HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-15-2013 Civil Service CommissionAGENDA
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Friday, November 15, 2013
8:15 AM
City Manager's Conference Room
City Hall
410 E. Washington St.
Iowa City, IA
1. Entry level Firefighter testing
2. Old business
3. New business
Any late handouts will be included in the meeting minutes.
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Date: November 13, 2013
To: Civil Service Commission
From: Karen Jennings, Human Resources Administrator
Re: Entry Level Firefighter Test
The certified hiring list for the position of Firefighter was certified on January 4, 2011. Because the list is
approximately three years old and nearly exhausted, I am recommending that we test for this position and
certify a new list. The process being recommended is the same process that was used successfully in our
last recruitment and is briefly described below.
Written Test: I recommend use of an entry-level Firefighter test developed by the International Public
Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR). The test includes questions in the following
content areas: reading comprehension, interpreting tables, situational judgment, logical reasoning, reading
gauges, basic math, mechanical aptitude, spatial sense, map reading, and vocabulary. The test is based on
a thorough job analysis and is designed to comprehensively measure the critical knowledge, skills, abilities,
and personal characteristics of candidates. The approximately 70 candidates with the highest passing
scores will be eligible to participate in the physical fitness test.
Physical Fitness Test: The Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT) is a nationally recognized fitness test in
the fire industry which is jointly endorsed by the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) and the
International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC). The CPAT must be administered by licensed agencies and
individuals. The job of a Firefighter requires high levels of cardiopulmonary endurance, muscular strength
and muscular endurance. The CPAT consists of eight critical physical tasks that simulate actual job duties
on the fire ground (stair climb, hose drag, equipment carry, ladder raise and extension, forcible entry,
search, rescue, ceiling breach and pull). This is a pass/fail test based on a validated maximum total time of
10 minutes and 20 seconds.
CPAT administration protocols require that we host a candidate orientation session eight weeks prior to the
test and two practice sessions within thirty days preceding the test where candidates can familiarize
themselves with the components of the test. Candidates will also be provided a CPAT Preparation Guide.
The City will accept written verification of a passing CPAT score from a licensed CPAT agency in lieu of
requiring the candidate to re -take the CPAT as long as the test was administered no earlier than April 15,
2013. Candidates must successfully pass the CPAT or provide acceptable documentation of a passing
CPAT score from another licensed agency to be eligible to continue to the interview phase of the testing
process.
Oral Interviews: Interviews will be scheduled for all candidates who score in the approximate top 70 from
the written test and who successfully complete the CPAT phase of testing. Interviews will be scheduled for
40 minutes and will follow a structured interview format with an interview panel consisting of Human
Resources Division and Fire Department command staff. This process could take up to two weeks followed
by panel discussion and review of driving records and employment references to determine the composition
of the list.
The process will result in a rank ordered list of candidates will be recommended to the Commission for
certification.
Following is a tentative schedule. Once the process has been approved we will contact the facilities where
we conduct the tests to finalize availability. It is possible that we may need to adjust the timeframe if
scheduling conflicts develop.
November 13, 2013
Page 2
Application period:
CPAT orientation/practice:
Written test/CPAT:
Interviews/Certification of list:
4-6 weeks beginning
January - February
March
April
in November or December
I look forward to discussing this process with you at your meeting. In the meantime, please contact me at
356-5025 with any questions.