HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-10-07 Civil Service CommissionAgenda
Civil Service Commission
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
10.30 a.m.
City Manager's Conference Room
City Hall
410 E Washington St
Iowa City, IA
1. Certification of promotional list for Deputy Fire
Chief
2. Fire Department promotional testing
If you will need disability -related accommodations in
order to participate in this program/event, please
contact Karen Jennings, Human Resources at 319-
356-5025 or karen-iennings d( iowa-city.orq. Early
requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient
time to meet your access needs.
CITY OF IOWA CITY
MEMORANDUM
Date: October 2, 2025
To: Civil Service Commission
From: Karen Jennings, Human Resources Administrator
Re: Fire Promotional Testing
The certified promotional lists for promotional positions in the fire department expired April 25,
2025, making it necessary to conduct promotional testing for the positions of Battalion Chief, Fire
Captain and Fire Lieutenant. The Iowa Code allows up to ten names to be certified for promotional
positions.
After consulting with Chief Lyon, we recommend a testing process to establish the rank order
promotional lists required by Chapter 400. The minimum requirements and proposed testing
process (including the recommended weighting) for each rank is summarized in the following
table.
Required: 3 years as Firefighter with ICFD
Required: HS diploma or equivalent and
certificate in fire science with a minimum of 18
semester hours of fire science technical
courses and Instructor I and Iowa or National
EMT certification.
Thirty hours of coursework toward Associate's
degree in fire science or related field may
substitute for certificate
Preferred: Experience in public education,
hazardous materials, technical rescue, and
Fire Prevention Bureau
Required: 1 year as Lieutenant with ICFD,
Instructor I, Iowa or National EMT certification
Required: Associate's degree or 60 hours
coursework toward BA in Fire Science or
related field
Preferred: Bachelor's degree, Instructor 11,
experience in public education, hazardous
materials, technical rescue, and Fire
Prevention Bureau and Fire origin and cause
training from State Fire Marshall or National
Fire Academy
Fire Panel interview (40%)
Fire professionals at the rank of Captain or
higher from other Fire Departments.
City Staff Panel interview (60%)
May include administrative staff from City
departments at an Operations Supervisor or
Assistant Division head level or higher,
and/or HR staff.
Fire Panel interview (40%)
Fire professionals at the rank of Battalion
Chief or higher from other Fire Departments.
City Staff Panel interview (60%)
May include administrative staff from City
departments at a Division Head level or
higher, and/or HR staff.
Page 2
Required: 5 years as a company officer with Fire Panel interview (40%)
ICFD; 5 years' experience in fire and safety Fire professionals at the rank of Deputy
operations, Instructor I, and Iowa or National Chief or higher from other Fire Departments.
EMT certification
Required: Bachelor's degree City Staff Panel interview (60%)
May include administrative staff from City
departments at a Department Director level
and/or HR staff.
Preferred: Master's degree, Officer I,
Instructor II and Inspector I certifications, NFA
Executive Fire Officer and 5 years related
experience and/or training
As you can see, we are recommending that a combination of panel interviews be used in the
testing process for all promotional ranks. Failure to achieve a passing score in both panel
interview assessments will result in a candidate not being placed on the recommended
promotional list for the rank being tested.
This is a slight deviation from prior testing recommendations that included the use of assessment
centers. While assessment centers served as an effective evaluation tool in the past, we believe
that a comparable and effective assessment of candidate qualifications and skills can be achieved
with a thorough combination of interview panel assessments. A City administrative panel will
provide an assessment of candidates by staff members with comparative management
responsibility above the rank being tested through the lens of managers and leaders familiar with
the City organization, policies and procedures, and community. A Fire professional panel will
provide an assessment of candidates through the lens of Fire professionals with fire service and
technical expertise who hold a higher rank than the rank being tested. We believe that the
proposed model will not only provide a sufficient assessment of candidate qualifications for
promotion, but also better aligns with today's workplace and provides significant gains in
efficiency.
Staff recommends that City Human Resources staff be authorized to coordinate and administer
the panel interview assessments recommended for all ranks.
Testing is planned to take place in the coming weeks, pending Commission approval. I look
forward to answering any questions at your upcoming meeting.
Please feel free to call me or Chief Lyon if you have any questions
CC: Chief Lyon