SB2150enr 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

  
  
  

 


 
SB2150 EnrolledLRB102 17130 RLC 22561 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 and 10-2.1-6.3 as follows:
 
6    (65 ILCS 5/10-1-7.1)
7    Sec. 10-1-7.1. Original appointments; full-time fire
8department.
9    (a) Applicability. Unless a commission elects to follow
10the provisions of Section 10-1-7.2, this Section shall apply
11to all original appointments to an affected full-time fire
12department. Existing registers of eligibles shall continue to
13be valid until their expiration dates, or up to a maximum of 2
14years after August 4, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act
1597-251) this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly.
16    Notwithstanding any statute, ordinance, rule, or other law
17to the contrary, all original appointments to an affected
18department to which this Section applies shall be administered
19in the manner provided for in this Section. Provisions of the
20Illinois Municipal Code, municipal ordinances, and rules
21adopted pursuant to such authority and other laws relating to
22initial hiring of firefighters in affected departments shall
23continue to apply to the extent they are compatible with this

 

 

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1Section, but in the event of a conflict between this Section
2and any other law, this Section shall control.
3    A home rule or non-home rule municipality may not
4administer its fire department process for original
5appointments in a manner that is less stringent than this
6Section. This Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of
7Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the
8concurrent exercise by home rule units of the powers and
9functions exercised by the State.
10    A municipality that is operating under a court order or
11consent decree regarding original appointments to a full-time
12fire department before August 4, 2011 (the effective date of
13Public Act 97-251) this amendatory Act of the 97th General
14Assembly is exempt from the requirements of this Section for
15the duration of the court order or consent decree.
16    Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection
17(a), this Section does not apply to a municipality with more
18than 1,000,000 inhabitants.
19    (b) Original appointments. All original appointments made
20to an affected fire department shall be made from a register of
21eligibles established in accordance with the processes
22established by this Section. Only persons who meet or exceed
23the performance standards required by this Section shall be
24placed on a register of eligibles for original appointment to
25an affected fire department.
26    Whenever an appointing authority authorizes action to hire

 

 

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

 

 

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1shall be vested in the Civil Service Commission. All
2certificates of appointment issued to any officer or member of
3an affected department shall be signed by the chairperson and
4secretary, respectively, of the commission upon appointment of
5such officer or member to the affected department by the
6commission. After being selected from the register of
7eligibles to fill a vacancy in the affected department, each
8appointee shall be presented with his or her certificate of
9appointment on the day on which he or she is sworn in as a
10classified member of the affected department. Firefighters who
11were not issued a certificate of appointment when originally
12appointed shall be provided with a certificate within 10 days
13after making a written request to the chairperson of the Civil
14Service Commission. Each person who accepts a certificate of
15appointment and successfully completes his or her probationary
16period shall be enrolled as a firefighter and as a regular
17member of the fire department.
18    For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" means any
19person who has been prior to, on, or after August 4, 2011 (the
20effective date of Public Act 97-251) this amendatory Act of
21the 97th General Assembly appointed to a fire department or
22fire protection district or employed by a State university and
23sworn or commissioned to perform firefighter duties or
24paramedic duties, or both, except that the following persons
25are not included: part-time firefighters; auxiliary, reserve,
26or voluntary firefighters, including paid-on-call

 

 

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1firefighters; clerks and dispatchers or other civilian
2employees of a fire department or fire protection district who
3are not routinely expected to perform firefighter duties; and
4elected officials.
5    (c) Qualification for placement on register of eligibles.
6The purpose of establishing a register of eligibles is to
7identify applicants who possess and demonstrate the mental
8aptitude and physical ability to perform the duties required
9of members of the fire department in order to provide the
10highest quality of service to the public. To this end, all
11applicants for original appointment to an affected fire
12department shall be subject to examination and testing which
13shall be public, competitive, and open to all applicants
14unless the municipality shall by ordinance limit applicants to
15residents of the municipality, county or counties in which the
16municipality is located, State, or nation. Any examination and
17testing procedure utilized under subsection (e) of this
18Section shall be supported by appropriate validation evidence
19and shall comply with all applicable State and federal laws.
20Municipalities may establish educational, emergency medical
21service licensure, and other prerequisites prerequites for
22participation in an examination or for hire as a firefighter.
23Any municipality may charge a fee to cover the costs of the
24application process.
25    Residency requirements in effect at the time an individual
26enters the fire service of a municipality cannot be made more

 

 

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

 

 

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1    of the active or reserve components of any of the branches
2    of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National
3    Guard of any state, whose service was characterized as
4    honorable or under honorable, if separated from the
5    military, and is currently under the age of 40.
6    No person who is under 21 years of age shall be eligible
7for employment as a firefighter.
8    No applicant shall be examined concerning his or her
9political or religious opinions or affiliations. The
10examinations shall be conducted by the commissioners of the
11municipality or their designees and agents.
12    No municipality shall require that any firefighter
13appointed to the lowest rank serve a probationary employment
14period of longer than one year of actual active employment,
15which may exclude periods of training, or injury or illness
16leaves, including duty related leave, in excess of 30 calendar
17days. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
18Section, the probationary employment period limitation may be
19extended for a firefighter who is required, as a condition of
20employment, to be a licensed paramedic, during which time the
21sole reason that a firefighter may be discharged without a
22hearing is for failing to meet the requirements for paramedic
23licensure.
24    In the event that any applicant who has been found
25eligible for appointment and whose name has been placed upon
26the final eligibility register provided for in this Division 1

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1industry standards currently in use or equivalent tests
2approved by the Joint Labor-Management Committee of the Office
3of the State Fire Marshal.
4    Physical ability examinations administered under this
5Section shall be conducted with a reasonable number of
6proctors and monitors, open to the public, and subject to
7reasonable regulations of the commission.
8    (g) Scoring of examination components. Appointing
9authorities may create a preliminary eligibility register. A
10person shall be placed on the list based upon his or her
11passage of the written examination or the passage of the
12written examination and the physical ability component.
13Passage of the written examination means attaining the minimum
14score set by the commission. Minimum scores should be set by
15the commission so as to demonstrate a candidate's ability to
16perform the essential functions of the job. The minimum score
17set by the commission shall be supported by appropriate
18validation evidence and shall comply with all applicable State
19and federal laws. The appointing authority may conduct the
20physical ability component and any subjective components
21subsequent to the posting of the preliminary eligibility
22register.
23    The examination components for an initial eligibility
24register shall be graded on a 100-point scale. A person's
25position on the list shall be determined by the following: (i)
26the person's score on the written examination, (ii) the person

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1    of years of successful paid-on-call, part-time, or
2    full-time service of any person. A candidate may not
3    receive the full amount of preference points under this
4    subsection if the amount of points awarded would place the
5    candidate before a veteran on the eligibility list. If
6    more than one candidate receiving experience preference
7    points is prevented from receiving all of their points due
8    to not being allowed to pass a veteran, the candidates
9    shall be placed on the list below the veteran in rank order
10    based on the totals received if all points under this
11    subsection were to be awarded. Any remaining ties on the
12    list shall be determined by lot.
13        (6) Residency preference. Applicants whose principal
14    residence is located within the fire department's
15    jurisdiction may be preferred for appointment to and
16    employment with the fire department.
17        (7) Additional preferences. Up to 5 additional
18    preference points may be awarded for unique categories
19    based on an applicant's experience or background as
20    identified by the commission.
21        (7.5) Apprentice preferences. A person who has
22    performed fire suppression service for a department as a
23    firefighter apprentice and otherwise meet the
24    qualifications for original appointment as a firefighter
25    specified in this Section may be awarded up to 20
26    preference points. To qualify for preference points, an

 

 

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1    applicant shall have completed a minimum of 600 hours of
2    fire suppression work on a regular shift for the affected
3    fire department over a 12-month period. The fire
4    suppression work must be in accordance with Section
5    10-1-14 of this Division and the terms established by a
6    Joint Apprenticeship Committee included in a collective
7    bargaining agreement agreed between the employer and its
8    certified bargaining agent. An eligible applicant must
9    apply to the Joint Apprenticeship Committee for preference
10    points under this item. The Joint Apprenticeship Committee
11    shall evaluate the merit of the applicant's performance,
12    determine the preference points to be awarded, and certify
13    the amount of points awarded to the commissioners. The
14    commissioners may add the certified preference points to
15    the final grades achieved by the applicant on the other
16    components of the examination.
17        (8) Scoring of preferences. The commission shall give
18    preference for original appointment to persons designated
19    in item (1) by adding to the final grade that they receive
20    5 points for the recognized preference achieved. The
21    commission may give preference for original appointment to
22    persons designated in item (7.5) by adding to the final
23    grade the amount of points designated by the Joint
24    Apprenticeship Committee as defined in item (7.5). The
25    commission shall determine the number of preference points
26    for each category, except (1) and (7.5). The number of

 

 

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1    preference points for each category shall range from 0 to
2    5, except item (7.5). In determining the number of
3    preference points, the commission shall prescribe that if
4    a candidate earns the maximum number of preference points
5    in all categories except item (7.5), that number may not
6    be less than 10 nor more than 30. The commission shall give
7    preference for original appointment to persons designated
8    in items (2) through (7) by adding the requisite number of
9    points to the final grade for each recognized preference
10    achieved. The numerical result thus attained shall be
11    applied by the commission in determining the final
12    eligibility list and appointment from the eligibility
13    list. The local appointing authority may prescribe the
14    total number of preference points awarded under this
15    Section, but the total number of preference points, except
16    item (7.5), shall not be less than 10 points or more than
17    30 points. Apprentice preference points may be added in
18    addition to other preference points awarded by the
19    commission.
20    No person entitled to any preference shall be required to
21claim the credit before any examination held under the
22provisions of this Section, but the preference shall be given
23after the posting or publication of the initial eligibility
24list or register at the request of a person entitled to a
25credit before any certification or appointments are made from
26the eligibility register, upon the furnishing of verifiable

 

 

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1evidence and proof of qualifying preference credit. Candidates
2who are eligible for preference credit shall make a claim in
3writing within 10 days after the posting of the initial
4eligibility list, or the claim shall be deemed waived. Final
5eligibility registers shall be established after the awarding
6of verified preference points. However, apprentice preference
7credit earned subsequent to the establishment of the final
8eligibility register may be applied to the applicant's score
9upon certification by the Joint Apprenticeship Committee to
10the commission and the rank order of candidates on the final
11eligibility register shall be adjusted accordingly. All
12employment shall be subject to the commission's initial hire
13background review including, but not limited to, criminal
14history, employment history, moral character, oral
15examination, and medical and psychological examinations, all
16on a pass-fail basis. The medical and psychological
17examinations must be conducted last, and may only be performed
18after a conditional offer of employment has been extended.
19    Any person placed on an eligibility list who exceeds the
20age requirement before being appointed to a fire department
21shall remain eligible for appointment until the list is
22abolished, or his or her name has been on the list for a period
23of 2 years. No person who has attained the age of 35 years
24shall be inducted into a fire department, except as otherwise
25provided in this Section.
26    The commission shall strike off the names of candidates

 

 

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1for original appointment after the names have been on the list
2for more than 2 years.
3    (i) Moral character. No person shall be appointed to a
4fire department unless he or she is a person of good character;
5not a habitual drunkard, a gambler, or a person who has been
6convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude.
7However, no person shall be disqualified from appointment to
8the fire department because of the person's record of
9misdemeanor convictions except those under Sections 11-6,
1011-7, 11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 12-2, 12-6,
1112-15, 14-4, 16-1, 21.1-3, 24-3.1, 24-5, 25-1, 28-3, 31-1,
1231-4, 31-6, 31-7, 32-1, 32-2, 32-3, 32-4, 32-8, and
13subsections 1, 6, and 8 of Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code of
141961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or arrest for any cause
15without conviction thereon. Any such person who is in the
16department may be removed on charges brought for violating
17this subsection and after a trial as hereinafter provided.
18    A classifiable set of the fingerprints of every person who
19is offered employment as a certificated member of an affected
20fire department whether with or without compensation, shall be
21furnished to the Illinois Department of State Police and to
22the Federal Bureau of Investigation by the commission.
23    Whenever a commission is authorized or required by law to
24consider some aspect of criminal history record information
25for the purpose of carrying out its statutory powers and
26responsibilities, then, upon request and payment of fees in

 

 

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1conformance with the requirements of Section 2605-400 of the
2State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois,
3the Department of State Police is authorized to furnish,
4pursuant to positive identification, the information contained
5in State files as is necessary to fulfill the request.
6    (j) Temporary appointments. In order to prevent a stoppage
7of public business, to meet extraordinary exigencies, or to
8prevent material impairment of the fire department, the
9commission may make temporary appointments, to remain in force
10only until regular appointments are made under the provisions
11of this Division, but never to exceed 60 days. No temporary
12appointment of any one person shall be made more than twice in
13any calendar year.
14    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
15questions or answers before a written examination, or
16otherwise knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of
17this Section, commits a violation of this Section and may be
18subject to charges 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(Source: P.A. 100-252, eff. 8-22-17; 101-489, eff. 8-23-19;
25revised 11-26-19.)
 

 

 

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1    (65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6.3)
2    Sec. 10-2.1-6.3. Original appointments; full-time fire
3department.
4    (a) Applicability. Unless a commission elects to follow
5the provisions of Section 10-2.1-6.4, this Section shall apply
6to all original appointments to an affected full-time fire
7department. Existing registers of eligibles shall continue to
8be valid until their expiration dates, or up to a maximum of 2
9years after August 4, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act
1097-251) this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly.
11    Notwithstanding any statute, ordinance, rule, or other law
12to the contrary, all original appointments to an affected
13department to which this Section applies shall be administered
14in the manner provided for in this Section. Provisions of the
15Illinois Municipal Code, municipal ordinances, and rules
16adopted pursuant to such authority and other laws relating to
17initial hiring of firefighters in affected departments shall
18continue to apply to the extent they are compatible with this
19Section, but in the event of a conflict between this Section
20and any other law, this Section shall control.
21    A home rule or non-home rule municipality may not
22administer its fire department process for original
23appointments in a manner that is less stringent than this
24Section. This Section is a limitation under subsection (i) of
25Section 6 of Article VII of the Illinois Constitution on the
26concurrent exercise by home rule units of the powers and

 

 

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1functions exercised by the State.
2    A municipality that is operating under a court order or
3consent decree regarding original appointments to a full-time
4fire department before August 4, 2011 (the effective date of
5Public Act 97-251) this amendatory Act of the 97th General
6Assembly is exempt from the requirements of this Section for
7the duration of the court order or consent decree.
8    Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection
9(a), this Section does not apply to a municipality with more
10than 1,000,000 inhabitants.
11    (b) Original appointments. All original appointments made
12to an affected fire department shall be made from a register of
13eligibles established in accordance with the processes
14established by this Section. Only persons who meet or exceed
15the performance standards required by this Section shall be
16placed on a register of eligibles for original appointment to
17an affected fire department.
18    Whenever an appointing authority authorizes action to hire
19a person to perform the duties of a firefighter or to hire a
20firefighter-paramedic to fill a position that is a new
21position or vacancy due to resignation, discharge, promotion,
22death, the granting of a disability or retirement pension, or
23any other cause, the appointing authority shall appoint to
24that position the person with the highest ranking on the final
25eligibility list. If the appointing authority has reason to
26conclude that the highest ranked person fails to meet the

 

 

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

 

 

SB2150 Enrolled- 24 -LRB102 17130 RLC 22561 b

1certificate of appointment on the day on which he or she is
2sworn in as a classified member of the affected department.
3Firefighters who were not issued a certificate of appointment
4when originally appointed shall be provided with a certificate
5within 10 days after making a written request to the
6chairperson of the board of fire and police commissioners.
7Each person who accepts a certificate of appointment and
8successfully completes his or her probationary period shall be
9enrolled as a firefighter and as a regular member of the fire
10department.
11    For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" means any
12person who has been prior to, on, or after August 4, 2011 (the
13effective date of Public Act 97-251) this amendatory Act of
14the 97th General Assembly appointed to a fire department or
15fire protection district or employed by a State university and
16sworn or commissioned to perform firefighter duties or
17paramedic duties, or both, except that the following persons
18are not included: part-time firefighters; auxiliary, reserve,
19or voluntary firefighters, including paid-on-call
20firefighters; clerks and dispatchers or other civilian
21employees of a fire department or fire protection district who
22are not routinely expected to perform firefighter duties; and
23elected officials.
24    (c) Qualification for placement on register of eligibles.
25The purpose of establishing a register of eligibles is to
26identify applicants who possess and demonstrate the mental

 

 

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

 

 

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1to take an examination for a position as a firefighter unless
2the person has had previous employment status as a firefighter
3in the regularly constituted fire department of the
4municipality, except as provided in this Section. The age
5limitation does not apply to:
6        (1) any person previously employed as a full-time
7    firefighter in a regularly constituted fire department of
8    (i) any municipality or fire protection district located
9    in Illinois, (ii) a fire protection district whose
10    obligations were assumed by a municipality under Section
11    21 of the Fire Protection District Act, or (iii) a
12    municipality whose obligations were taken over by a fire
13    protection district,
14        (2) any person who has served a municipality as a
15    regularly enrolled volunteer, paid-on-call, or part-time
16    firefighter for the 5 years immediately preceding the time
17    that the municipality begins to use full-time firefighters
18    to provide all or part of its fire protection service, or
19        (3) any person who turned 35 while serving as a member
20    of the active or reserve components of any of the branches
21    of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National
22    Guard of any state, whose service was characterized as
23    honorable or under honorable, if separated from the
24    military, and is currently under the age of 40.
25    No person who is under 21 years of age shall be eligible
26for employment as a firefighter.

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1determined by the commission. Scores from the examination must
2be made available to the public.
3    (e) Mental aptitude. No person who does not possess at
4least a high school diploma or an equivalent high school
5education shall be placed on a register of eligibles.
6Examination of an applicant's mental aptitude shall be based
7upon a written examination. The examination shall be practical
8in character and relate to those matters that fairly test the
9capacity of the persons examined to discharge the duties
10performed by members of a fire department. Written
11examinations shall be administered in a manner that ensures
12the security and accuracy of the scores achieved.
13    (f) Physical ability. All candidates shall be required to
14undergo an examination of their physical ability to perform
15the essential functions included in the duties they may be
16called upon to perform as a member of a fire department. For
17the purposes of this Section, essential functions of the job
18are functions 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 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
3    including grip strength, leg strength, and arm strength.
4    Tests shall be conducted under anaerobic as well as
5    aerobic conditions to test both the candidate's speed and
6    endurance in performing tasks and evolutions. Tasks tested
7    may be based on standards developed, or approved, by the
8    local appointing authority.
9        (2) The ability to climb ladders, operate from
10    heights, walk or crawl in the dark along narrow and uneven
11    surfaces, and operate in proximity to hazardous
12    environments.
13        (3) The ability to carry out critical, time-sensitive,
14    and complex problem solving during physical exertion in
15    stressful and hazardous environments. The testing
16    environment may be hot and dark with tightly enclosed
17    spaces, flashing lights, sirens, and other distractions.
18    The tests utilized to measure each applicant's
19capabilities in each of these dimensions may be tests based on
20industry standards currently in use or equivalent tests
21approved by the Joint Labor-Management Committee of the Office
22of the State Fire Marshal.
23    Physical ability examinations administered under this
24Section shall be conducted with a reasonable number of
25proctors and monitors, open to the public, and subject to
26reasonable regulations of the commission.

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

SB2150 Enrolled- 33 -LRB102 17130 RLC 22561 b

1    (h) Preferences. The following are preferences:
2        (1) Veteran preference. Persons who were engaged in
3    the military service of the United States for a period of
4    at least one year of active duty and who were honorably
5    discharged therefrom, or who are now or have been members
6    on inactive or reserve duty in such military or naval
7    service, shall be preferred for appointment to and
8    employment with the fire department of an affected
9    department.
10        (2) Fire cadet preference. Persons who have
11    successfully completed 2 years of study in fire techniques
12    or cadet training within a cadet program established under
13    the rules of the Joint Labor and Management Committee
14    (JLMC), as defined in Section 50 of the Fire Department
15    Promotion Act, may be preferred for appointment to and
16    employment with the fire department.
17        (3) Educational preference. Persons who have
18    successfully obtained an associate's degree in the field
19    of fire service or emergency medical services, or a
20    bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
21    may be preferred for appointment to and employment with
22    the fire department.
23        (4) Paramedic preference. Persons who have obtained a
24    license as a paramedic shall be preferred for appointment
25    to and employment with the fire department of an affected
26    department providing emergency medical services.

 

 

SB2150 Enrolled- 34 -LRB102 17130 RLC 22561 b

1        (5) Experience preference. All persons employed by a
2    municipality who have been paid-on-call or part-time
3    certified Firefighter II, State of Illinois or nationally
4    licensed EMT, EMT-I, A-EMT, or any combination of those
5    capacities shall be awarded 0.5 point for each year of
6    successful service in one or more of those capacities, up
7    to a maximum of 5 points. Certified Firefighter III and
8    State of Illinois or nationally licensed paramedics shall
9    be awarded one point per year up to a maximum of 5 points.
10    Applicants from outside the municipality who were employed
11    as full-time firefighters or firefighter-paramedics by a
12    fire protection district or another municipality for at
13    least 2 years shall be awarded 5 experience preference
14    points. These additional points presuppose a rating scale
15    totaling 100 points available for the eligibility list. If
16    more or fewer points are used in the rating scale for the
17    eligibility list, the points awarded under this subsection
18    shall be increased or decreased by a factor equal to the
19    total possible points available for the examination
20    divided by 100.
21        Upon request by the commission, the governing body of
22    the municipality or in the case of applicants from outside
23    the municipality the governing body of any fire protection
24    district or any other municipality shall certify to the
25    commission, within 10 days after the request, the number
26    of years of successful paid-on-call, part-time, or

 

 

SB2150 Enrolled- 35 -LRB102 17130 RLC 22561 b

1    full-time service of any person. A candidate may not
2    receive the full amount of preference points under this
3    subsection if the amount of points awarded would place the
4    candidate before a veteran on the eligibility list. If
5    more than one candidate receiving experience preference
6    points is prevented from receiving all of their points due
7    to not being allowed to pass a veteran, the candidates
8    shall be placed on the list below the veteran in rank order
9    based on the totals received if all points under this
10    subsection were to be awarded. Any remaining ties on the
11    list shall be determined by lot.
12        (6) Residency preference. Applicants whose principal
13    residence is located within the fire department's
14    jurisdiction shall 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        (7.5) Apprentice preferences. A person who has
21    performed fire suppression service for a department as a
22    firefighter apprentice and otherwise meet the
23    qualifications for original appointment as a firefighter
24    specified in this Section are eligible to be awarded up to
25    20 preference points. To qualify for preference points, an
26    applicant shall have completed a minimum of 600 hours of

 

 

SB2150 Enrolled- 36 -LRB102 17130 RLC 22561 b

1    fire suppression work on a regular shift for the affected
2    fire department over a 12-month period. The fire
3    suppression work must be in accordance with Section
4    10-2.1-4 of this Division and the terms established by a
5    Joint Apprenticeship Committee included in a collective
6    bargaining agreement agreed between the employer and its
7    certified bargaining agent. An eligible applicant must
8    apply to the Joint Apprenticeship Committee for preference
9    points under this item. The Joint Apprenticeship Committee
10    shall evaluate the merit of the applicant's performance,
11    determine the preference points to be awarded, and certify
12    the amount of points awarded to the commissioners. The
13    commissioners may add the certified preference points to
14    the final grades achieved by the applicant on the other
15    components of the examination.
16        (8) Scoring of preferences. The commission may give
17    preference for original appointment to persons designated
18    in item (1) by adding to the final grade that they receive
19    5 points for the recognized preference achieved. The
20    commission may give preference for original appointment to
21    persons designated in item (7.5) by adding to the final
22    grade the amount of points designated by the Joint
23    Apprenticeship Committee as defined in item (7.5). The
24    commission shall determine the number of preference points
25    for each category, except (1) and (7.5). The number of
26    preference points for each category shall range from 0 to

 

 

SB2150 Enrolled- 37 -LRB102 17130 RLC 22561 b

1    5, except item (7.5). In determining the number of
2    preference points, the commission shall prescribe that if
3    a candidate earns the maximum number of preference points
4    in all categories except item (7.5), that number may not
5    be less than 10 nor more than 30. The commission shall give
6    preference for original appointment to persons designated
7    in items (2) through (7) by adding the requisite number of
8    points to the final grade for each recognized preference
9    achieved. The numerical result thus attained shall be
10    applied by the commission in determining the final
11    eligibility list and appointment from the eligibility
12    list. The local appointing authority may prescribe the
13    total number of preference points awarded under this
14    Section, but the total number of preference points, except
15    item (7.5), shall not be less than 10 points or more than
16    30 points. Apprentice preference points may be added in
17    addition to other preference points awarded by the
18    commission.
19    No person entitled to any preference shall be required to
20claim the credit before any examination held under the
21provisions of this Section, but the preference may be given
22after the posting or publication of the initial eligibility
23list or register at the request of a person entitled to a
24credit before any certification or appointments are made from
25the eligibility register, upon the furnishing of verifiable
26evidence and proof of qualifying preference credit. Candidates

 

 

SB2150 Enrolled- 38 -LRB102 17130 RLC 22561 b

1who are eligible for preference credit may make a claim in
2writing within 10 days after the posting of the initial
3eligibility list, or the claim may be deemed waived. Final
4eligibility registers may be established after the awarding of
5verified preference points. However, apprentice preference
6credit earned subsequent to the establishment of the final
7eligibility register may be applied to the applicant's score
8upon certification by the Joint Apprenticeship Committee to
9the commission and the rank order of candidates on the final
10eligibility register shall be adjusted accordingly. All
11employment shall be subject to the commission's initial hire
12background review, including, but not limited to, criminal
13history, employment history, moral character, oral
14examination, and medical and psychological examinations, all
15on a pass-fail basis. The medical and psychological
16examinations must be conducted last, and may only be performed
17after a conditional offer of employment has been extended.
18    Any person placed on an eligibility list who exceeds the
19age requirement before being appointed to a fire department
20shall remain eligible for appointment until the list is
21abolished, or his or her name has been on the list for a period
22of 2 years. No person who has attained the age of 35 years
23shall be inducted into a fire department, except as otherwise
24provided in this Section.
25    The commission shall strike off the names of candidates
26for original appointment after the names have been on the list

 

 

SB2150 Enrolled- 39 -LRB102 17130 RLC 22561 b

1for more than 2 years.
2    (i) Moral character. No person shall be appointed to a
3fire department unless he or she is a person of good character;
4not a habitual drunkard, a gambler, or a person who has been
5convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude.
6However, no person shall be disqualified from appointment to
7the fire department because of the person's record of
8misdemeanor convictions except those under Sections 11-6,
911-7, 11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 12-2, 12-6,
1012-15, 14-4, 16-1, 21.1-3, 24-3.1, 24-5, 25-1, 28-3, 31-1,
1131-4, 31-6, 31-7, 32-1, 32-2, 32-3, 32-4, 32-8, and
12subsections 1, 6, and 8 of Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code of
131961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or arrest for any cause
14without conviction thereon. Any such person who is in the
15department may be removed on charges brought for violating
16this subsection and after a trial as hereinafter provided.
17    A classifiable set of the fingerprints of every person who
18is offered employment as a certificated member of an affected
19fire department whether with or without compensation, shall be
20furnished to the Illinois Department of State Police and to
21the Federal Bureau of Investigation by the commission.
22    Whenever a commission is authorized or required by law to
23consider some aspect of criminal history record information
24for the purpose of carrying out its statutory powers and
25responsibilities, then, upon request and payment of fees in
26conformance with the requirements of Section 2605-400 of the

 

 

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1State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois,
2the Department of State Police is authorized to furnish,
3pursuant to positive identification, the information contained
4in State files as is necessary to fulfill the request.
5    (j) Temporary appointments. In order to prevent a stoppage
6of public business, to meet extraordinary exigencies, or to
7prevent material impairment of the fire department, the
8commission may make temporary appointments, to remain in force
9only until regular appointments are made under the provisions
10of this Division, but never to exceed 60 days. No temporary
11appointment of any one person shall be made more than twice in
12any calendar year.
13    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
14questions or answers before a written examination, or
15otherwise knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of
16this Section, commits a violation of this Section and may be
17subject to charges for official misconduct.
18    A person who is the knowing recipient of test information
19in advance of the examination shall be disqualified from the
20examination or discharged from the position to which he or she
21was appointed, as applicable, and otherwise subjected to
22disciplinary actions.
23(Source: P.A. 100-252, eff. 8-22-17; 101-489, eff. 8-23-19;
24revised 11-26-19.)
 
25    Section 10. The Fire Protection District Act is amended by

 

 

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1changing Section 16.06b as follows:
 
2    (70 ILCS 705/16.06b)
3    Sec. 16.06b. Original appointments; full-time fire
4department.
5    (a) Applicability. Unless a commission elects to follow
6the provisions of Section 16.06c, 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 August 4, 2011 (the effective date of Public Act
1197-251) this amendatory Act of the 97th 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 a no less stringent manner than the manner provided for in
16this Section. Provisions of the Illinois Municipal Code, Fire
17Protection District Act, fire district ordinances, and rules
18adopted pursuant to such authority and other laws relating to
19initial hiring of firefighters in affected departments shall
20continue to apply to the extent they are compatible with this
21Section, but in the event of a conflict between this Section
22and any other law, this Section shall control.
23    A fire protection district that is operating under a court
24order or consent decree regarding original appointments to a
25full-time fire department before August 4, 2011 (the effective

 

 

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1date of Public Act 97-251) this amendatory Act of the 97th
2General Assembly is exempt from the requirements of this
3Section for the duration of the court order or consent decree.
4    (b) Original appointments. All original appointments made
5to an affected fire department shall be made from a register of
6eligibles established in accordance with the processes
7required by this Section. Only persons who meet or exceed the
8performance standards required by the Section shall be placed
9on a register of eligibles for original appointment to an
10affected fire department.
11    Whenever an appointing authority authorizes action to hire
12a person to perform the duties of a firefighter or to hire a
13firefighter-paramedic to fill a position that is a new
14position or vacancy due to resignation, discharge, promotion,
15death, the granting of a disability or retirement pension, or
16any other cause, the appointing authority shall appoint to
17that position the person with the highest ranking on the final
18eligibility list. If the appointing authority has reason to
19conclude that the highest ranked person fails to meet the
20minimum standards for the position or if the appointing
21authority believes an alternate candidate would better serve
22the needs of the department, then the appointing authority has
23the right to pass over the highest ranked person and appoint
24either: (i) any person who has a ranking in the top 5% of the
25register of eligibles or (ii) any person who is among the top 5
26highest ranked persons on the list of eligibles if the number

 

 

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1of people who have a ranking in the top 5% of the register of
2eligibles is less than 5 people.
3    Any candidate may pass on an appointment once without
4losing his or her position on the register of eligibles. Any
5candidate who passes a second time may be removed from the list
6by the appointing authority provided that such action shall
7not prejudice a person's opportunities to participate in
8future examinations, including an examination held during the
9time a candidate is already on the fire district's register of
10eligibles.
11    The sole authority to issue certificates of appointment
12shall be vested in the board of fire commissioners, or board of
13trustees serving in the capacity of a board of fire
14commissioners. All certificates of appointment issued to any
15officer or member of an affected department shall be signed by
16the chairperson and secretary, respectively, of the commission
17upon appointment of such officer or member to the affected
18department by action of the commission. After being selected
19from the register of eligibles to fill a vacancy in the
20affected department, each appointee shall be presented with
21his or her certificate of appointment on the day on which he or
22she is sworn in as a classified member of the affected
23department. Firefighters who were not issued a certificate of
24appointment when originally appointed shall be provided with a
25certificate within 10 days after making a written request to
26the chairperson of the board of fire commissioners, or board

 

 

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1of trustees serving in the capacity of a board of fire
2commissioners. Each person who accepts a certificate of
3appointment and successfully completes his or her probationary
4period shall be enrolled as a firefighter and as a regular
5member of the fire department.
6    For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" means any
7person who has been prior to, on, or after August 4, 2011 (the
8effective date of Public Act 97-251) this amendatory Act of
9the 97th General Assembly appointed to a fire department or
10fire protection district or employed by a State university and
11sworn or commissioned to perform firefighter duties or
12paramedic duties, or both, except that the following persons
13are not included: part-time firefighters; auxiliary, reserve,
14or voluntary firefighters, including paid-on-call
15firefighters; clerks and dispatchers or other civilian
16employees of a fire department or fire protection district who
17are not routinely expected to perform firefighter duties; and
18elected officials.
19    (c) Qualification for placement on register of eligibles.
20The purpose of establishing a register of eligibles is to
21identify applicants who possess and demonstrate the mental
22aptitude and physical ability to perform the duties required
23of members of the fire department in order to provide the
24highest quality of service to the public. To this end, all
25applicants for original appointment to an affected fire
26department shall be subject to examination and testing which

 

 

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

 

 

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1        (1) any person previously employed as a full-time
2    firefighter in a regularly constituted fire department of
3    (i) any municipality or fire protection district located
4    in Illinois, (ii) a fire protection district whose
5    obligations were assumed by a municipality under Section
6    21 of the Fire Protection District Act, or (iii) a
7    municipality whose obligations were taken over by a fire
8    protection district;
9        (2) any person who has served a fire district as a
10    regularly enrolled volunteer, paid-on-call, or part-time
11    firefighter for the 5 years immediately preceding the time
12    that the district begins to use full-time firefighters to
13    provide all or part of its fire protection service; or
14        (3) any person who turned 35 while serving as a member
15    of the active or reserve components of any of the branches
16    of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National
17    Guard of any state, whose service was characterized as
18    honorable or under honorable, if separated from the
19    military, and is currently under the age of 40.
20    No person who is under 21 years of age shall be eligible
21for employment as a firefighter.
22    No applicant shall be examined concerning his or her
23political or religious opinions or affiliations. The
24examinations shall be conducted by the commissioners of the
25district or their designees and agents.
26    No district shall require that any firefighter appointed

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1persons whose total score is not less than the minimum score
2for passage and who have passed the physical ability
3examination. These persons shall take rank upon the register
4as candidates in the order of their relative excellence based
5on the highest to the lowest total points scored on the mental
6aptitude, subjective component, and preference components of
7the test administered in accordance with this Section. No more
8than 60 days after each examination, an initial eligibility
9list shall be posted by the commission. The list shall include
10the final grades of the candidates without reference to
11priority of the time of examination and subject to claim for
12preference credit.
13    Commissions may conduct additional examinations, including
14without limitation a polygraph test, after a final eligibility
15register is established and before it expires with the
16candidates ranked by total score without regard to date of
17examination. No more than 60 days after each examination, an
18initial eligibility list shall be posted by the commission
19showing the final grades of the candidates without reference
20to priority of time of examination and subject to claim for
21preference credit.
22    (h) Preferences. The following are preferences:
23        (1) Veteran preference. Persons who were engaged in
24    the military service of the United States for a period of
25    at least one year of active duty and who were honorably
26    discharged therefrom, or who are now or have been members

 

 

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

 

 

SB2150 Enrolled- 54 -LRB102 17130 RLC 22561 b

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

 

 

SB2150 Enrolled- 55 -LRB102 17130 RLC 22561 b

1        (6) Residency preference. Applicants whose principal
2    residence is located within the fire department's
3    jurisdiction may be preferred for appointment to and
4    employment with the fire department.
5        (7) Additional preferences. Up to 5 additional
6    preference points may be awarded for unique categories
7    based on an applicant's experience or background as
8    identified by the commission.
9        (7.5) Apprentice preferences. A person who has
10    performed fire suppression service for a department as a
11    firefighter apprentice and otherwise meet the
12    qualifications for original appointment as a firefighter
13    specified in this Section are eligible to be awarded up to
14    20 preference points. To qualify for preference points, an
15    applicant shall have completed a minimum of 600 hours of
16    fire suppression work on a regular shift for the affected
17    fire department over a 12-month period. The fire
18    suppression work must be in accordance with Section 16.06
19    of this Act and the terms established by a Joint
20    Apprenticeship Committee included in a collective
21    bargaining agreement agreed between the employer and its
22    certified bargaining agent. An eligible applicant must
23    apply to the Joint Apprenticeship Committee for preference
24    points under this item. The Joint Apprenticeship Committee
25    shall evaluate the merit of the applicant's performance,
26    determine the preference points to be awarded, and certify

 

 

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1    the amount of points awarded to the commissioners. The
2    commissioners may add the certified preference points to
3    the final grades achieved by the applicant on the other
4    components of the examination.
5        (8) Scoring of preferences. The commission shall give
6    preference for original appointment to persons designated
7    in item (1) by adding to the final grade that they receive
8    5 points for the recognized preference achieved. The
9    commission may give preference for original appointment to
10    persons designated in item (7.5) by adding to the final
11    grade the amount of points designated by the Joint
12    Apprenticeship Committee as defined in item (7.5). The
13    commission shall determine the number of preference points
14    for each category, except (1) and (7.5). The number of
15    preference points for each category shall range from 0 to
16    5, except item (7.5). In determining the number of
17    preference points, the commission shall prescribe that if
18    a candidate earns the maximum number of preference points
19    in all categories except item (7.5), that number may not
20    be less than 10 nor more than 30. The commission shall give
21    preference for original appointment to persons designated
22    in items (2) through (7) by adding the requisite number of
23    points to the final grade for each recognized preference
24    achieved. The numerical result thus attained shall be
25    applied by the commission in determining the final
26    eligibility list and appointment from the eligibility

 

 

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1    list. The local appointing authority may prescribe the
2    total number of preference points awarded under this
3    Section, but the total number of preference points, except
4    item (7.5), shall not be less than 10 points or more than
5    30 points. Apprentice preference points may be added in
6    addition to other preference points awarded by the
7    commission.
8    No person entitled to any preference shall be required to
9claim the credit before any examination held under the
10provisions of this Section, but the preference shall be given
11after the posting or publication of the initial eligibility
12list or register at the request of a person entitled to a
13credit before any certification or appointments are made from
14the eligibility register, upon the furnishing of verifiable
15evidence and proof of qualifying preference credit. Candidates
16who are eligible for preference credit shall make a claim in
17writing within 10 days after the posting of the initial
18eligibility list, or the claim shall be deemed waived. Final
19eligibility registers shall be established after the awarding
20of verified preference points. However, apprentice preference
21credit earned subsequent to the establishment of the final
22eligibility register may be applied to the applicant's score
23upon certification by the Joint Apprenticeship Committee to
24the commission and the rank order of candidates on the final
25eligibility register shall be adjusted accordingly. All
26employment shall be subject to the commission's initial hire

 

 

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1background review including, but not limited to, criminal
2history, employment history, moral character, oral
3examination, and medical and psychological examinations, all
4on a pass-fail basis. The medical and psychological
5examinations must be conducted last, and may only be performed
6after a conditional offer of employment has been extended.
7    Any person placed on an eligibility list who exceeds the
8age requirement before being appointed to a fire department
9shall remain eligible for appointment until the list is
10abolished, or his or her name has been on the list for a period
11of 2 years. No person who has attained the age of 35 years
12shall be inducted into a fire department, except as otherwise
13provided in this Section.
14    The commission shall strike off the names of candidates
15for original appointment after the names have been on the list
16for more than 2 years.
17    (i) Moral character. No person shall be appointed to a
18fire department unless he or she is a person of good character;
19not a habitual drunkard, a gambler, or a person who has been
20convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude.
21However, no person shall be disqualified from appointment to
22the fire department because of the person's record of
23misdemeanor convictions except those under Sections 11-6,
2411-7, 11-9, 11-14, 11-15, 11-17, 11-18, 11-19, 12-2, 12-6,
2512-15, 14-4, 16-1, 21.1-3, 24-3.1, 24-5, 25-1, 28-3, 31-1,
2631-4, 31-6, 31-7, 32-1, 32-2, 32-3, 32-4, 32-8, and

 

 

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1subsections 1, 6, and 8 of Section 24-1 of the Criminal Code of
21961 or the Criminal Code of 2012, or arrest for any cause
3without conviction thereon. Any such person who is in the
4department may be removed on charges brought for violating
5this subsection and after a trial as hereinafter provided.
6    A classifiable set of the fingerprints of every person who
7is offered employment as a certificated member of an affected
8fire department whether with or without compensation, shall be
9furnished to the Illinois Department of State Police and to
10the Federal Bureau of Investigation by the commission.
11    Whenever a commission is authorized or required by law to
12consider some aspect of criminal history record information
13for the purpose of carrying out its statutory powers and
14responsibilities, then, upon request and payment of fees in
15conformance with the requirements of Section 2605-400 of the
16State Police Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois,
17the Department of State Police is authorized to furnish,
18pursuant to positive identification, the information contained
19in State files as is necessary to fulfill the request.
20    (j) Temporary appointments. In order to prevent a stoppage
21of public business, to meet extraordinary exigencies, or to
22prevent material impairment of the fire department, the
23commission may make temporary appointments, to remain in force
24only until regular appointments are made under the provisions
25of this Section, but never to exceed 60 days. No temporary
26appointment of any one person shall be made more than twice in

 

 

SB2150 Enrolled- 60 -LRB102 17130 RLC 22561 b

1any calendar year.
2    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
3questions or answers before a written examination, or
4otherwise knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of
5this Section, commits a violation of this Section and may be
6subject to charges 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. 100-252, eff. 8-22-17; 101-489, eff. 8-23-19;
13revised 11-26-19.)
 
14    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
15becoming law.