Pocatello Fire chief seeks civil service rule changes to boost paramedic recruitment
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Summary
Fire Chief Ryan O'Hearn proposed adding five points to civil service tests for candidates with national or Idaho paramedic credentials and updating position titles to align with a recent collective bargaining agreement.
Ryan O'Hearn, fire chief, asked the council to consider amending the Pocatello Fire Department's civil service rules ahead of the annual test in January. The substantive proposed addition is five extra points on the civil service test for applicants who hold a National Registry of EMT-Paramedic or Idaho paramedic license, intended to improve recruitment of paramedics.
O'Hearn said the department timed the proposal to follow last year's changes to the pay structure in the collective bargaining agreement so that pay and recruitment incentives align. He also described non-substantive language updates to modernize job titles (for example, driver operator to engineer) and to remove outdated position names. O'Hearn offered to answer council questions about civil service mechanics and implementation.
The council received the proposal; no formal action occurred during the work session and staff will bring the amendments back for consideration ahead of the January testing cycle.