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Franklin Fire Merit Commission approves new firefighter hiring process
Summary
The Franklin Fire Merit Commission voted to begin a new hiring cycle after officials said the current eligibility list is exhausted and several candidates lack required certifications.
The Franklin Fire Merit Commission voted March 10 to open a new hiring process for firefighter positions after commissioners and department leaders said the existing eligibility list no longer contains qualified candidates.
The vote followed a presentation from the Fire Chief that the most-recent qualified candidate on the department’s list had already received a conditional job offer and that the remaining people on the list lacked required credentials. "No. I did make a conditional job offer for our last opening with the last cadet that was qualified to get a job offer," the Fire Chief said.
Commission President Kathy Stoles said the commission needed to act now to avoid being short staffed if retirements or unexpected medical separations occur. Attorney Mike Kyle described procedural steps and timelines for restarting testing and candidate screening: "If the commission were to approve going forward, I think we start the hiring process immediately. I think it starts with the call to TPIS, then after that's made, figuring out what the schedule's gonna look like." The commission instructed staff to contact the testing agency to arrange a timeline for testing and selection.
Department and commission members described the certification and screening requirements candidates must meet before hire: Firefighter I and II certifications, emergency medical technician (EMT) certification, the Candidate Physical Ability Test (CPAT), a state physical and a psychological exam. Commissioners said candidates may take written and oral tests before holding certifications but must possess the listed credentials by the time a conditional offer becomes final.
Commissioners noted timeline constraints. The chief said the current list was approved Feb. 12, 2024, and that those candidates had one year to complete required certifications; the department must now start a new process sooner than typical to replenish the pipeline. Commissioners also discussed removing persistently unqualified or uninterested applicants from the eligibility list and agreed to table a formal plan to change list-handling rules to the next meeting.
The motion to begin a new hiring process passed after a motion and second; those voting in the affirmative were recorded as "aye" on the public roll call.
The commission will return with a timeline from the testing vendor and with a formal proposal on how to handle removal of unqualified applicants at the next meeting.
