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HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-23-2014 Civil Service CommissionCIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Wednesday, April 23, 2014 8:00 AM City Manager's Conference Room City Hall 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 1. Certification of hiring list for position of Firefighter 2. Entry level Police Officer testing 3. Old business 4. New business Any late handouts will be included in the meeting minutes. I r r C71mR CITY OF 1OVVA Date: April 21, 2014 To: Civil Service Commission \ From: Karen Jennings, Human Resources Administrator Y /t Re: Entry Level Police Test C 1 1 Y U 1\4 The certified list for the position of Police Officer has reached the end of its useful life, and I recommend that we test for this position and certify a new hiring list. After consultation with Police Department command staff, I am recommending a multi -part process that will culminate with the certification of a list. This recommendation is based on a process has been successfully used in the past, and we are hopeful that it will result in a large interview pool from which to recommend a hiring list for certification. Written Test: I recommend use of the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) which is required for acceptance into the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) and the most widely used entry level written test in the state of Iowa. The test includes four sections (arithmetic, reading comprehension, identification of grammar/punctuation/spelling errors, and writing skills) designed to measure cognitive skill critical to successfully learning and performing the job of police officer. No prior training or experience in the job of police officer is assumed of candidates taking this test. A passing score of 70% in each test section is required to continue in the process to the physical fitness test. The POST will be proctored by City of Iowa City Human Resources staff certified as test proctors by the ILEA. Because the POST is used statewide and a database of test scores is maintained by Stanard and Associates, Inc., I recommend accepting passing POST scores for exams administered within one year of anticipated certification of a hiring list. Candidates with such a score on file will be allowed to proceed immediately to the physical fitness test. Physical Fitness Test: All candidates passing the POST test will be considered eligible to participate in the physical fitness test. I recommend we continue to use the physical test regimen established as a pre- employment standard by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Council. The test is administered on a pass/fail basis and consists of the following: (1) sit and reach; (2) sit-ups; (3) push-ups; (4) one and one- half (1.5) mile run. Eligible candidates who provide acceptable documentation of having successfully completed the ILEA pre -employment physical test regimen administered by another law enforcement agency in the state of Iowa within three months preceding Iowa City's test date will be allowed to proceed to the oral interview phase of the process without having to repeat the fitness test. The POST test and physical fitness test will be administered on the same day in an effort to make the process as convenient for candidates as possible. Oral Interviews: Interviews are scheduled for all candidates who pass the physical fitness test. Interviews are approximately 40 minutes long and follow a structured interview format with the interview panel consisting of Human Resources Division and Police Department staff. This process could take up to two weeks followed by panel discussion and review of driving records, criminal history, employment references, and educational verifications to determine the composition of the list. Certification of Hiring List: A rank order list will then be recommended to the Commission for certification. Hiring Process: Following certification, all offers of employment will be made only to individuals on the list. Any offer of employment is subject to the candidate passing a medical examination (including interpretation of MMPI scores by ILEA) conducted in accordance with the protocols developed by Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System of Iowa (MFPRSI) as mandated by Chapter 411 of the Code of Iowa. April 21, 2014 Page 2 ILEA interpretation of a valid Minnesota Multiphase Personality Inventory (MMPI) will be required of all candidates as part of the post -offer medical examination process and could result in a required follow-up psychological exam. The Minnesota Multiphase Personality Inventory (MMPI) will be administered to all candidates who do not have a valid result on file with the ILEA in conjunction with the medical examination process. City of Iowa City Human Resources staff with valid proctor certifications from ILEA will proctor the MMPI for candidates without a score on file and will then forward the exam to the ILEA for interpretation. Following is a tentative schedule. Once a process has been approved we will contact the facilities where we conduct the tests to determine availability. There is a possibility that we may need to adjust the schedule if facilities are unavailable. Application period: June/July POST test/Physical fitness: August Interviews: September Certification of list: October Background investigations, to be completed prior to an offer being extended, generally take four to six weeks dependent on the number of investigations being conducted, the number of investigators available and the caseloads of those investigators. I look forward to discussing this process with you at your meeting. In the meantime, please contact me at 356-5025 with any questions. Thank you.