Civil service commission voids firefighter eligibility list, plans new recruitment and free test

The Spokane Civil Service Commission voted Jan. 21 to void the current firefighter eligible list and restart recruitment to create a single, clearer cycle for applicants.

Chief Examiner Kelsey Pearson told commissioners the city completed hiring for a March academy with 18 new firefighters, and said more than half of the existing eligible list declined interviews during the most recent hiring round. “We’re going to spend the rest of this year building and bringing back that testing process in house,” Pearson said, adding that the department and Local 29 are supportive.

The commission relied on an administrative rule to authorize the move. Pearson cited Rule 4, Section 14 — which allows the commission to void an eligible list after it has been in effect for one year — and recommended voiding the current continuous list established in 2021. She said the continuous recruitment that closed in April 2024 became difficult to manage after the agency changed list-duration rules from 24 months to 12 months.

Commission discussion described the action as a “restart” designed to reduce confusion for candidates and staff. Pearson said the city will reopen recruitment in April, administer a free test in May, and deliver a list to the fire department after Labor Day so hiring would likely resume in the fall. She said everyone removed by the voiding will be notified and provided information about the next round.

The commission moved and seconded the resolution to void the list and approved it by voice vote.

What it means: Voiding the list ends the existing continuous eligible roster and creates a single, synchronized application and testing timeline so candidates will enter and age off the list on the same 12‑month cycle. Pearson said the change aims to curb candidate attrition that occurred when potential hires did not know when the next vacancy or academy would be.

Timeline and next steps: The commission’s staff plans to open a new recruitment in April 2025, offer a free public safety test in May, and provide the finalized eligible list to the Spokane Fire Department after Labor Day 2025. No significant hiring is expected until that new cycle is complete.

Votes at a glance: Resolution 2025-02, void firefighter eligible list — approved by voice vote.

Notes: The chief examiner also said the city signed a three-year contract for police testing with the private vendor Public Safety Testing while planning to bring firefighter entry testing back in-house over the coming year.