City of Chester committee reviews updated civil service rules to modernize police and fire hiring

The City of Chester Public Safety Committee on Monday reviewed a proposed update to the city’s civil service rules and regulations governing hiring for police and fire departments, replacing rules last adopted in 1990 and 1993.

The presenter told the committee the updated 25-page draft corrects outdated, potentially discriminatory language and aligns the city’s hiring procedures with federal, state and local law. “These rules and regulations are woefully outdated,” the presenter said, pointing to an older provision that, in Section 303, used the phrase “every male eligible for the position.” The presenter added, “If we did, we’d be in a world of lawsuits,” and said the draft was vetted by the Civil Service Commission, the police and fire departments, human resources and city legal counsel.

Committee members were briefed on application and qualification requirements: openings will be publicized with at least 30 days to apply and applicants must supply documentation such as an I-9, a high-school diploma or GED, a valid motor-vehicle operator’s license…