HB4508 EngrossedLRB101 18666 AWJ 68121 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 10-1-7.2 and 10-2.1-6.4 as follows:
 
6    (65 ILCS 5/10-1-7.2)
7    Sec. 10-1-7.2. Alternative procedure; original
8appointment; full-time firefighter.
9    (a) Authority. The Joint Labor and Management Committee
10(JLMC), as defined in Section 50 of the Fire Department
11Promotion Act, may establish a community outreach program to
12market the profession of firefighter and firefighter-paramedic
13so as to ensure the pool of applicants recruited is of broad
14diversity and the highest quality. Nothing in this Section
15requires that the Joint Labor and Management Committee
16establish or operate the community outreach program or master
17register of eligibles, or to contract with a testing agency to
18establish or operate such program or register, unless the Joint
19Labor and Management Committee chooses to do so.
20    For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" means any
21person who has been prior to, on, or after the effective date
22of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly appointed
23to a fire department or fire protection district or employed by

 

 

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

 

 

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1        Any person currently employed as a full-time member of
2    a fire department or any person who has experienced a
3    non-voluntary (and non-disciplinary) separation from the
4    active workforce due to a reduction in the number of
5    departmental officers, who was appointed pursuant to this
6    Division, Division 2.1 of Article 10 of the Illinois
7    Municipal Code, or the Fire Protection District Act, and
8    who during the previous 24 months participated in and
9    received a passing score on the physical ability and mental
10    aptitude components of the test may request that his or her
11    name be added to the master register. Any eligible person
12    may be offered employment by a local commission under the
13    same procedures as provided by this Section except that the
14    apprenticeship period may be waived and the applicant may
15    be immediately issued a certificate of original
16    appointment by the local commission.
17    (c) Qualifications for placement on register of eligibles.
18The purpose for establishing a master register of eligibles
19shall be to identify applicants who possess and demonstrate the
20mental aptitude and physical ability to perform the duties
21required of members of the fire department in order to provide
22the highest quality of service to the public. To this end, all
23applicants for original appointment to an affected fire
24department through examination conducted by the Joint Labor and
25Management Committee (JLMC) shall be subject to examination and
26testing which shall be public, competitive, and open to all

 

 

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1applicants. Any examination and testing procedure utilized
2under subsection (e) of this Section shall be supported by
3appropriate validation evidence and shall comply with all
4applicable state and federal laws. Any subjective component of
5the testing must be administered by certified assessors. All
6qualifying and disqualifying factors applicable to examination
7processes for local commissions in this amendatory Act of the
897th General Assembly shall be applicable to persons
9participating in Joint Labor and Management Committee
10examinations unless specifically provided otherwise in this
11Section.
12    Notice of the time, place, general scope, and fee of every
13JLMC examination shall be given by the JLMC or designated
14testing agency, as applicable, by publication at least 30 days
15preceding the examination, in one or more newspapers published
16in the region, or if no newspaper is published therein, then in
17one or more newspapers with a general circulation within the
18region. The JLMC may publish the notice on the JLMC's Internet
19website. Additional notice of the examination may be given as
20the JLMC shall prescribe.
21    (d) Examination and testing components for placement on
22register of eligibles. The examination and qualifying
23standards for placement on the master register of eligibles and
24employment shall be based on the following components: mental
25aptitude, physical ability, preferences, moral character, and
26health. The mental aptitude, physical ability, and preference

 

 

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

 

 

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1functions associated with duties that a firefighter may be
2called upon to perform in response to emergency calls. The
3frequency of the occurrence of those duties as part of the fire
4department's regular routine shall not be a controlling factor
5in the design of examination criteria or evolutions selected
6for testing. These physical examinations shall be open,
7competitive, and based on industry standards designed to test
8each applicant's physical abilities in each of the following
9dimensions:
10        (1) Muscular strength to perform tasks and evolutions
11    that may be required in the performance of duties including
12    grip strength, leg strength, and arm strength. Tests shall
13    be conducted under anaerobic as well as aerobic conditions
14    to test both the candidate's speed and endurance in
15    performing tasks and evolutions. Tasks tested are to be
16    based on industry standards developed by the JLMC by rule.
17        (2) The ability to climb ladders, operate from heights,
18    walk or crawl in the dark along narrow and uneven surfaces,
19    and operate in proximity to hazardous 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    (g) Scoring of examination components. The examination
5components shall be graded on a 100-point scale. A person's
6position on the master register of eligibles shall be
7determined by the person's score on the written examination,
8the person successfully passing the physical ability
9component, and the addition of any applicable preference
10points.
11    Applicants who have achieved at least the minimum score on
12the written examination, as set by the JLMC, and who
13successfully pass the physical ability examination shall be
14placed on the initial eligibility register. Minimum scores
15should be set by the JLMC so as to demonstrate a candidate's
16ability to perform the essential functions of the job. The
17minimum score set by the JLMC shall be supported by appropriate
18validation evidence and shall comply with all applicable State
19and federal laws. Applicable preference points shall be added
20to the written examination scores for all applicants who
21qualify for the initial eligibility register. Applicants who
22score at or above the minimum passing score as set by the JLMC,
23including any applicable preference points, shall be placed on
24the master register of eligibles by the JLMC.
25    These persons shall take rank upon the register as
26candidates in the order of their relative excellence based on

 

 

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1the highest to the lowest total points scored on the mental
2aptitude and physical ability components, plus any applicable
3preference points requested and verified by the JLMC, or
4approved testing agency.
5    No more than 60 days after each examination, a revised
6master register of eligibles shall be posted by the JLMC
7showing the final grades of the candidates without reference to
8priority of time of examination.
9    (h) Preferences. The board shall give military, education,
10and experience preference points to those who qualify for
11placement on the master register of eligibles, on the same
12basis as provided for examinations administered by a local
13commission.
14    No person entitled to preference or credit shall be
15required to claim the credit before any examination held under
16the provisions of this Section. The preference shall be given
17after the posting or publication of the applicant's initial
18score at the request of the person before finalizing the scores
19from all applicants taking part in a JLMC examination.
20Candidates who are eligible for preference credit shall make a
21claim in writing within 10 days after the posting of the
22initial scores from any JLMC test or the claim shall be deemed
23waived. Once preference points are awarded, the candidates
24shall be certified to the master register in accordance with
25their final score including preference points.
26    (i) Firefighter apprentice and firefighter-paramedic

 

 

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

 

 

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1the position of firefighter apprentice or
2firefighter-paramedic apprentice.
3    Applicants passing these tests may be employed as a
4firefighter apprentice or a firefighter-paramedic apprentice
5who shall serve an apprenticeship period of 12 months or less
6according to the terms and conditions of employment as the
7employing municipality or district offers, or as provided for
8under the terms of any collective bargaining agreement then in
9effect. The apprenticeship period is separate from the
10probationary period.
11    Service during the apprenticeship period shall be on a
12probationary basis. During the apprenticeship period, the
13apprentice's training and performance shall be monitored and
14evaluated by a Joint Apprenticeship Committee.
15    The Joint Apprenticeship Committee shall consist of 4
16members who shall be regular members of the fire department
17with at least 10 years of full-time work experience as a
18firefighter or firefighter-paramedic. The fire chief and the
19president of the exclusive bargaining representative
20recognized by the employer shall each appoint 2 members to the
21Joint Apprenticeship Committee. In the absence of an exclusive
22collective bargaining representative, the chief shall appoint
23the remaining 2 members who shall be from the ranks of company
24officer and firefighter with at least 10 years of work
25experience as a firefighter or firefighter-paramedic. In the
26absence of a sufficient number of qualified firefighters, the

 

 

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1Joint Apprenticeship Committee members shall have the amount of
2experience and the type of qualifications as is reasonable
3given the circumstances of the fire department. In the absence
4of a full-time member in a rank between chief and the highest
5rank in a bargaining unit, the Joint Apprenticeship Committee
6shall be reduced to 2 members, one to be appointed by the chief
7and one by the union president, if any. If there is no
8exclusive bargaining representative, the chief shall appoint
9the second member of the Joint Apprenticeship Committee from
10among qualified members in the ranks of company officer and
11below. Before the conclusion of the apprenticeship period, the
12Joint Apprenticeship Committee shall meet to consider the
13apprentice's progress and performance and vote to retain the
14apprentice as a member of the fire department or to terminate
15the apprenticeship. If 3 of the 4 members of the Joint
16Apprenticeship Committee affirmatively vote to retain the
17apprentice (if a 2 member Joint Apprenticeship Committee
18exists, then both members must affirmatively vote to retain the
19apprentice), the local commission shall issue the apprentice a
20certificate of original appointment to the fire department.
21    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
22questions or answers before a written examination, or otherwise
23knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of this Section,
24commits a violation of this Section and may be subject to
25charges for official misconduct.
26    A person who is the knowing recipient of test information

 

 

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1in advance of the examination shall be disqualified from the
2examination or discharged from the position to which he or she
3was appointed, as applicable, and otherwise subjected to
4disciplinary actions.
5    (l) Applicability. This Section does not apply to a
6municipality with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants.
7(Source: P.A. 97-251, eff. 8-4-11; 97-898, eff. 8-6-12; 98-760,
8eff. 7-16-14.)
 
9    (65 ILCS 5/10-2.1-6.4)
10    Sec. 10-2.1-6.4. Alternative procedure; original
11appointment; full-time firefighter.
12    (a) Authority. The Joint Labor and Management Committee
13(JLMC), as defined in Section 50 of the Fire Department
14Promotion Act, may establish a community outreach program to
15market the profession of firefighter and firefighter-paramedic
16so as to ensure the pool of applicants recruited is of broad
17diversity and the highest quality. Nothing in this Section
18requires that the Joint Labor and Management Committee
19establish or operate the community outreach program or master
20register of eligibles, or to contract with a testing agency to
21establish or operate such program or register, unless the Joint
22Labor and Management Committee chooses to do so.
23    For the purposes of this Section, "firefighter" means any
24person who has been prior to, on, or after the effective date
25of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly appointed

 

 

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

 

 

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1    struck from the list.
2        Any person currently employed as a full-time member of
3    a fire department or any person who has experienced a
4    non-voluntary (and non-disciplinary) separation from the
5    active workforce due to a reduction in the number of
6    departmental officers, who was appointed pursuant to
7    Division 1 of Article 10 of the Illinois Municipal Code,
8    Division 2.1 of Article 10 of the Illinois Municipal Code,
9    or the Fire Protection District Act, and who during the
10    previous 24 months participated in and received a passing
11    score on the physical ability and mental aptitude
12    components of the test may request that his or her name be
13    added to the master register. Any eligible person may be
14    offered employment by a local commission under the same
15    procedures as provided by this Section except that the
16    apprenticeship period may be waived and the applicant may
17    be immediately issued a certificate of original
18    appointment by the local commission.
19    (c) Qualifications for placement on register of eligibles.
20The purpose for establishing a master register of eligibles
21shall be to identify applicants who possess and demonstrate the
22mental aptitude and physical ability to perform the duties
23required of members of the fire department in order to provide
24the highest quality of service to the public. To this end, all
25applicants for original appointment to an affected fire
26department through examination conducted by the Joint Labor and

 

 

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1Management Committee (JLMC) shall be subject to examination and
2testing which shall be public, competitive, and open to all
3applicants. Any examination and testing procedure utilized
4under subsection (e) of this Section shall be supported by
5appropriate validation evidence and shall comply with all
6applicable state and federal laws. Any subjective component of
7the testing must be administered by certified assessors. All
8qualifying and disqualifying factors applicable to examination
9processes for local commissions in this amendatory Act of the
1097th General Assembly shall be applicable to persons
11participating in Joint Labor and Management Committee
12examinations unless specifically provided otherwise in this
13Section.
14    Notice of the time, place, general scope, and fee of every
15JLMC examination shall be given by the JLMC or designated
16testing agency, as applicable, by a publication at least 30
17days preceding the examination, in one or more newspapers
18published in the region, or if no newspaper is published
19therein, then in one or more newspapers with a general
20circulation within the region. The JLMC may publish the notice
21on the JLMC's Internet website. Additional notice of the
22examination may be given as the JLMC shall prescribe.
23    (d) Examination and testing components for placement on
24register of eligibles. The examination and qualifying
25standards for placement on the master register of eligibles and
26employment shall be based on the following components: mental

 

 

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

 

 

HB4508 Engrossed- 17 -LRB101 18666 AWJ 68121 b

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

 

 

HB4508 Engrossed- 18 -LRB101 18666 AWJ 68121 b

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

 

 

HB4508 Engrossed- 19 -LRB101 18666 AWJ 68121 b

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

 

 

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

 

 

HB4508 Engrossed- 21 -LRB101 18666 AWJ 68121 b

1to offer employment to any person on the list irrespective of
2their ranking on the list. The offer of employment shall be to
3the position of firefighter apprentice or
4firefighter-paramedic apprentice.
5    Applicants passing these tests may be employed as a
6firefighter apprentice or a firefighter-paramedic apprentice
7who shall serve an apprenticeship period of 12 months or less
8according to the terms and conditions of employment as the
9employing municipality or district offers, or as provided for
10under the terms of any collective bargaining agreement then in
11effect. The apprenticeship period is separate from the
12probationary period.
13    Service during the apprenticeship period shall be on a
14probationary basis. During the apprenticeship period, the
15apprentice's training and performance shall be monitored and
16evaluated by a Joint Apprenticeship Committee.
17    The Joint Apprenticeship Committee shall consist of 4
18members who shall be regular members of the fire department
19with at least 10 years of full-time work experience as a
20firefighter or firefighter-paramedic. The fire chief and the
21president of the exclusive bargaining representative
22recognized by the employer shall each appoint 2 members to the
23Joint Apprenticeship Committee. In the absence of an exclusive
24collective bargaining representative, the chief shall appoint
25the remaining 2 members who shall be from the ranks of company
26officer and firefighter with at least 10 years of work

 

 

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1experience as a firefighter or firefighter-paramedic. In the
2absence of a sufficient number of qualified firefighters, the
3Joint Apprenticeship Committee members shall have the amount of
4experience and the type of qualifications as is reasonable
5given the circumstances of the fire department. In the absence
6of a full-time member in a rank between chief and the highest
7rank in a bargaining unit, the Joint Apprenticeship Committee
8shall be reduced to 2 members, one to be appointed by the chief
9and one by the union president, if any. If there is no
10exclusive bargaining representative, the chief shall appoint
11the second member of the Joint Apprenticeship Committee from
12among qualified members in the ranks of company officer and
13below. Before the conclusion of the apprenticeship period, the
14Joint Apprenticeship Committee shall meet to consider the
15apprentice's progress and performance and vote to retain the
16apprentice as a member of the fire department or to terminate
17the apprenticeship. If 3 of the 4 members of the Joint
18Apprenticeship Committee affirmatively vote to retain the
19apprentice (if a 2 member Joint Apprenticeship Committee
20exists, then both members must affirmatively vote to retain the
21apprentice), the local commission shall issue the apprentice a
22certificate of original appointment to the fire department.
23    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
24questions or answers before a written examination, or otherwise
25knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of this Section,
26commits a violation of this Section and may be subject to

 

 

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1charges for official misconduct.
2    A person who is the knowing recipient of test information
3in advance of the examination shall be disqualified from the
4examination or discharged from the position to which he or she
5was appointed, as applicable, and otherwise subjected to
6disciplinary actions.
7    (l) Applicability. This Section does not apply to a
8municipality with more than 1,000,000 inhabitants.
9(Source: P.A. 97-251, eff. 8-4-11; 97-898, eff. 8-6-12; 98-760,
10eff. 7-16-14.)
 
11    Section 10. The Fire Protection District Act is amended by
12changing Section 16.06c as follows:
 
13    (70 ILCS 705/16.06c)
14    Sec. 16.06c. Alternative procedure; original appointment;
15full-time firefighter.
16    (a) Authority. The Joint Labor and Management Committee
17(JLMC), as defined in Section 50 of the Fire Department
18Promotion Act, may establish a community outreach program to
19market the profession of firefighter and firefighter-paramedic
20so as to ensure the pool of applicants recruited is of broad
21diversity and the highest quality. Nothing in this Section
22requires that the Joint Labor and Management Committee
23establish or operate the community outreach program or master
24register of eligibles, or to contract with a testing agency to

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1mental aptitude and physical ability to perform the duties
2required of members of the fire department in order to provide
3the highest quality of service to the public. To this end, all
4applicants for original appointment to an affected fire
5department through examination conducted by the Joint Labor and
6Management Committee (JLMC) shall be subject to examination and
7testing which shall be public, competitive, and open to all
8applicants. Any examination and testing procedure utilized
9under subsection (e) of this Section shall be supported by
10appropriate validation evidence and shall comply with all
11applicable state and federal laws. Any subjective component of
12the testing must be administered by certified assessors. All
13qualifying and disqualifying factors applicable to examination
14processes for local commissions in this amendatory Act of the
1597th General Assembly shall be applicable to persons
16participating in Joint Labor and Management Committee
17examinations unless specifically provided otherwise in this
18Section.
19    Notice of the time, place, general scope, and fee of every
20JLMC examination shall be given by the JLMC or designated
21testing agency, as applicable, by a publication at least 30
22days preceding the examination, in one or more newspapers
23published in the region, or if no newspaper is published
24therein, then in one or more newspapers with a general
25circulation within the region. The JLMC may publish the notice
26on the JLMC's Internet website. Additional notice of the

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

HB4508 Engrossed- 30 -LRB101 18666 AWJ 68121 b

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

 

 

HB4508 Engrossed- 31 -LRB101 18666 AWJ 68121 b

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

 

 

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

 

 

HB4508 Engrossed- 33 -LRB101 18666 AWJ 68121 b

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

 

 

HB4508 Engrossed- 34 -LRB101 18666 AWJ 68121 b

1certificate of original appointment to the fire department.
2    (k) A person who knowingly divulges or receives test
3questions or answers before a written examination, or otherwise
4knowingly violates or subverts any requirement of this Section,
5commits a violation of this Section and may be subject to
6charges for official misconduct.
7    A person who is the knowing recipient of test information
8in advance of the examination shall be disqualified from the
9examination or discharged from the position to which he or she
10was appointed, as applicable, and otherwise subjected to
11disciplinary actions.
12(Source: P.A. 97-251, eff. 8-4-11; 97-898, eff. 8-6-12; 98-760,
13eff. 7-16-14.)