Civil Service panel allows two applicants to test, credits alternate answers after exam appeals

The Civil Service Commission voted to validate the Feb. 2, 2026 fire driver promotional exam and to address multiple appeals that arose from inconsistent source material and confusing SOG wording.

Staff reported that two applicants said they had submitted applications online but the new two-step account-and-apply system produced no confirmation emails or stored applications in the vendor portal. Staff said the local rule (section 39) requires an application at least five days before the exam but noted this was the first time the commission used the electronic application process. Staff had allowed the two applicants to sit for the exam while seeking commission guidance; the commission approved a motion to validate those applications and add the eligible candidate(s) to the eligibility list (staff stated the eligible candidate would be placed in spot number 9 if approved). The motion to approve those agenda items passed by voice vote.

The commission then considered appeals to two exam questions. For question 17, staff provided the source page and the test writer’s response that C was the keyed answer. Multiple printings of the cited book (the transcript records identical ISBNs but differing printings) show different wording for the same passage (one printing uses the word “angle,” another uses “length”), creating ambiguity. The fire chief and representatives urged credit for both A and C or, alternatively, striking the question. Staff presented answer-selection statistics showing about 92% of the 25 candidates selected either A or C. After discussion the commission voted to accept both A and C as correct for question 17; one member registered opposition to that outcome on the record.

For question 88 (vehicle extrication), staff noted 24 of 25 testers selected D while the keyed answer was B. Reviewers identified confusing SOG wording (the blank read as either "3 quarter" or "1 3 quarter"), and local practice uses a 1 3/4-inch hose. The commission accepted credit for both B and D and directed staff to rewrite the SOG language to clarify the intended hose size and prevent recurrence.

Josh Kemp, president of the Firefighters Association, thanked staff for allowing testing to proceed and urged the commission to place qualified candidates on the eligibility list. Patrick Brody, the fire chief, said he "fully support[s] the recommendation of the association and HR" to add the affected candidates to the list. Garrett Luca and other commenters argued the inconsistent source material undermined the fairness of single-best-answer testing.

The commission’s actions change scoring and the promotion-eligibility list for some candidates; members noted that adjusting credit or tossing questions will alter ranks and could cause some candidates to gain or lose promoted status. Staff said the vendor and internal checkpoints will be improved and the applicant system will be changed for future exams.