on inactive or reserve duty in such military or naval
26    service, shall be preferred for appointment to and

 

 

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1    employment with the fire department of an affected
2    department.
3        (2) Fire cadet preference. Persons who have
4    successfully completed 2 years of study in fire techniques
5    or cadet training within a cadet program established under
6    the rules of the Joint Labor and Management Committee
7    (JLMC), as defined in Section 50 of the Fire Department
8    Promotion Act, may be preferred for appointment to and
9    employment with the fire department.
10        (3) Educational preference. Persons who have
11    successfully obtained an associate's degree in the field of
12    fire service or emergency medical services, or a bachelor's
13    degree from an accredited college or university may be
14    preferred for appointment to and employment with the fire
15    department.
16        (4) Paramedic preference. Persons who have obtained
17    certification as an Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic
18    (EMT-P) may be preferred for appointment to and employment
19    with the fire department of an affected department
20    providing emergency medical services.
21        (5) Experience preference. All persons employed by a
22    municipality who have been paid-on-call or part-time
23    certified Firefighter II, certified Firefighter III, State
24    of Illinois or nationally licensed EMT-B or EMT-I, licensed
25    paramedic, or any combination of those capacities may be
26    awarded up to a maximum of 5 points. However, the applicant

 

 

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1    may not be awarded more than 0.5 points for each complete
2    year of paid-on-call or part-time service. Applicants from
3    outside the municipality who were employed as full-time
4    firefighters or firefighter-paramedics by a fire
5    protection district or another municipality may be awarded
6    up to 5 experience preference points. However, the
7    applicant may not be awarded more than one point for each
8    complete year of full-time service.
9        Upon request by the commission, the governing body of
10    the municipality or in the case of applicants from outside
11    the municipality the governing body of any fire protection
12    district or any other municipality shall certify to the
13    commission, within 10 days after the request, the number of
14    years of successful paid-on-call, part-time, or full-time
15    service of any person. A candidate may not receive the full
16    amount of preference points under this subsection if the
17    amount of points awarded would place the candidate before a
18    veteran on the eligibility list. If more than one candidate
19    receiving experience preference points is prevented from
20    receiving all of their points due to not being allowed to
21    pass a veteran, the candidates shall be placed on the list
22    below the veteran in rank order based on the totals
23    received if all points under this subsection were to be
24    awarded. Any remaining ties on the list shall be determined
25    by lot.
26        (6) Residency preference. Applicants whose principal

 

 

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1    residence is located within the fire department's
2    jurisdiction may be preferred for appointment to and
3    employment with the fire department.
4        (7) Additional preferences. Up to 5 additional
5    preference points may be awarded for unique categories
6    based on an applicant's experience or background as
7    identified by the commission.
8        (8) Scoring of preferences. The commission shall give
9    preference for original appointment to persons designated
10    in item (1) by adding to the final grade that they receive
11    5 points for the recognized preference achieved. The
12    commission shall determine the number of preference points
13    for each category except (1). The number of preference
14    points for each category shall range from 0 to 5. In
15    determining the number of preference points, the
16    commission shall prescribe that if a candidate earns the
17    maximum number of preference points in all categories, that
18    number may not be less than 10 nor more than 30. The
19    commission shall give preference for original appointment
20    to persons designated in items (2) through (7) by adding
21    the requisite number of points to the final grade for each
22    recognized preference achieved. The numerical result thus
23    attained shall be applied by the commission in determining
24    the final eligibility list and appointment from the
25    eligibility list. The local appointing authority may
26    prescribe the total number of preference points awarded

 

 

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1    under this Section, but the total number of preference
2    points shall not be less than 10 points or more than 30
3    points.
4    No person entitled to any preference shall be required to
5claim the credit before any examination held under the
6provisions of this Section, but the preference shall be given
7after the posting or publication of the initial eligibility
8list or register at the request of a person entitled to a
9credit before any certification or appointments are made from
10the eligibility register, upon the furnishing of verifiable
11evidence and proof of qualifying preference credit. Candidates
12who are eligible for preference credit shall make a claim in
13writing within 10 days after the posting of the initial
14eligibility list, or the claim shall be deemed waived. Final
15eligibility registers shall be established after the awarding
16of verified preference points. All employment shall be subject
17to the commission's initial hire background review including,
18but not limited to, criminal history, employment history, moral
19character, oral examination, and medical and psychological
20examinations, all on a pass-fail basis. The medical and
21psychological examinations must be conducted last, and may only
22be performed after a conditional offer of employment has been
23extended.
24    Any person placed on an eligibility list who exceeds the
25age requirement before being appointed to a fire department
26shall remain eligible for appointment until the list is

 

 

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1abolished, or his or her name has been on the list for a period
2of 2 years. No person who has attained the age of 35 years
3shall be inducted into a fire department, except as otherwise
4provided in this Section.
5    The commission shall strike off the names of candidates for
6original appointment after the names have been on the list for
7more than 2 years.
8    (i) Moral character. No person shall be appointed to a fire
9department unless he or she is a person of good character; not
10a habitual drunkard, a gambler, or a person who has been
11convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude.
12However, no person shall be disqualified from appointment to
13the fire department because of the person's record of
14misdemeanor convictions except those under Sections 11-6,
1511-7, 11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 12-2, 12-6,
1612-15, 14-4, 16-1, 21.1-3, 24-3.1, 24-5, 25-1, 28-3, 31-1,
1731-4, 31-6, 31-7, 32-1, 32-2, 32-3, 32-4, 32-8, and subsections
181, 6, and 8 of Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the
19Criminal Code of 2012, or arrest for any cause without
20conviction thereon. Any such person who is in the department
21may be removed on charges brought for violating this subsection
22and after a trial as hereinafter provided.
23    A classifiable set of the fingerprints of every person who
24is offered employment as a certificated member of an affected
25fire department whether with or without compensation, shall be
26furnished to the Illinois Department of State Police and to the

 

 

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1Federal Bureau of Investigation by the commission.
2    Whenever a commission is authorized or required by law to
3consider some aspect of criminal history record information for
4the purpose of carrying out its statutory powers and
5responsibilities, then, upon request and payment of fees in
6conformance with the requirements of Section 2605-400 of the
7State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois,
8the Department of State Police is authorized to furnish,
9pursuant to positive identification, the information contained
10in State files as is necessary to fulfill the request.
11    (j) Temporary appointments. In order to prevent a stoppage
12of public business, to meet extraordinary exigencies, or to
13prevent material impairment of the fire department, the
14commission may make temporary appointments, to remain in force
15only until regular appointments are made under the provisions
16of this Division, but never to exceed 60 days. No temporary
17appointment of any one person shall be made more than twice in
18any calendar year.
19    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
20questions or answers before a written examination, or otherwise
21knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of this Section,
22commits a violation of this Section and may be subject to
23charges for official misconduct.
24    A person who is the knowing recipient of test information
25in advance of the examination shall be disqualified from the
26examination or discharged from the position to which he or she

 

 

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1was appointed, as applicable, and otherwise subjected to
2disciplinary actions.
3(Source: P.A. 97-251, eff. 8-4-11; 97-898, eff. 8-6-12;
497-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)
 
5    (65 ILCS 5/10-1-7.2)
6    Sec. 10-1-7.2. Alternative procedure; original
7appointment; full-time firefighter.
8    (a) Authority. The Joint Labor and Management Committee
9(JLMC), as defined in Section 50 of the Fire Department
10Promotion Act, may establish a community outreach program to
11market the profession of firefighter and firefighter-paramedic
12so as to ensure the pool of applicants recruited is of broad
13diversity and the highest quality.
14    For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" means any
15person who has been prior to, on, or after the effective date
16of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly appointed
17to a fire department or fire protection district or employed by
18a State university and sworn or commissioned to perform
19firefighter duties or paramedic duties, or both, except that
20the following persons are not included: part-time
21firefighters; auxiliary, reserve, or voluntary firefighters,
22including paid-on-call firefighters; clerks and dispatchers or
23other civilian employees of a fire department or fire
24protection district who are not routinely expected to perform
25firefighter duties; and elected officials.

 

 

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1    (b) Eligibility. Persons eligible for placement on the
2master register of eligibles shall consist of the following:
3        Persons who have participated in and received a passing
4    total score on the mental aptitude, physical ability, and
5    preference components of a regionally administered test
6    based on the standards described in this Section. The
7    standards for administering these tests and the minimum
8    passing score required for placement on this list shall be
9    as is set forth in this Section.
10        Qualified candidates shall be listed on the master
11    register of eligibles in highest to lowest rank order based
12    upon their test scores without regard to their date of
13    examination. Candidates listed on the master register of
14    eligibles shall be eligible for appointment for 2 years
15    after the date of the certification of their final score on
16    the register without regard to the date of their
17    examination. After 2 years, the candidate's name shall be
18    struck from the list.
19        Any person currently employed as a full-time member of
20    a fire department or any person who has experienced a
21    non–voluntary (and non-disciplinary) separation from the
22    active workforce due to a reduction in the number of
23    departmental officers, who was appointed pursuant to this
24    Division, Division 2.1 of Article 10 of the Illinois
25    Municipal Code, or the Fire Protection District Act, and
26    who during the previous 24 months participated in and

 

 

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1    received a passing score on the physical ability and mental
2    aptitude components of the test may request that his or her
3    name be added to the master register. Any eligible person
4    may be offered employment by a local commission under the
5    same procedures as provided by this Section except that the
6    apprenticeship period may be waived and the applicant may
7    be immediately issued a certificate of original
8    appointment by the local commission.
9    (c) Qualifications for placement on register of eligibles.
10The purpose for establishing a master register of eligibles
11shall be to identify applicants who possess and demonstrate the
12mental aptitude and physical ability to perform the duties
13required of members of the fire department in order to provide
14the highest quality of service to the public. To this end, all
15applicants for original appointment to an affected fire
16department through examination conducted by the Joint Labor and
17Management Committee (JLMC) shall be subject to examination and
18testing which shall be public, competitive, and open to all
19applicants. Any examination and testing procedure utilized
20under subsection (e) of this Section shall be supported by
21appropriate validation evidence and shall comply with all
22applicable state and federal laws. Any subjective component of
23the testing must be administered by certified assessors. All
24qualifying and disqualifying factors applicable to examination
25processes for local commissions in this amendatory Act of the
2697th General Assembly shall be applicable to persons

 

 

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1participating in Joint Labor and Management Committee
2examinations unless specifically provided otherwise in this
3Section.
4    Notice of the time, place, general scope, and fee of every
5JLMC examination shall be given by the JLMC or designated
6testing agency, as applicable, by publication at least 30 days
7preceding the examination, in one or more newspapers published
8in the region, or if no newspaper is published therein, then in
9one or more newspapers with a general circulation within the
10region. The JLMC may publish the notice on the JLMC's Internet
11website. Additional notice of the examination may be given as
12the JLMC shall prescribe.
13    (d) Examination and testing components for placement on
14register of eligibles. The examination and qualifying
15standards for placement on the master register of eligibles and
16employment shall be based on the following components: mental
17aptitude, physical ability, preferences, moral character, and
18health. The mental aptitude, physical ability, and preference
19components shall determine an applicant's qualification for
20and placement on the master register of eligibles. The
21consideration of an applicant's general moral character and
22health shall be administered on a pass-fail basis after a
23conditional offer of employment is made by a local commission.
24    (e) Mental aptitude. Examination of an applicant's mental
25aptitude shall be based upon written examination and an
26applicant's prior experience demonstrating an aptitude for and

 

 

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1commitment to service as a member of a fire department. Written
2examinations shall be practical in character and relate to
3those matters that fairly test the capacity of the persons
4examined to discharge the duties performed by members of a fire
5department. Written examinations shall be administered in a
6manner that ensures the security and accuracy of the scores
7achieved. Any subjective component of the testing must be
8administered by certified assessors. No person who does not
9possess a high school diploma or an equivalent high school
10education shall be placed on a register of eligibles. Local
11commissions may establish educational, emergency medical
12service licensure, and other pre-requisites for hire within
13their jurisdiction.
14    (f) Physical ability. All candidates shall be required to
15undergo an examination of their physical ability to perform the
16essential functions included in the duties they may be called
17upon to perform as a member of a fire department. For the
18purposes of this Section, essential functions of the job are
19functions associated with duties that a firefighter may be
20called upon to perform in response to emergency calls. The
21frequency of the occurrence of those duties as part of the fire
22department's regular routine shall not be a controlling factor
23in the design of examination criteria or evolutions selected
24for testing. These physical examinations shall be open,
25competitive, and based on industry standards designed to test
26each applicant's physical abilities in each of the following

 

 

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1dimensions:
2        (1) Muscular strength to perform tasks and evolutions
3    that may be required in the performance of duties including
4    grip strength, leg strength, and arm strength. Tests shall
5    be conducted under anaerobic as well as aerobic conditions
6    to test both the candidate's speed and endurance in
7    performing tasks and evolutions. Tasks tested are to be
8    based on industry standards developed by the JLMC by rule.
9        (2) The ability to climb ladders, operate from heights,
10    walk or crawl in the dark along narrow and uneven surfaces,
11    and operate in proximity to hazardous environments.
12        (3) The ability to carry out critical, time-sensitive,
13    and complex problem solving during physical exertion in
14    stressful and hazardous environments. The testing
15    environment may be hot and dark with tightly enclosed
16    spaces, flashing lights, sirens, and other distractions.
17    The tests utilized to measure each applicant's
18capabilities in each of these dimensions may be tests based on
19industry standards currently in use or equivalent tests
20approved by the Joint Labor-Management Committee of the Office
21of the State Fire Marshal.
22    (g) Scoring of examination components. The examination
23components shall be graded on a 100-point scale. A person's
24position on the master register of eligibles shall be
25determined by the person's score on the written examination,
26the person successfully passing the physical ability

 

 

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1component, and the addition of any applicable preference
2points.
3    Applicants who have achieved at least the minimum median
4score on of all applicants participating in the written
5examination, as set by the JLMC at the same time, and who
6successfully pass the physical ability examination shall be
7placed on the initial eligibility register. Minimum scores
8should be set by the JLMC so as to demonstrate a candidate's
9ability to perform the essential functions of the job. The
10minimum score set by the JLMC shall be supported by appropriate
11validation evidence and shall comply with all applicable state
12and federal laws. Applicable preference points shall be added
13to the written examination scores for all applicants who
14qualify for the initial eligibility register. Applicants who
15score at or above the minimum passing score as set by the JLMC
16in the top 70th percentile or higher, including any applicable
17preference points, shall be placed on the master register of
18eligibles by the JLMC.
19    These persons shall take rank upon the register as
20candidates in the order of their relative excellence based on
21the highest to the lowest total points scored on the mental
22aptitude and physical ability components, plus any applicable
23preference points requested and verified by the JLMC, or
24approved testing agency.
25    No more than 60 days after each examination, a revised
26master register of eligibles shall be posted by the JLMC

 

 

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1showing the final grades of the candidates without reference to
2priority of time of examination.
3    (h) Preferences. The board shall give military, education,
4and experience preference points to those who qualify for
5placement on the master register of eligibles, on the same
6basis as provided for examinations administered by a local
7commission.
8    No person entitled to preference or credit shall be
9required to claim the credit before any examination held under
10the provisions of this Section. The preference shall be given
11after the posting or publication of the applicant's initial
12score at the request of the person before finalizing the scores
13from all applicants taking part in a JLMC examination.
14Candidates who are eligible for preference credit shall make a
15claim in writing within 10 days after the posting of the
16initial scores from any JLMC test or the claim shall be deemed
17waived. Once preference points are awarded, the candidates
18shall be certified to the master register in accordance with
19their final score including preference points.
20    (i) Firefighter apprentice and firefighter-paramedic
21apprentice. The employment of an applicant to an apprentice
22position (including a currently employed full-time member of a
23fire department whose apprenticeship may be reduced or waived)
24shall be subject to the applicant passing the moral character
25standards and health examinations of the local commission. In
26addition, a local commission may require as a condition of

 

 

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1employment that the applicant demonstrate current physical
2ability by either passing the local commission's approved
3physical ability examination, or by presenting proof of
4participating in and receiving a passing score on the physical
5ability component of a JLMC test within a period of up to 12
6months before the date of the conditional offer of employment.
7Applicants shall be subject to the local commission's initial
8hire background review including criminal history, employment
9history, moral character, oral examination, and medical
10examinations which may include polygraph, psychological, and
11drug screening components, all on a pass-fail basis. The
12medical examinations must be conducted last, and may only be
13performed after a conditional offer of employment has been
14extended.
15    (j) Selection from list. Any municipality or fire
16protection district that is a party to an intergovernmental
17agreement under the terms of which persons have been tested for
18placement on the master register of eligibles shall be entitled
19to offer employment to any person on the list irrespective of
20their ranking on the list. The offer of employment shall be to
21the position of firefighter apprentice or
22firefighter-paramedic apprentice.
23    Applicants passing these tests may be employed as a
24firefighter apprentice or a firefighter-paramedic apprentice
25who shall serve an apprenticeship period of 12 months or less
26according to the terms and conditions of employment as the

 

 

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1employing municipality or district offers, or as provided for
2under the terms of any collective bargaining agreement then in
3effect. The apprenticeship period is separate from the
4probationary period.
5    Service during the apprenticeship period shall be on a
6probationary basis. During the apprenticeship period, the
7apprentice's training and performance shall be monitored and
8evaluated by a Joint Apprenticeship Committee.
9    The Joint Apprenticeship Committee shall consist of 4
10members who shall be regular members of the fire department
11with at least 10 years of full-time work experience as a
12firefighter or firefighter-paramedic. The fire chief and the
13president of the exclusive bargaining representative
14recognized by the employer shall each appoint 2 members to the
15Joint Apprenticeship Committee. In the absence of an exclusive
16collective bargaining representative, the chief shall appoint
17the remaining 2 members who shall be from the ranks of company
18officer and firefighter with at least 10 years of work
19experience as a firefighter or firefighter-paramedic. In the
20absence of a sufficient number of qualified firefighters, the
21Joint Apprenticeship Committee members shall have the amount of
22experience and the type of qualifications as is reasonable
23given the circumstances of the fire department. In the absence
24of a full-time member in a rank between chief and the highest
25rank in a bargaining unit, the Joint Apprenticeship Committee
26shall be reduced to 2 members, one to be appointed by the chief

 

 

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1and one by the union president, if any. If there is no
2exclusive bargaining representative, the chief shall appoint
3the second member of the Joint Apprenticeship Committee from
4among qualified members in the ranks of company officer and
5below. Before the conclusion of the apprenticeship period, the
6Joint Apprenticeship Committee shall meet to consider the
7apprentice's progress and performance and vote to retain the
8apprentice as a member of the fire department or to terminate
9the apprenticeship. If 3 of the 4 members of the Joint
10Apprenticeship Committee affirmatively vote to retain the
11apprentice (if a 2 member Joint Apprenticeship Committee
12exists, then both members must affirmatively vote to retain the
13apprentice), the local commission shall issue the apprentice a
14certificate of original appointment to the fire department.
15    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
16questions or answers before a written examination, or otherwise
17knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of this Section,
18commits a violation of this Section and may be subject to
19charges for official misconduct.
20    A person who is the knowing recipient of test information
21in advance of the examination shall be disqualified from the
22examination or discharged from the position to which he or she
23was appointed, as applicable, and otherwise subjected to
24disciplinary actions.
25    (l) Applicability. This Section does not apply to a
26municipality with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 97-251, eff. 8-4-11; 97-898, eff. 8-6-12.)
 
2    (65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6.3)
3    Sec. 10-2.1-6.3. Original appointments; full-time fire
4department.
5    (a) Applicability. Unless a commission elects to follow the
6provisions of Section 10-2.1-6.4, this Section shall apply to
7all original appointments to an affected full-time fire
8department. Existing registers of eligibles shall continue to
9be valid until their expiration dates, or up to a maximum of 2
10years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
1197th General Assembly.
12    Notwithstanding any statute, ordinance, rule, or other law
13to the contrary, all original appointments to an affected
14department to which this Section applies shall be administered
15in the manner provided for in this Section. Provisions of the
16Illinois Municipal Code, municipal ordinances, and rules
17adopted pursuant to such authority and other laws relating to
18initial hiring of firefighters in affected departments shall
19continue to apply to the extent they are compatible with this
20Section, but in the event of a conflict between this Section
21and any other law, this Section shall control.
22    A home rule or non-home rule municipality may not
23administer its fire department process for original
24appointments in a manner that is less stringent than this
25Section. This Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of

 

 

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1Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the
2concurrent exercise by home rule units of the powers and
3functions exercised by the State.
4    A municipality that is operating under a court order or
5consent decree regarding original appointments to a full-time
6fire department before the effective date of this amendatory
7Act of the 97th General Assembly is exempt from the
8requirements of this Section for the duration of the court
9order or consent decree.
10    Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection
11(a), this Section does not apply to a municipality with more
12than 1,000,000 inhabitants.
13    (b) Original appointments. All original appointments made
14to an affected fire department shall be made from a register of
15eligibles established in accordance with the processes
16established by this Section. Only persons who meet or exceed
17the performance standards required by this Section shall be
18placed on a register of eligibles for original appointment to
19an affected fire department.
20    Whenever an appointing authority authorizes action to hire
21a person to perform the duties of a firefighter or to hire a
22firefighter-paramedic to fill a position that is a new position
23or vacancy due to resignation, discharge, promotion, death, the
24granting of a disability or retirement pension, or any other
25cause, the appointing authority shall appoint to that position
26the person with the highest ranking on the final eligibility

 

 

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1list. If the appointing authority has reason to conclude that
2the highest ranked person fails to meet the minimum standards
3for the position or if the appointing authority believes an
4alternate candidate would better serve the needs of the
5department, then the appointing authority has the right to pass
6over the highest ranked person and appoint either: (i) any
7person who has a ranking in the top 5% of the register of
8eligibles or (ii) any person who is among the top 5 highest
9ranked persons on the list of eligibles if the number of people
10who have a ranking in the top 5% of the register of eligibles
11is less than 5 people.
12    Any candidate may pass on an appointment once without
13losing his or her position on the register of eligibles. Any
14candidate who passes a second time may be removed from the list
15by the appointing authority provided that such action shall not
16prejudice a person's opportunities to participate in future
17examinations, including an examination held during the time a
18candidate is already on the municipality's register of
19eligibles.
20    The sole authority to issue certificates of appointment
21shall be vested in the board of fire and police commissioners.
22All certificates of appointment issued to any officer or member
23of an affected department shall be signed by the chairperson
24and secretary, respectively, of the board upon appointment of
25such officer or member to the affected department by action of
26the board. Each person who accepts a certificate of appointment

 

 

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1and successfully completes his or her probationary period shall
2be enrolled as a firefighter and as a regular member of the
3fire department.
4    For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" means any
5person who has been prior to, on, or after the effective date
6of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly appointed
7to a fire department or fire protection district or employed by
8a State university and sworn or commissioned to perform
9firefighter duties or paramedic duties, or both, except that
10the following persons are not included: part-time
11firefighters; auxiliary, reserve, or voluntary firefighters,
12including paid-on-call firefighters; clerks and dispatchers or
13other civilian employees of a fire department or fire
14protection district who are not routinely expected to perform
15firefighter duties; and elected officials.
16    (c) Qualification for placement on register of eligibles.
17The purpose of establishing a register of eligibles is to
18identify applicants who possess and demonstrate the mental
19aptitude and physical ability to perform the duties required of
20members of the fire department in order to provide the highest
21quality of service to the public. To this end, all applicants
22for original appointment to an affected fire department shall
23be subject to examination and testing which shall be public,
24competitive, and open to all applicants unless the municipality
25shall by ordinance limit applicants to residents of the
26municipality, county or counties in which the municipality is

 

 

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1located, State, or nation. Any examination and testing
2procedure utilized under subsection (e) of this Section shall
3be supported by appropriate validation evidence and shall
4comply with all applicable state and federal laws.
5Municipalities may establish educational, emergency medical
6service licensure, and other pre-requisites for participation
7in an examination or for hire as a firefighter. Any
8municipality may charge a fee to cover the costs of the
9application process.
10    Residency requirements in effect at the time an individual
11enters the fire service of a municipality cannot be made more
12restrictive for that individual during his or her period of
13service for that municipality, or be made a condition of
14promotion, except for the rank or position of fire chief and
15for no more than 2 positions that rank immediately below that
16of the chief rank which are appointed positions pursuant to the
17Fire Department Promotion Act.
18    No person who is 35 years of age or older shall be eligible
19to take an examination for a position as a firefighter unless
20the person has had previous employment status as a firefighter
21in the regularly constituted fire department of the
22municipality, except as provided in this Section. The age
23limitation does not apply to:
24        (1) any person previously employed as a full-time
25    firefighter in a regularly constituted fire department of
26    (i) any municipality or fire protection district located in

 

 

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1    Illinois, (ii) a fire protection district whose
2    obligations were assumed by a municipality under Section 21
3    of the Fire Protection District Act, or (iii) a
4    municipality whose obligations were taken over by a fire
5    protection district, or
6        (2) any person who has served a municipality as a
7    regularly enrolled volunteer, paid-on-call, or part-time
8    firefighter for the 5 years immediately preceding the time
9    that the municipality begins to use full-time firefighters
10    to provide all or part of its fire protection service.
11    No person who is under 21 years of age shall be eligible
12for employment as a firefighter.
13    No applicant shall be examined concerning his or her
14political or religious opinions or affiliations. The
15examinations shall be conducted by the commissioners of the
16municipality or their designees and agents.
17    No municipality shall require that any firefighter
18appointed to the lowest rank serve a probationary employment
19period of longer than one year of actual active employment,
20which may exclude periods of training, or injury or illness
21leaves, including duty related leave, in excess of 30 calendar
22days. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section,
23the probationary employment period limitation may be extended
24for a firefighter who is required, as a condition of
25employment, to be a certified paramedic, during which time the
26sole reason that a firefighter may be discharged without a

 

 

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1hearing is for failing to meet the requirements for paramedic
2certification.
3    In the event that any applicant who has been found eligible
4for appointment and whose name has been placed upon the final
5eligibility register provided for in this Section has not been
6appointed to a firefighter position within one year after the
7date of his or her physical ability examination, the commission
8may cause a second examination to be made of that applicant's
9physical ability prior to his or her appointment. If, after the
10second examination, the physical ability of the applicant shall
11be found to be less than the minimum standard fixed by the
12rules of the commission, the applicant shall not be appointed.
13The applicant's name may be retained upon the register of
14candidates eligible for appointment and when next reached for
15certification and appointment that applicant may be again
16examined as provided in this Section, and if the physical
17ability of that applicant is found to be less than the minimum
18standard fixed by the rules of the commission, the applicant
19shall not be appointed, and the name of the applicant shall be
20removed from the register.
21    (d) Notice, examination, and testing components. Notice of
22the time, place, general scope, merit criteria for any
23subjective component, and fee of every examination shall be
24given by the commission, by a publication at least 2 weeks
25preceding the examination: (i) in one or more newspapers
26published in the municipality, or if no newspaper is published

 

 

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1therein, then in one or more newspapers with a general
2circulation within the municipality, or (ii) on the
3municipality's Internet website. Additional notice of the
4examination may be given as the commission shall prescribe.
5    The examination and qualifying standards for employment of
6firefighters shall be based on: mental aptitude, physical
7ability, preferences, moral character, and health. The mental
8aptitude, physical ability, and preference components shall
9determine an applicant's qualification for and placement on the
10final register of eligibles. The examination may also include a
11subjective component based on merit criteria as determined by
12the commission. Scores from the examination must be made
13available to the public.
14    (e) Mental aptitude. No person who does not possess at
15least a high school diploma or an equivalent high school
16education shall be placed on a register of eligibles.
17Examination of an applicant's mental aptitude shall be based
18upon a written examination. The examination shall be practical
19in character and relate to those matters that fairly test the
20capacity of the persons examined to discharge the duties
21performed by members of a fire department. Written examinations
22shall be administered in a manner that ensures the security and
23accuracy of the scores achieved.
24    (f) Physical ability. All candidates shall be required to
25undergo an examination of their physical ability to perform the
26essential functions included in the duties they may be called

 

 

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1upon to perform as a member of a fire department. For the
2purposes of this Section, essential functions of the job are
3functions associated with duties that a firefighter may be
4called upon to perform in response to emergency calls. The
5frequency of the occurrence of those duties as part of the fire
6department's regular routine shall not be a controlling factor
7in the design of examination criteria or evolutions selected
8for testing. These physical examinations shall be open,
9competitive, and based on industry standards designed to test
10each applicant's physical abilities in the following
11dimensions:
12        (1) Muscular strength to perform tasks and evolutions
13    that may be required in the performance of duties including
14    grip strength, leg strength, and arm strength. Tests shall
15    be conducted under anaerobic as well as aerobic conditions
16    to test both the candidate's speed and endurance in
17    performing tasks and evolutions. Tasks tested may be based
18    on standards developed, or approved, by the local
19    appointing authority.
20        (2) The ability to climb ladders, operate from heights,
21    walk or crawl in the dark along narrow and uneven surfaces,
22    and operate in proximity to hazardous environments.
23        (3) The ability to carry out critical, time-sensitive,
24    and complex problem solving during physical exertion in
25    stressful and hazardous environments. The testing
26    environment may be hot and dark with tightly enclosed

 

 

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1    spaces, flashing lights, sirens, and other distractions.
2    The tests utilized to measure each applicant's
3capabilities in each of these dimensions may be tests based on
4industry standards currently in use or equivalent tests
5approved by the Joint Labor-Management Committee of the Office
6of the State Fire Marshal.
7    Physical ability examinations administered under this
8Section shall be conducted with a reasonable number of proctors
9and monitors, open to the public, and subject to reasonable
10regulations of the commission.
11    (g) Scoring of examination components. Appointing
12authorities may create a preliminary eligibility register. A
13person shall be placed on the list based upon his or her
14passage of the written examination or the passage of the
15written examination and the physical ability component.
16Passage of the written examination means attaining the minimum
17score set by the commission a score that is at or above the
18median score for all applicants participating in the written
19test. Minimum scores should be set by the commission so as to
20demonstrate a candidate's ability to perform the essential
21functions of the job. The minimum score set by the commission
22shall be supported by appropriate validation evidence and shall
23comply with all applicable state and federal laws. The
24appointing authority may conduct the physical ability
25component and any subjective components subsequent to the
26posting of the preliminary eligibility register.

 

 

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1    The examination components for an initial eligibility
2register shall be graded on a 100-point scale. A person's
3position on the list shall be determined by the following: (i)
4the person's score on the written examination, (ii) the person
5successfully passing the physical ability component, and (iii)
6the person's results on any subjective component as described
7in subsection (d).
8    In order to qualify for placement on the final eligibility
9register, an applicant's score on the written examination,
10before any applicable preference points or subjective points
11are applied, shall be at or above the minimum score as set by
12the commission median score. The local appointing authority may
13prescribe the score to qualify for placement on the final
14eligibility register, but the score shall not be less than the
15minimum score set by the commission median score.
16    The commission shall prepare and keep a register of persons
17whose total score is not less than the minimum score for
18passage fixed by this Section and who have passed the physical
19ability examination. These persons shall take rank upon the
20register as candidates in the order of their relative
21excellence based on the highest to the lowest total points
22scored on the mental aptitude, subjective component, and
23preference components of the test administered in accordance
24with this Section. No more than 60 days after each examination,
25an initial eligibility list shall be posted by the commission.
26The list shall include the final grades of the candidates

 

 

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1without reference to priority of the time of examination and
2subject to claim for preference credit.
3    Commissions may conduct additional examinations, including
4without limitation a polygraph test, after a final eligibility
5register is established and before it expires with the
6candidates ranked by total score without regard to date of
7examination. No more than 60 days after each examination, an
8initial eligibility list shall be posted by the commission
9showing the final grades of the candidates without reference to
10priority of time of examination and subject to claim for
11preference credit.
12    (h) Preferences. The following are preferences:
13        (1) Veteran preference. Persons who were engaged in the
14    military service of the United States for a period of at
15    least one year of active duty and who were honorably
16    discharged therefrom, or who are now or have been members
17    on inactive or reserve duty in such military or naval
18    service, shall be preferred for appointment to and
19    employment with the fire department of an affected
20    department.
21        (2) Fire cadet preference. Persons who have
22    successfully completed 2 years of study in fire techniques
23    or cadet training within a cadet program established under
24    the rules of the Joint Labor and Management Committee
25    (JLMC), as defined in Section 50 of the Fire Department
26    Promotion Act, may be preferred for appointment to and

 

 

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1    employment with the fire department.
2        (3) Educational preference. Persons who have
3    successfully obtained an associate's degree in the field of
4    fire service or emergency medical services, or a bachelor's
5    degree from an accredited college or university may be
6    preferred for appointment to and employment with the fire
7    department.
8        (4) Paramedic preference. Persons who have obtained
9    certification as an Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic
10    (EMT-P) shall be preferred for appointment to and
11    employment with the fire department of an affected
12    department providing emergency medical services.
13        (5) Experience preference. All persons employed by a
14    municipality who have been paid-on-call or part-time
15    certified Firefighter II, State of Illinois or nationally
16    licensed EMT-B or EMT-I, or any combination of those
17    capacities shall be awarded 0.5 point for each year of
18    successful service in one or more of those capacities, up
19    to a maximum of 5 points. Certified Firefighter III and
20    State of Illinois or nationally licensed paramedics shall
21    be awarded one point per year up to a maximum of 5 points.
22    Applicants from outside the municipality who were employed
23    as full-time firefighters or firefighter-paramedics by a
24    fire protection district or another municipality for at
25    least 2 years shall be awarded 5 experience preference
26    points. These additional points presuppose a rating scale

 

 

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1    totaling 100 points available for the eligibility list. If
2    more or fewer points are used in the rating scale for the
3    eligibility list, the points awarded under this subsection
4    shall be increased or decreased by a factor equal to the
5    total possible points available for the examination
6    divided by 100.
7        Upon request by the commission, the governing body of
8    the municipality or in the case of applicants from outside
9    the municipality the governing body of any fire protection
10    district or any other municipality shall certify to the
11    commission, within 10 days after the request, the number of
12    years of successful paid-on-call, part-time, or full-time
13    service of any person. A candidate may not receive the full
14    amount of preference points under this subsection if the
15    amount of points awarded would place the candidate before a
16    veteran on the eligibility list. If more than one candidate
17    receiving experience preference points is prevented from
18    receiving all of their points due to not being allowed to
19    pass a veteran, the candidates shall be placed on the list
20    below the veteran in rank order based on the totals
21    received if all points under this subsection were to be
22    awarded. Any remaining ties on the list shall be determined
23    by lot.
24        (6) Residency preference. Applicants whose principal
25    residence is located within the fire department's
26    jurisdiction shall be preferred for appointment to and

 

 

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1    employment with the fire department.
2        (7) Additional preferences. Up to 5 additional
3    preference points may be awarded for unique categories
4    based on an applicant's experience or background as
5    identified by the commission.
6        (8) Scoring of preferences. The commission shall give
7    preference for original appointment to persons designated
8    in item (1) by adding to the final grade that they receive
9    5 points for the recognized preference achieved. The
10    commission shall determine the number of preference points
11    for each category except (1). The number of preference
12    points for each category shall range from 0 to 5. In
13    determining the number of preference points, the
14    commission shall prescribe that if a candidate earns the
15    maximum number of preference points in all categories, that
16    number may not be less than 10 nor more than 30. The
17    commission shall give preference for original appointment
18    to persons designated in items (2) through (7) by adding
19    the requisite number of points to the final grade for each
20    recognized preference achieved. The numerical result thus
21    attained shall be applied by the commission in determining
22    the final eligibility list and appointment from the
23    eligibility list. The local appointing authority may
24    prescribe the total number of preference points awarded
25    under this Section, but the total number of preference
26    points shall not be less than 10 points or more than 30

 

 

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1    points.
2    No person entitled to any preference shall be required to
3claim the credit before any examination held under the
4provisions of this Section, but the preference shall be given
5after the posting or publication of the initial eligibility
6list or register at the request of a person entitled to a
7credit before any certification or appointments are made from
8the eligibility register, upon the furnishing of verifiable
9evidence and proof of qualifying preference credit. Candidates
10who are eligible for preference credit shall make a claim in
11writing within 10 days after the posting of the initial
12eligibility list, or the claim shall be deemed waived. Final
13eligibility registers shall be established after the awarding
14of verified preference points. All employment shall be subject
15to the commission's initial hire background review including,
16but not limited to, criminal history, employment history, moral
17character, oral examination, and medical and psychological
18examinations, all on a pass-fail basis. The medical and
19psychological examinations must be conducted last, and may only
20be performed after a conditional offer of employment has been
21extended.
22    Any person placed on an eligibility list who exceeds the
23age requirement before being appointed to a fire department
24shall remain eligible for appointment until the list is
25abolished, or his or her name has been on the list for a period
26of 2 years. No person who has attained the age of 35 years

 

 

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1shall be inducted into a fire department, except as otherwise
2provided in this Section.
3    The commission shall strike off the names of candidates for
4original appointment after the names have been on the list for
5more than 2 years.
6    (i) Moral character. No person shall be appointed to a fire
7department unless he or she is a person of good character; not
8a habitual drunkard, a gambler, or a person who has been
9convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude.
10However, no person shall be disqualified from appointment to
11the fire department because of the person's record of
12misdemeanor convictions except those under Sections 11-6,
1311-7, 11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 12-2, 12-6,
1412-15, 14-4, 16-1, 21.1-3, 24-3.1, 24-5, 25-1, 28-3, 31-1,
1531-4, 31-6, 31-7, 32-1, 32-2, 32-3, 32-4, 32-8, and subsections
161, 6, and 8 of Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the
17Criminal Code of 2012, or arrest for any cause without
18conviction thereon. Any such person who is in the department
19may be removed on charges brought for violating this subsection
20and after a trial as hereinafter provided.
21    A classifiable set of the fingerprints of every person who
22is offered employment as a certificated member of an affected
23fire department whether with or without compensation, shall be
24furnished to the Illinois Department of State Police and to the
25Federal Bureau of Investigation by the commission.
26    Whenever a commission is authorized or required by law to

 

 

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1consider some aspect of criminal history record information for
2the purpose of carrying out its statutory powers and
3responsibilities, then, upon request and payment of fees in
4conformance with the requirements of Section 2605-400 of the
5State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois,
6the Department of State Police is authorized to furnish,
7pursuant to positive identification, the information contained
8in State files as is necessary to fulfill the request.
9    (j) Temporary appointments. In order to prevent a stoppage
10of public business, to meet extraordinary exigencies, or to
11prevent material impairment of the fire department, the
12commission may make temporary appointments, to remain in force
13only until regular appointments are made under the provisions
14of this Division, but never to exceed 60 days. No temporary
15appointment of any one person shall be made more than twice in
16any calendar year.
17    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
18questions or answers before a written examination, or otherwise
19knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of this Section,
20commits a violation of this Section and may be subject to
21charges for official misconduct.
22    A person who is the knowing recipient of test information
23in advance of the examination shall be disqualified from the
24examination or discharged from the position to which he or she
25was appointed, as applicable, and otherwise subjected to
26disciplinary actions.

 

 

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1(Source: P.A. 97-251, eff. 8-4-11; 97-898, eff. 8-6-12;
297-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)
 
3    (65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6.4)
4    Sec. 10-2.1-6.4. Alternative procedure; original
5appointment; full-time firefighter.
6    (a) Authority. The Joint Labor and Management Committee
7(JLMC), as defined in Section 50 of the Fire Department
8Promotion Act, may establish a community outreach program to
9market the profession of firefighter and firefighter-paramedic
10so as to ensure the pool of applicants recruited is of broad
11diversity and the highest quality.
12    For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" means any
13person who has been prior to, on, or after the effective date
14of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly appointed
15to a fire department or fire protection district or employed by
16a State university and sworn or commissioned to perform
17firefighter duties or paramedic duties, or both, except that
18the following persons are not included: part-time
19firefighters; auxiliary, reserve, or voluntary firefighters,
20including paid-on-call firefighters; clerks and dispatchers or
21other civilian employees of a fire department or fire
22protection district who are not routinely expected to perform
23firefighter duties; and elected officials.
24    (b) Eligibility. Persons eligible for placement on the
25master register of eligibles shall consist of the following:

 

 

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1        Persons who have participated in and received a passing
2    total score on the mental aptitude, physical ability, and
3    preference components of a regionally administered test
4    based on the standards described in this Section. The
5    standards for administering these tests and the minimum
6    passing score required for placement on this list shall be
7    as is set forth in this Section.
8        Qualified candidates shall be listed on the master
9    register of eligibles in highest to lowest rank order based
10    upon their test scores without regard to their date of
11    examination. Candidates listed on the master register of
12    eligibles shall be eligible for appointment for 2 years
13    after the date of the certification of their final score on
14    the register without regard to the date of their
15    examination. After 2 years, the candidate's name shall be
16    struck from the list.
17        Any person currently employed as a full-time member of
18    a fire department or any person who has experienced a
19    non–voluntary (and non-disciplinary) separation from the
20    active workforce due to a reduction in the number of
21    departmental officers, who was appointed pursuant to
22    Division 1 of Article 10 of the Illinois Municipal Code,
23    Division 2.1 of Article 10 of the Illinois Municipal Code,
24    or the Fire Protection District Act, and who during the
25    previous 24 months participated in and received a passing
26    score on the physical ability and mental aptitude

 

 

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1    components of the test may request that his or her name be
2    added to the master register. Any eligible person may be
3    offered employment by a local commission under the same
4    procedures as provided by this Section except that the
5    apprenticeship period may be waived and the applicant may
6    be immediately issued a certificate of original
7    appointment by the local commission.
8    (c) Qualifications for placement on register of eligibles.
9The purpose for establishing a master register of eligibles
10shall be to identify applicants who possess and demonstrate the
11mental aptitude and physical ability to perform the duties
12required of members of the fire department in order to provide
13the highest quality of service to the public. To this end, all
14applicants for original appointment to an affected fire
15department through examination conducted by the Joint Labor and
16Management Committee (JLMC) shall be subject to examination and
17testing which shall be public, competitive, and open to all
18applicants. Any examination and testing procedure utilized
19under subsection (e) of this Section shall be supported by
20appropriate validation evidence and shall comply with all
21applicable state and federal laws. Any subjective component of
22the testing must be administered by certified assessors. All
23qualifying and disqualifying factors applicable to examination
24processes for local commissions in this amendatory Act of the
2597th General Assembly shall be applicable to persons
26participating in Joint Labor and Management Committee

 

 

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1examinations unless specifically provided otherwise in this
2Section.
3    Notice of the time, place, general scope, and fee of every
4JLMC examination shall be given by the JLMC or designated
5testing agency, as applicable, by a publication at least 30
6days preceding the examination, in one or more newspapers
7published in the region, or if no newspaper is published
8therein, then in one or more newspapers with a general
9circulation within the region. The JLMC may publish the notice
10on the JLMC's Internet website. Additional notice of the
11examination may be given as the JLMC shall prescribe.
12    (d) Examination and testing components for placement on
13register of eligibles. The examination and qualifying
14standards for placement on the master register of eligibles and
15employment shall be based on the following components: mental
16aptitude, physical ability, preferences, moral character, and
17health. The mental aptitude, physical ability, and preference
18components shall determine an applicant's qualification for
19and placement on the master register of eligibles. The
20consideration of an applicant's general moral character and
21health shall be administered on a pass-fail basis after a
22conditional offer of employment is made by a local commission.
23    (e) Mental aptitude. Examination of an applicant's mental
24aptitude shall be based upon written examination and an
25applicant's prior experience demonstrating an aptitude for and
26commitment to service as a member of a fire department. Written

 

 

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1examinations shall be practical in character and relate to
2those matters that fairly test the capacity of the persons
3examined to discharge the duties performed by members of a fire
4department. Written examinations shall be administered in a
5manner that ensures the security and accuracy of the scores
6achieved. Any subjective component of the testing must be
7administered by certified assessors. No person who does not
8possess a high school diploma or an equivalent high school
9education shall be placed on a register of eligibles. Local
10commissions may establish educational, emergency medical
11service licensure, and other pre-requisites for hire within
12their jurisdiction.
13    (f) Physical ability. All candidates shall be required to
14undergo an examination of their physical ability to perform the
15essential functions included in the duties they may be called
16upon to perform as a member of a fire department. For the
17purposes of this Section, essential functions of the job are
18functions associated with duties that a firefighter may be
19called upon to perform in response to emergency calls. The
20frequency of the occurrence of those duties as part of the fire
21department's regular routine shall not be a controlling factor
22in the design of examination criteria or evolutions selected
23for testing. These physical examinations shall be open,
24competitive, and based on industry standards designed to test
25each applicant's physical abilities in each of the following
26dimensions:

 

 

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1        (1) Muscular strength to perform tasks and evolutions
2    that may be required in the performance of duties including
3    grip strength, leg strength, and arm strength. Tests shall
4    be conducted under anaerobic as well as aerobic conditions
5    to test both the candidate's speed and endurance in
6    performing tasks and evolutions. Tasks tested are to be
7    based on industry standards developed by the JLMC by rule.
8        (2) The ability to climb ladders, operate from heights,
9    walk or crawl in the dark along narrow and uneven surfaces,
10    and operate in proximity to hazardous environments.
11        (3) The ability to carry out critical, time-sensitive,
12    and complex problem solving during physical exertion in
13    stressful and hazardous environments. The testing
14    environment may be hot and dark with tightly enclosed
15    spaces, flashing lights, sirens, and other distractions.
16    The tests utilized to measure each applicant's
17capabilities in each of these dimensions may be tests based on
18industry standards currently in use or equivalent tests
19approved by the Joint Labor-Management Committee of the Office
20of the State Fire Marshal.
21    (g) Scoring of examination components. The examination
22components shall be graded on a 100-point scale. A person's
23position on the master register of eligibles shall be
24determined by the person's score on the written examination,
25the person successfully passing the physical ability
26component, and the addition of any applicable preference

 

 

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1points.
2    Applicants who have achieved at least the minimum score as
3set by the JLMC median score of all applicants participating in
4the written examination at the same time, and who successfully
5pass the physical ability examination shall be placed on the
6initial eligibility register. Minimum scores should be set by
7the commission so as to demonstrate a candidate's ability to
8perform the essential functions of the job. The minimum score
9set by the commission shall be supported by appropriate
10validation evidence and shall comply with all applicable state
11and federal laws. Applicable preference points shall be added
12to the written examination scores for all applicants who
13qualify for the initial eligibility register. Applicants who
14score at or above the minimum passing score as set by the JLMC
15in the top 70th percentile or higher, including any applicable
16preference points, shall be placed on the master register of
17eligibles by the JLMC.
18    These persons shall take rank upon the register as
19candidates in the order of their relative excellence based on
20the highest to the lowest total points scored on the mental
21aptitude and physical ability components, plus any applicable
22preference points requested and verified by the JLMC, or
23approved testing agency.
24    No more than 60 days after each examination, a revised
25master register of eligibles shall be posted by the JLMC
26showing the final grades of the candidates without reference to

 

 

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1priority of time of examination.
2    (h) Preferences. The board shall give military, education,
3and experience preference points to those who qualify for
4placement on the master register of eligibles, on the same
5basis as provided for examinations administered by a local
6commission.
7    No person entitled to preference or credit shall be
8required to claim the credit before any examination held under
9the provisions of this Section. The preference shall be given
10after the posting or publication of the applicant's initial
11score at the request of the person before finalizing the scores
12from all applicants taking part in a JLMC examination.
13Candidates who are eligible for preference credit shall make a
14claim in writing within 10 days after the posting of the
15initial scores from any JLMC test or the claim shall be deemed
16waived. Once preference points are awarded, the candidates
17shall be certified to the master register in accordance with
18their final score including preference points.
19    (i) Firefighter apprentice and firefighter-paramedic
20apprentice. The employment of an applicant to an apprentice
21position (including a currently employed full-time member of a
22fire department whose apprenticeship may be reduced or waived)
23shall be subject to the applicant passing the moral character
24standards and health examinations of the local commission. In
25addition, a local commission may require as a condition of
26employment that the applicant demonstrate current physical

 

 

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1ability by either passing the local commission's approved
2physical ability examination, or by presenting proof of
3participating in and receiving a passing score on the physical
4ability component of a JLMC test within a period of up to 12
5months before the date of the conditional offer of employment.
6Applicants shall be subject to the local commission's initial
7hire background review including criminal history, employment
8history, moral character, oral examination, and medical
9examinations which may include polygraph, psychological, and
10drug screening components, all on a pass-fail basis. The
11medical examinations must be conducted last, and may only be
12performed after a conditional offer of employment has been
13extended.
14    (j) Selection from list. Any municipality or fire
15protection district that is a party to an intergovernmental
16agreement under the terms of which persons have been tested for
17placement on the master register of eligibles shall be entitled
18to offer employment to any person on the list irrespective of
19their ranking on the list. The offer of employment shall be to
20the position of firefighter apprentice or
21firefighter-paramedic apprentice.
22    Applicants passing these tests may be employed as a
23firefighter apprentice or a firefighter-paramedic apprentice
24who shall serve an apprenticeship period of 12 months or less
25according to the terms and conditions of employment as the
26employing municipality or district offers, or as provided for

 

 

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1under the terms of any collective bargaining agreement then in
2effect. The apprenticeship period is separate from the
3probationary period.
4    Service during the apprenticeship period shall be on a
5probationary basis. During the apprenticeship period, the
6apprentice's training and performance shall be monitored and
7evaluated by a Joint Apprenticeship Committee.
8    The Joint Apprenticeship Committee shall consist of 4
9members who shall be regular members of the fire department
10with at least 10 years of full-time work experience as a
11firefighter or firefighter-paramedic. The fire chief and the
12president of the exclusive bargaining representative
13recognized by the employer shall each appoint 2 members to the
14Joint Apprenticeship Committee. In the absence of an exclusive
15collective bargaining representative, the chief shall appoint
16the remaining 2 members who shall be from the ranks of company
17officer and firefighter with at least 10 years of work
18experience as a firefighter or firefighter-paramedic. In the
19absence of a sufficient number of qualified firefighters, the
20Joint Apprenticeship Committee members shall have the amount of
21experience and the type of qualifications as is reasonable
22given the circumstances of the fire department. In the absence
23of a full-time member in a rank between chief and the highest
24rank in a bargaining unit, the Joint Apprenticeship Committee
25shall be reduced to 2 members, one to be appointed by the chief
26and one by the union president, if any. If there is no

 

 

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1exclusive bargaining representative, the chief shall appoint
2the second member of the Joint Apprenticeship Committee from
3among qualified members in the ranks of company officer and
4below. Before the conclusion of the apprenticeship period, the
5Joint Apprenticeship Committee shall meet to consider the
6apprentice's progress and performance and vote to retain the
7apprentice as a member of the fire department or to terminate
8the apprenticeship. If 3 of the 4 members of the Joint
9Apprenticeship Committee affirmatively vote to retain the
10apprentice (if a 2 member Joint Apprenticeship Committee
11exists, then both members must affirmatively vote to retain the
12apprentice), the local commission shall issue the apprentice a
13certificate of original appointment to the fire department.
14    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
15questions or answers before a written examination, or otherwise
16knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of this Section,
17commits a violation of this Section and may be subject to
18charges for official misconduct.
19    A person who is the knowing recipient of test information
20in advance of the examination shall be disqualified from the
21examination or discharged from the position to which he or she
22was appointed, as applicable, and otherwise subjected to
23disciplinary actions.
24    (l) Applicability. This Section does not apply to a
25municipality with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants.
26(Source: P.A. 97-251, eff. 8-4-11; 97-898, eff. 8-6-12.)
 

 

 

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1    Section 10. The Fire Protection District Act is amended by
2changing Sections 16.06b and 16.06c as follows:
 
3    (70 ILCS 705/16.06b)
4    Sec. 16.06b. Original appointments; full-time fire
5department.
6    (a) Applicability. Unless a commission elects to follow the
7provisions of Section 16.06c, this Section shall apply to all
8original appointments to an affected full-time fire
9department. Existing registers of eligibles shall continue to
10be valid until their expiration dates, or up to a maximum of 2
11years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
1297th General Assembly.
13    Notwithstanding any statute, ordinance, rule, or other law
14to the contrary, all original appointments to an affected
15department to which this Section applies shall be administered
16in a no less stringent manner than the manner provided for in
17this Section. Provisions of the Illinois Municipal Code, Fire
18Protection District Act, fire district ordinances, and rules
19adopted pursuant to such authority and other laws relating to
20initial hiring of firefighters in affected departments shall
21continue to apply to the extent they are compatible with this
22Section, but in the event of a conflict between this Section
23and any other law, this Section shall control.
24    A fire protection district that is operating under a court

 

 

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1order or consent decree regarding original appointments to a
2full-time fire department before the effective date of this
3amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly is exempt from the
4requirements of this Section for the duration of the court
5order or consent decree.
6    (b) Original appointments. All original appointments made
7to an affected fire department shall be made from a register of
8eligibles established in accordance with the processes
9required by this Section. Only persons who meet or exceed the
10performance standards required by the Section shall be placed
11on a register of eligibles for original appointment to an
12affected fire department.
13    Whenever an appointing authority authorizes action to hire
14a person to perform the duties of a firefighter or to hire a
15firefighter-paramedic to fill a position that is a new position
16or vacancy due to resignation, discharge, promotion, death, the
17granting of a disability or retirement pension, or any other
18cause, the appointing authority shall appoint to that position
19the person with the highest ranking on the final eligibility
20list. If the appointing authority has reason to conclude that
21the highest ranked person fails to meet the minimum standards
22for the position or if the appointing authority believes an
23alternate candidate would better serve the needs of the
24department, then the appointing authority has the right to pass
25over the highest ranked person and appoint either: (i) any
26person who has a ranking in the top 5% of the register of

 

 

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1eligibles or (ii) any person who is among the top 5 highest
2ranked persons on the list of eligibles if the number of people
3who have a ranking in the top 5% of the register of eligibles
4is less than 5 people.
5    Any candidate may pass on an appointment once without
6losing his or her position on the register of eligibles. Any
7candidate who passes a second time may be removed from the list
8by the appointing authority provided that such action shall not
9prejudice a person's opportunities to participate in future
10examinations, including an examination held during the time a
11candidate is already on the fire district's register of
12eligibles.
13    The sole authority to issue certificates of appointment
14shall be vested in the board of fire commissioners, or board of
15trustees serving in the capacity of a board of fire
16commissioners. All certificates of appointment issued to any
17officer or member of an affected department shall be signed by
18the chairperson and secretary, respectively, of the commission
19upon appointment of such officer or member to the affected
20department by action of the commission. Each person who accepts
21a certificate of appointment and successfully completes his or
22her probationary period shall be enrolled as a firefighter and
23as a regular member of the fire department.
24    For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" means any
25person who has been prior to, on, or after the effective date
26of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly appointed

 

 

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1to a fire department or fire protection district or employed by
2a State university and sworn or commissioned to perform
3firefighter duties or paramedic duties, or both, except that
4the following persons are not included: part-time
5firefighters; auxiliary, reserve, or voluntary firefighters,
6including paid-on-call firefighters; clerks and dispatchers or
7other civilian employees of a fire department or fire
8protection district who are not routinely expected to perform
9firefighter duties; and elected officials.
10    (c) Qualification for placement on register of eligibles.
11The purpose of establishing a register of eligibles is to
12identify applicants who possess and demonstrate the mental
13aptitude and physical ability to perform the duties required of
14members of the fire department in order to provide the highest
15quality of service to the public. To this end, all applicants
16for original appointment to an affected fire department shall
17be subject to examination and testing which shall be public,
18competitive, and open to all applicants unless the district
19shall by ordinance limit applicants to residents of the
20district, county or counties in which the district is located,
21State, or nation. Any examination and testing procedure
22utilized under subsection (e) of this Section shall be
23supported by appropriate validation evidence and shall comply
24with all applicable state and federal laws. Districts may
25establish educational, emergency medical service licensure,
26and other pre-requisites for participation in an examination or

 

 

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1for hire as a firefighter. Any fire protection district may
2charge a fee to cover the costs of the application process.
3    Residency requirements in effect at the time an individual
4enters the fire service of a district cannot be made more
5restrictive for that individual during his or her period of
6service for that district, or be made a condition of promotion,
7except for the rank or position of fire chief and for no more
8than 2 positions that rank immediately below that of the chief
9rank which are appointed positions pursuant to the Fire
10Department Promotion Act.
11    No person who is 35 years of age or older shall be eligible
12to take an examination for a position as a firefighter unless
13the person has had previous employment status as a firefighter
14in the regularly constituted fire department of the district,
15except as provided in this Section. The age limitation does not
16apply to:
17        (1) any person previously employed as a full-time
18    firefighter in a regularly constituted fire department of
19    (i) any municipality or fire protection district located in
20    Illinois, (ii) a fire protection district whose
21    obligations were assumed by a municipality under Section 21
22    of the Fire Protection District Act, or (iii) a
23    municipality whose obligations were taken over by a fire
24    protection district, or
25        (2) any person who has served a fire district as a
26    regularly enrolled volunteer, paid-on-call, or part-time

 

 

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1    firefighter for the 5 years immediately preceding the time
2    that the district begins to use full-time firefighters to
3    provide all or part of its fire protection service.
4    No person who is under 21 years of age shall be eligible
5for employment as a firefighter.
6    No applicant shall be examined concerning his or her
7political or religious opinions or affiliations. The
8examinations shall be conducted by the commissioners of the
9district or their designees and agents.
10    No district shall require that any firefighter appointed to
11the lowest rank serve a probationary employment period of
12longer than one year of actual active employment, which may
13exclude periods of training, or injury or illness leaves,
14including duty related leave, in excess of 30 calendar days.
15Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section, the
16probationary employment period limitation may be extended for a
17firefighter who is required, as a condition of employment, to
18be a certified paramedic, during which time the sole reason
19that a firefighter may be discharged without a hearing is for
20failing to meet the requirements for paramedic certification.
21    In the event that any applicant who has been found eligible
22for appointment and whose name has been placed upon the final
23eligibility register provided for in this Section has not been
24appointed to a firefighter position within one year after the
25date of his or her physical ability examination, the commission
26may cause a second examination to be made of that applicant's

 

 

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1physical ability prior to his or her appointment. If, after the
2second examination, the physical ability of the applicant shall
3be found to be less than the minimum standard fixed by the
4rules of the commission, the applicant shall not be appointed.
5The applicant's name may be retained upon the register of
6candidates eligible for appointment and when next reached for
7certification and appointment that applicant may be again
8examined as provided in this Section, and if the physical
9ability of that applicant is found to be less than the minimum
10standard fixed by the rules of the commission, the applicant
11shall not be appointed, and the name of the applicant shall be
12removed from the register.
13    (d) Notice, examination, and testing components. Notice of
14the time, place, general scope, merit criteria for any
15subjective component, and fee of every examination shall be
16given by the commission, by a publication at least 2 weeks
17preceding the examination: (i) in one or more newspapers
18published in the district, or if no newspaper is published
19therein, then in one or more newspapers with a general
20circulation within the district, or (ii) on the fire protection
21district's Internet website. Additional notice of the
22examination may be given as the commission shall prescribe.
23    The examination and qualifying standards for employment of
24firefighters shall be based on: mental aptitude, physical
25ability, preferences, moral character, and health. The mental
26aptitude, physical ability, and preference components shall

 

 

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1determine an applicant's qualification for and placement on the
2final register of eligibles. The examination may also include a
3subjective component based on merit criteria as determined by
4the commission. Scores from the examination must be made
5available to the public.
6    (e) Mental aptitude. No person who does not possess at
7least a high school diploma or an equivalent high school
8education shall be placed on a register of eligibles.
9Examination of an applicant's mental aptitude shall be based
10upon a written examination. The examination shall be practical
11in character and relate to those matters that fairly test the
12capacity of the persons examined to discharge the duties
13performed by members of a fire department. Written examinations
14shall be administered in a manner that ensures the security and
15accuracy of the scores achieved.
16    (f) Physical ability. All candidates shall be required to
17undergo an examination of their physical ability to perform the
18essential functions included in the duties they may be called
19upon to perform as a member of a fire department. For the
20purposes of this Section, essential functions of the job are
21functions associated with duties that a firefighter may be
22called upon to perform in response to emergency calls. The
23frequency of the occurrence of those duties as part of the fire
24department's regular routine shall not be a controlling factor
25in the design of examination criteria or evolutions selected
26for testing. These physical examinations shall be open,

 

 

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1competitive, and based on industry standards designed to test
2each applicant's physical abilities in the following
3dimensions:
4        (1) Muscular strength to perform tasks and evolutions
5    that may be required in the performance of duties including
6    grip strength, leg strength, and arm strength. Tests shall
7    be conducted under anaerobic as well as aerobic conditions
8    to test both the candidate's speed and endurance in
9    performing tasks and evolutions. Tasks tested may be based
10    on standards developed, or approved, by the local
11    appointing authority.
12        (2) The ability to climb ladders, operate from heights,
13    walk or crawl in the dark along narrow and uneven surfaces,
14    and operate in proximity to hazardous environments.
15        (3) The ability to carry out critical, time-sensitive,
16    and complex problem solving during physical exertion in
17    stressful and hazardous environments. The testing
18    environment may be hot and dark with tightly enclosed
19    spaces, flashing lights, sirens, and other distractions.
20    The tests utilized to measure each applicant's
21capabilities in each of these dimensions may be tests based on
22industry standards currently in use or equivalent tests
23approved by the Joint Labor-Management Committee of the Office
24of the State Fire Marshal.
25    Physical ability examinations administered under this
26Section shall be conducted with a reasonable number of proctors

 

 

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1and monitors, open to the public, and subject to reasonable
2regulations of the commission.
3    (g) Scoring of examination components. Appointing
4authorities may create a preliminary eligibility register. A
5person shall be placed on the list based upon his or her
6passage of the written examination or the passage of the
7written examination and the physical ability component.
8Passage of the written examination means attaining the minimum
9score set by the commission a score that is at or above the
10median score for all applicants participating in the written
11test. Minimum scores should be set by the appointing
12authorities so as to demonstrate a candidate's ability to
13perform the essential functions of the job. The minimum score
14set by the commission shall be supported by appropriate
15validation evidence and shall comply with all applicable state
16and federal laws. The appointing authority may conduct the
17physical ability component and any subjective components
18subsequent to the posting of the preliminary eligibility
19register.
20    The examination components for an initial eligibility
21register shall be graded on a 100-point scale. A person's
22position on the list shall be determined by the following: (i)
23the person's score on the written examination, (ii) the person
24successfully passing the physical ability component, and (iii)
25the person's results on any subjective component as described
26in subsection (d).

 

 

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1    In order to qualify for placement on the final eligibility
2register, an applicant's score on the written examination,
3before any applicable preference points or subjective points
4are applied, shall be at or above the minimum score set by the
5commission be at or above the median score. The local
6appointing authority may prescribe the score to qualify for
7placement on the final eligibility register, but the score
8shall not be less than the minimum score set by the commission
9median score.
10    The commission shall prepare and keep a register of persons
11whose total score is not less than the minimum score for
12passage fixed by this Section and who have passed the physical
13ability examination. These persons shall take rank upon the
14register as candidates in the order of their relative
15excellence based on the highest to the lowest total points
16scored on the mental aptitude, subjective component, and
17preference components of the test administered in accordance
18with this Section. No more than 60 days after each examination,
19an initial eligibility list shall be posted by the commission.
20The list shall include the final grades of the candidates
21without reference to priority of the time of examination and
22subject to claim for preference credit.
23    Commissions may conduct additional examinations, including
24without limitation a polygraph test, after a final eligibility
25register is established and before it expires with the
26candidates ranked by total score without regard to date of

 

 

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1examination. No more than 60 days after each examination, an
2initial eligibility list shall be posted by the commission
3showing the final grades of the candidates without reference to
4priority of time of examination and subject to claim for
5preference credit.
6    (h) Preferences. The following are preferences:
7        (1) Veteran preference. Persons who were engaged in the
8    military service of the United States for a period of at
9    least one year of active duty and who were honorably
10    discharged therefrom, or who are now or have been members
11    on inactive or reserve duty in such military or naval
12    service, shall be preferred for appointment to and
13    employment with the fire department of an affected
14    department.
15        (2) Fire cadet preference. Persons who have
16    successfully completed 2 years of study in fire techniques
17    or cadet training within a cadet program established under
18    the rules of the Joint Labor and Management Committee
19    (JLMC), as defined in Section 50 of the Fire Department
20    Promotion Act, may be preferred for appointment to and
21    employment with the fire department.
22        (3) Educational preference. Persons who have
23    successfully obtained an associate's degree in the field of
24    fire service or emergency medical services, or a bachelor's
25    degree from an accredited college or university may be
26    preferred for appointment to and employment with the fire

 

 

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1    department.
2        (4) Paramedic preference. Persons who have obtained
3    certification as an Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic
4    (EMT-P) may be preferred for appointment to and employment
5    with the fire department of an affected department
6    providing emergency medical services.
7        (5) Experience preference. All persons employed by a
8    district who have been paid-on-call or part-time certified
9    Firefighter II, certified Firefighter III, State of
10    Illinois or nationally licensed EMT-B or EMT-I, licensed
11    paramedic, or any combination of those capacities may be
12    awarded up to a maximum of 5 points. However, the applicant
13    may not be awarded more than 0.5 points for each complete
14    year of paid-on-call or part-time service. Applicants from
15    outside the district who were employed as full-time
16    firefighters or firefighter-paramedics by a fire
17    protection district or municipality for at least 2 years
18    may be awarded up to 5 experience preference points.
19    However, the applicant may not be awarded more than one
20    point for each complete year of full-time service.
21        Upon request by the commission, the governing body of
22    the district or in the case of applicants from outside the
23    district the governing body of any other fire protection
24    district or any municipality shall certify to the
25    commission, within 10 days after the request, the number of
26    years of successful paid-on-call, part-time, or full-time

 

 

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1    service of any person. A candidate may not receive the full
2    amount of preference points under this subsection if the
3    amount of points awarded would place the candidate before a
4    veteran on the eligibility list. If more than one candidate
5    receiving experience preference points is prevented from
6    receiving all of their points due to not being allowed to
7    pass a veteran, the candidates shall be placed on the list
8    below the veteran in rank order based on the totals
9    received if all points under this subsection were to be
10    awarded. Any remaining ties on the list shall be determined
11    by lot.
12        (6) Residency preference. Applicants whose principal
13    residence is located within the fire department's
14    jurisdiction may be preferred for appointment to and
15    employment with the fire department.
16        (7) Additional preferences. Up to 5 additional
17    preference points may be awarded for unique categories
18    based on an applicant's experience or background as
19    identified by the commission.
20        (8) Scoring of preferences. The commission shall give
21    preference for original appointment to persons designated
22    in item (1) by adding to the final grade that they receive
23    5 points for the recognized preference achieved. The
24    commission shall determine the number of preference points
25    for each category except (1). The number of preference
26    points for each category shall range from 0 to 5. In

 

 

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1    determining the number of preference points, the
2    commission shall prescribe that if a candidate earns the
3    maximum number of preference points in all categories, that
4    number may not be less than 10 nor more than 30. The
5    commission shall give preference for original appointment
6    to persons designated in items (2) through (7) by adding
7    the requisite number of points to the final grade for each
8    recognized preference achieved. The numerical result thus
9    attained shall be applied by the commission in determining
10    the final eligibility list and appointment from the
11    eligibility list. The local appointing authority may
12    prescribe the total number of preference points awarded
13    under this Section, but the total number of preference
14    points shall not be less than 10 points or more than 30
15    points.
16    No person entitled to any preference shall be required to
17claim the credit before any examination held under the
18provisions of this Section, but the preference shall be given
19after the posting or publication of the initial eligibility
20list or register at the request of a person entitled to a
21credit before any certification or appointments are made from
22the eligibility register, upon the furnishing of verifiable
23evidence and proof of qualifying preference credit. Candidates
24who are eligible for preference credit shall make a claim in
25writing within 10 days after the posting of the initial
26eligibility list, or the claim shall be deemed waived. Final

 

 

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1eligibility registers shall be established after the awarding
2of verified preference points. All employment shall be subject
3to the commission's initial hire background review including,
4but not limited to, criminal history, employment history, moral
5character, oral examination, and medical and psychological
6examinations, all on a pass-fail basis. The medical and
7psychological examinations must be conducted last, and may only
8be performed after a conditional offer of employment has been
9extended.
10    Any person placed on an eligibility list who exceeds the
11age requirement before being appointed to a fire department
12shall remain eligible for appointment until the list is
13abolished, or his or her name has been on the list for a period
14of 2 years. No person who has attained the age of 35 years
15shall be inducted into a fire department, except as otherwise
16provided in this Section.
17    The commission shall strike off the names of candidates for
18original appointment after the names have been on the list for
19more than 2 years.
20    (i) Moral character. No person shall be appointed to a fire
21department unless he or she is a person of good character; not
22a habitual drunkard, a gambler, or a person who has been
23convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude.
24However, no person shall be disqualified from appointment to
25the fire department because of the person's record of
26misdemeanor convictions except those under Sections 11-6,

 

 

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111-7, 11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 12-2, 12-6,
212-15, 14-4, 16-1, 21.1-3, 24-3.1, 24-5, 25-1, 28-3, 31-1,
331-4, 31-6, 31-7, 32-1, 32-2, 32-3, 32-4, 32-8, and subsections
41, 6, and 8 of Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code of 1961 or the
5Criminal Code of 2012, or arrest for any cause without
6conviction thereon. Any such person who is in the department
7may be removed on charges brought for violating this subsection
8and after a trial as hereinafter provided.
9    A classifiable set of the fingerprints of every person who
10is offered employment as a certificated member of an affected
11fire department whether with or without compensation, shall be
12furnished to the Illinois Department of State Police and to the
13Federal Bureau of Investigation by the commission.
14    Whenever a commission is authorized or required by law to
15consider some aspect of criminal history record information for
16the purpose of carrying out its statutory powers and
17responsibilities, then, upon request and payment of fees in
18conformance with the requirements of Section 2605-400 of the
19State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois,
20the Department of State Police is authorized to furnish,
21pursuant to positive identification, the information contained
22in State files as is necessary to fulfill the request.
23    (j) Temporary appointments. In order to prevent a stoppage
24of public business, to meet extraordinary exigencies, or to
25prevent material impairment of the fire department, the
26commission may make temporary appointments, to remain in force

 

 

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1only until regular appointments are made under the provisions
2of this Section, but never to exceed 60 days. No temporary
3appointment of any one person shall be made more than twice in
4any calendar year.
5    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
6questions or answers before a written examination, or otherwise
7knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of this Section,
8commits a violation of this Section and may be subject to
9charges for official misconduct.
10    A person who is the knowing recipient of test information
11in advance of the examination shall be disqualified from the
12examination or discharged from the position to which he or she
13was appointed, as applicable, and otherwise subjected to
14disciplinary actions.
15(Source: P.A. 97-251, eff. 8-4-11; 97-898, eff. 8-6-12;
1697-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)
 
17    (70 ILCS 705/16.06c)
18    Sec. 16.06c. Alternative procedure; original appointment;
19full-time firefighter.
20    (a) Authority. The Joint Labor and Management Committee
21(JLMC), as defined in Section 50 of the Fire Department
22Promotion Act, may establish a community outreach program to
23market the profession of firefighter and firefighter-paramedic
24so as to ensure the pool of applicants recruited is of broad
25diversity and the highest quality.

 

 

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1    For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" means any
2person who has been prior to, on, or after the effective date
3of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly appointed
4to a fire department or fire protection district or employed by
5a State university and sworn or commissioned to perform
6firefighter duties or paramedic duties, or both, except that
7the following persons are not included: part-time
8firefighters; auxiliary, reserve, or voluntary firefighters,
9including paid-on-call firefighters; clerks and dispatchers or
10other civilian employees of a fire department or fire
11protection district who are not routinely expected to perform
12firefighter duties; and elected officials.
13    (b) Eligibility. Persons eligible for placement on the
14master register of eligibles shall consist of the following:
15        Persons who have participated in and received a passing
16    total score on the mental aptitude, physical ability, and
17    preference components of a regionally administered test
18    based on the standards described in this Section. The
19    standards for administering these tests and the minimum
20    passing score required for placement on this list shall be
21    as is set forth in this Section.
22        Qualified candidates shall be listed on the master
23    register of eligibles in highest to lowest rank order based
24    upon their test scores without regard to their date of
25    examination. Candidates listed on the master register of
26    eligibles shall be eligible for appointment for 2 years

 

 

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1    after the date of the certification of their final score on
2    the register without regard to the date of their
3    examination. After 2 years, the candidate's name shall be
4    struck from the list.
5        Any person currently employed as a full-time member of
6    a fire department or any person who has experienced a
7    non–voluntary (and non-disciplinary) separation from the
8    active workforce due to a reduction in the number of
9    departmental officers, who was appointed pursuant to
10    Division 1 of Article 10 of the Illinois Municipal Code,
11    Division 2.1 of Article 10 of the Illinois Municipal Code,
12    or the Fire Protection District Act, and who during the
13    previous 24 months participated in and received a passing
14    score on the physical ability and mental aptitude
15    components of the test may request that his or her name be
16    added to the master register. Any eligible person may be
17    offered employment by a local commission under the same
18    procedures as provided by this Section except that the
19    apprenticeship period may be waived and the applicant may
20    be immediately issued a certificate of original
21    appointment by the local commission.
22    (c) Qualifications for placement on register of eligibles.
23The purpose for establishing a master register of eligibles
24shall be to identify applicants who possess and demonstrate the
25mental aptitude and physical ability to perform the duties
26required of members of the fire department in order to provide

 

 

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1the highest quality of service to the public. To this end, all
2applicants for original appointment to an affected fire
3department through examination conducted by the Joint Labor and
4Management Committee (JLMC) shall be subject to examination and
5testing which shall be public, competitive, and open to all
6applicants. Any examination and testing procedure utilized
7under subsection (e) of this Section shall be supported by
8appropriate validation evidence and shall comply with all
9applicable state and federal laws. Any subjective component of
10the testing must be administered by certified assessors. All
11qualifying and disqualifying factors applicable to examination
12processes for local commissions in this amendatory Act of the
1397th General Assembly shall be applicable to persons
14participating in Joint Labor and Management Committee
15examinations unless specifically provided otherwise in this
16Section.
17    Notice of the time, place, general scope, and fee of every
18JLMC examination shall be given by the JLMC or designated
19testing agency, as applicable, by a publication at least 30
20days preceding the examination, in one or more newspapers
21published in the region, or if no newspaper is published
22therein, then in one or more newspapers with a general
23circulation within the region. The JLMC may publish the notice
24on the JLMC's Internet website. Additional notice of the
25examination may be given as the JLMC shall prescribe.
26    (d) Examination and testing components for placement on

 

 

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1register of eligibles. The examination and qualifying
2standards for placement on the master register of eligibles and
3employment shall be based on the following components: mental
4aptitude, physical ability, preferences, moral character, and
5health. The mental aptitude, physical ability, and preference
6components shall determine an applicant's qualification for
7and placement on the master register of eligibles. The
8consideration of an applicant's general moral character and
9health shall be administered on a pass-fail basis after a
10conditional offer of employment is made by a local commission.
11    (e) Mental aptitude. Examination of an applicant's mental
12aptitude shall be based upon written examination and an
13applicant's prior experience demonstrating an aptitude for and
14commitment to service as a member of a fire department. Written
15examinations shall be practical in character and relate to
16those matters that fairly test the capacity of the persons
17examined to discharge the duties performed by members of a fire
18department. Written examinations shall be administered in a
19manner that ensures the security and accuracy of the scores
20achieved. Any subjective component of the testing must be
21administered by certified assessors. No person who does not
22possess a high school diploma or an equivalent high school
23education shall be placed on a register of eligibles. Local
24commissions may establish educational, emergency medical
25service licensure, and other pre-requisites for hire within
26their jurisdiction.

 

 

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1    (f) Physical ability. All candidates shall be required to
2undergo an examination of their physical ability to perform the
3essential functions included in the duties they may be called
4upon to perform as a member of a fire department. For the
5purposes of this Section, essential functions of the job are
6functions associated with duties that a firefighter may be
7called upon to perform in response to emergency calls. The
8frequency of the occurrence of those duties as part of the fire
9department's regular routine shall not be a controlling factor
10in the design of examination criteria or evolutions selected
11for testing. These physical examinations shall be open,
12competitive, and based on industry standards designed to test
13each applicant's physical abilities in each of the following
14dimensions:
15        (1) Muscular strength to perform tasks and evolutions
16    that may be required in the performance of duties including
17    grip strength, leg strength, and arm strength. Tests shall
18    be conducted under anaerobic as well as aerobic conditions
19    to test both the candidate's speed and endurance in
20    performing tasks and evolutions. Tasks tested are to be
21    based on industry standards developed by the JLMC by rule.
22        (2) The ability to climb ladders, operate from heights,
23    walk or crawl in the dark along narrow and uneven surfaces,
24    and operate in proximity to hazardous environments.
25        (3) The ability to carry out critical, time-sensitive,
26    and complex problem solving during physical exertion in

 

 

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1    stressful and hazardous environments. The testing
2    environment may be hot and dark with tightly enclosed
3    spaces, flashing lights, sirens, and other distractions.
4    The tests utilized to measure each applicant's
5capabilities in each of these dimensions may be tests based on
6industry standards currently in use or equivalent tests
7approved by the Joint Labor-Management Committee of the Office
8of the State Fire Marshal.
9    (g) Scoring of examination components. The examination
10components shall be graded on a 100-point scale. A person's
11position on the master register of eligibles shall be
12determined by the person's score on the written examination,
13the person successfully passing the physical ability
14component, and the addition of any applicable preference
15points.
16    Applicants who have achieved at least the minimum score as
17set by the JLMC on median score of all applicants participating
18in the written examination at the same time, and who
19successfully pass the physical ability examination shall be
20placed on the initial eligibility register. Minimum scores
21should be set by the JLMC so as to demonstrate a candidate's
22ability to perform the essential functions of the job. The
23minimum score set by the JLMC shall be supported by appropriate
24validation evidence and shall comply with all applicable state
25and federal laws. Applicable preference points shall be added
26to the written examination scores for all applicants who

 

 

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1qualify for the initial eligibility register. Applicants who
2score at or above the minimum passing score as set by the JLMC
3in the top 70th percentile or higher, including any applicable
4preference points, shall be placed on the master register of
5eligibles by the JLMC.
6    These persons shall take rank upon the register as
7candidates in the order of their relative excellence based on
8the highest to the lowest total points scored on the mental
9aptitude and physical ability components, plus any applicable
10preference points requested and verified by the JLMC, or
11approved testing agency.
12    No more than 60 days after each examination, a revised
13master register of eligibles shall be posted by the JLMC
14showing the final grades of the candidates without reference to
15priority of time of examination.
16    (h) Preferences. The board shall give military, education,
17and experience preference points to those who qualify for
18placement on the master register of eligibles, on the same
19basis as provided for examinations administered by a local
20commission.
21    No person entitled to preference or credit shall be
22required to claim the credit before any examination held under
23the provisions of this Section. The preference shall be given
24after the posting or publication of the applicant's initial
25score at the request of the person before finalizing the scores
26from all applicants taking part in a JLMC examination.

 

 

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1Candidates who are eligible for preference credit shall make a
2claim in writing within 10 days after the posting of the
3initial scores from any JLMC test or the claim shall be deemed
4waived. Once preference points are awarded, the candidates
5shall be certified to the master register in accordance with
6their final score including preference points.
7    (i) Firefighter apprentice and firefighter-paramedic
8apprentice. The employment of an applicant to an apprentice
9position (including a currently employed full-time member of a
10fire department whose apprenticeship may be reduced or waived)
11shall be subject to the applicant passing the moral character
12standards and health examinations of the local commission. In
13addition, a local commission may require as a condition of
14employment that the applicant demonstrate current physical
15ability by either passing the local commission's approved
16physical ability examination, or by presenting proof of
17participating in and receiving a passing score on the physical
18ability component of a JLMC test within a period of up to 12
19months before the date of the conditional offer of employment.
20Applicants shall be subject to the local commission's initial
21hire background review including criminal history, employment
22history, moral character, oral examination, and medical
23examinations which may include polygraph, psychological, and
24drug screening components, all on a pass-fail basis. The
25medical examinations must be conducted last, and may only be
26performed after a conditional offer of employment has been

 

 

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1extended.
2    (j) Selection from list. Any municipality or fire
3protection district that is a party to an intergovernmental
4agreement under the terms of which persons have been tested for
5placement on the master register of eligibles shall be entitled
6to offer employment to any person on the list irrespective of
7their ranking on the list. The offer of employment shall be to
8the position of firefighter apprentice or
9firefighter-paramedic apprentice.
10    Applicants passing these tests may be employed as a
11firefighter apprentice or a firefighter-paramedic apprentice
12who shall serve an apprenticeship period of 12 months or less
13according to the terms and conditions of employment as the
14employing municipality or district offers, or as provided for
15under the terms of any collective bargaining agreement then in
16effect. The apprenticeship period is separate from the
17probationary period.
18    Service during the apprenticeship period shall be on a
19probationary basis. During the apprenticeship period, the
20apprentice's training and performance shall be monitored and
21evaluated by a Joint Apprenticeship Committee.
22    The Joint Apprenticeship Committee shall consist of 4
23members who shall be regular members of the fire department
24with at least 10 years of full-time work experience as a
25firefighter or firefighter-paramedic. The fire chief and the
26president of the exclusive bargaining representative

 

 

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1recognized by the employer shall each appoint 2 members to the
2Joint Apprenticeship Committee. In the absence of an exclusive
3collective bargaining representative, the chief shall appoint
4the remaining 2 members who shall be from the ranks of company
5officer and firefighter with at least 10 years of work
6experience as a firefighter or firefighter-paramedic. In the
7absence of a sufficient number of qualified firefighters, the
8Joint Apprenticeship Committee members shall have the amount of
9experience and the type of qualifications as is reasonable
10given the circumstances of the fire department. In the absence
11of a full-time member in a rank between chief and the highest
12rank in a bargaining unit, the Joint Apprenticeship Committee
13shall be reduced to 2 members, one to be appointed by the chief
14and one by the union president, if any. If there is no
15exclusive bargaining representative, the chief shall appoint
16the second member of the Joint Apprenticeship Committee from
17among qualified members in the ranks of company officer and
18below. Before the conclusion of the apprenticeship period, the
19Joint Apprenticeship Committee shall meet to consider the
20apprentice's progress and performance and vote to retain the
21apprentice as a member of the fire department or to terminate
22the apprenticeship. If 3 of the 4 members of the Joint
23Apprenticeship Committee affirmatively vote to retain the
24apprentice (if a 2 member Joint Apprenticeship Committee
25exists, then both members must affirmatively vote to retain the
26apprentice), the local commission shall issue the apprentice a

 

 

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1certificate of original appointment to the fire department.
2    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
3questions or answers before a written examination, or otherwise
4knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of this Section,
5commits a violation of this Section and may be subject to
6charges for official misconduct.
7    A person who is the knowing recipient of test information
8in advance of the examination shall be disqualified from the
9examination or discharged from the position to which he or she
10was appointed, as applicable, and otherwise subjected to
11disciplinary actions.
12(Source: P.A. 97-251, eff. 8-4-11; 97-898, eff. 8-6-12.)
 
13    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
14becoming law.