Evansville Fire Commission approves 70% cut score on 301 written exam for this hiring cycle

The Evansville Fire Commission voted May 13 to set the written-exam passing score at 70% on the 301 test for the current hiring cycle, and to allow all candidates who pass the written exam to proceed to the oral interview phase.

The commission’s decision, made during the body’s May meeting, responds to a sharp increase in applicants and discussion among commissioners and staff about test difficulty and fairness. The vote carried with all four commissioners present voting in favor.

Commission context and why it matters: The commission and department are preparing for a June testing date and a summer hiring sequence. Department leaders said using the 301 test with a 70% cutoff and distributing the test-specific study guide in advance will broaden the pool of candidates who qualify for interviews while maintaining a standard intended to identify suitable hires.

Chief Garrett reported recruitment and training updates ahead of the decision, saying, “They are finishing up their fire training at the end of this month, and they will begin their EMT portion of that training on June 2.” Garrett added that four recruits already hold National Registry EMT certification and will be assigned to stations immediately rather than attend EMT instruction. He also reported two recent retirements, naming Timmy Lander (36 years of service) and Brian Singer (28 years of service). The chief said the department received 391 applicants for the current recruitment cycle; about 220 had signed up by the mid‑May sign‑up deadline.

Discussion: Commissioners and staff debated whether to keep an 80% cutoff used in a prior cycle or lower it for this cycle. Staff and one commissioner noted the 301 test’s median score is near 70 and that a study guide will be available to applicants. Commissioners said lowering the cut score to 70% would increase the number of candidates advancing to interviews but allow more people a fair chance to demonstrate suitability in oral and practical stages. One commissioner noted that in a past cycle a candidate scored highly on the written exam but performed poorly in the oral interview, arguing that interviews are essential to assess job fit beyond test performance.

Votes at a glance: • Approve written exam cut score and test version — Motion: set the written-exam cut score at 70% using the 301 test for this hiring cycle; candidates who pass the written exam will advance to oral interviews. Mover: not specified; Second: not specified. Tally: yes 4, no 0. Outcome: approved. • Approve claim to BLS Entertainment — Motion: approve a $1,000 claim to BLS Entertainment for recruitment advertising on radio station WBO. Mover: not specified; Second: not specified. Tally: yes 4, no 0. Outcome: approved. • Approve minutes from April meeting — Motion: approve April minutes. Mover: not specified; Second: not specified. Tally: yes 4, no 0. Outcome: approved. • Present individual citation(s) — Motion: approve presenting an individual citation recommended by the merit awards committee (scheduling of presentation to be determined). Mover: not specified; Second: not specified. Tally: yes 4, no 0. Outcome: approved.

Other details and next steps: Staff said the written test is scheduled for June 14 and that the study guide from the testing company will be provided in advance so candidates have time to prepare. Commissioners agreed to revisit whether to set a formal cut score for the oral interviews at a later meeting; oral interviews are planned for July. The commission’s next regular meeting was discussed as June 10.

The meeting also included routine personnel notes and discipline items recorded by the chief: two verbal warnings for lateness (April 11 and April 21) and the two retirements noted above. The union’s local leadership reported the outcome of an internal election: Kenneth Jackson Jr. won the Local 357 vote and will be sworn in before the commission’s next meeting.