Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Promotion Process topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lieutenant candidate Seth Powers wins reinstatement of half education point
Summary
Seth Powers, a lieutenant candidate with the Lawrence City Fire Department, presented documentation showing National Fire Academy credit for a Winter Fire School course and the board reinstated a 0.5 education point in his promotion application after a voice vote.
Seth Powers, a lieutenant candidate with the Lawrence City Fire Department, persuaded the board to reinstate a half education point after producing documentation linking a Winter Fire School course to National Fire Academy credit.
The board had deducted 0.5 points from Powers’s promotion packet because the certification he submitted did not explicitly say "National Fire Academy." Powers presented a folder that included an Acadis student transcript and emails showing the course title "National Fire Academy decision making for initial company officer," given Feb. 17–18, 2024, with 16 hours of instruction. "I have... a student class transcript ... which states National Fire Academy decision making for initial company officer, Winter Fire School 2024, 02/17 and 02/18/2024 with the hours of 16 hours," Powers said while presenting his materials.
Fire department staff explained that the board relied on the certification form it received at the time of application and did not see the NFA designation on that piece of paper, prompting the deduction. "We didn't see anywhere where it said the National Fire Academy, and that's why they deducted half a point," the chief said during the hearing.
After reviewing Powers’s supporting documents and answering questions about dual registration and NETC/NFA credit, the board voted to reinstate the 0.5 point by voice. The chair announced the reinstatement without a roll-call tally.
The reinstatement may affect Powers’s relative standing in the lieutenant promotion process; the board moved on to other appeals and administrative items after the vote.
