Rochester Fire Department Notice of Firefighter Examination Application Period: February 1 to 21, 2023 The Fire Civil Service Commission of Rochester, Minnesota is conducting an examination process for eligible applicants looking to be considered for a Firefighter position. This examination process will be used to establish an eligibility list for future hiring purposes. Eligible candidates will complete a phased testing process consisting of an application, oral interview and assessments. Additional process details and application materials can be found on the City’s employment page: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/rochester/jobs/3869795/firefighter Equal Opportunity Employer (Feb 4, 2023) 189276
The city’s personnel agency bungled a civil service test for promotion to fire lieutenant last year, then botched its corrective action – so now it’s going to score the test for a third time, The Post has learned.
The Department of Citywide Administrative Services posted a list of 1,166 firefighters who passed the test, a major step up the career ladder at the agency.
But it wasn’t long before complaints came in that one of the multiple-choice questions had two correct answers.
So the test was re-scored — only to be messed up again with new scores that made no sense.
“This is total incompetence on the part of DCAS to have to score this three times,” fumed one firefighter who took the test.
“I don’t blame the Fire Department. They are handcuffed by what DCAS does. But when you spent two to three years studying to take a test, you expect the people running the test to also put in the same effort.”
Firefighters say they bombarded the testing agency with dozens of calls to seek another correction.
But DCAS only budged after The Post inquired about the mess.
In the first re-do, DCAS credited everyone who accurately answered the botched question, which dealt with using an elevator during a fire.
But after the revisions, many firefighters were stunned to see their scores go down.
Exam results comprised half an applicant’s score. The other half was tallied off a formula based on a firefighter’s seniority, department awards and, if applicable, military training.
When DCAS added up the scores again, it only counted the test portion without factoring in the rest of the data for all candidates.
Many outraged test-takers aired their gripes on the FDNY Rant website.
“Holy crap. I lost points and dropped 45 names,” posted one firefighter.
“How can DCAS be so incompetent in their jobs?” asked another. “It’s hard to believe.”
DCAS confirmed an internal investigation determined the mistakes were caused by human error, but declined to say whether anyone would be disciplined.
The agency said it is working to correct the issue and will publish a third civil service promotion list to fire lieutenant list by Friday, and mail individual notices to candidates early next week.
Both FDNY and DCAS said the re-scoring will not affect the promotion timetable.
An FDNY spokesman said top scorers would “likely” be notified they’re being promoted in mid-September as planned.
“This was an unusual occurrence and we apologize for any inconvenience,” said a DCAS spokesperson
NORRISTOWN – Applications are now available for those interested in taking the test to be an entry-level firefighter, a civil service position, with the Norristown Fire Department.
Starting Feb. 14, the application will be available at temporary Municipal Hall offices at 1700 Markley St., Suite 104, in Norristown, and online at norristown.org. Applications may be picked up between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
The application, and all other necessary documentation, is required to be completed and submitted at the Office of the Municipal Administrator at the above address before 3 p.m. on April 3, 2023. Completed applications must be accompanied by payment in the amount of $35 to cover the administrative cost of testing. Payment is by check only, made payable to Municipality of Norristown and is non-refundable.
Every applicant for any position in the Fire Department must: (1) possess a diploma from an accredited high school or a graduate equivalency diploma (proof must be provided); (2) be a United States citizen, (3) be 21 years of age by April 3, 2023; (4) be physically and mentally fit to perform the full duties of a firefighter prior to appointment, (5) possess a valid motor vehicle operator’s license issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; (6) be a Pennsylvania State Certified Level II Firefighter or equivalent and have an issued certification number in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1001 consensus standards (PROOF MUST BE PROVIDED); (7) meet National Fire Protection (NFPA) 1002 consensus standards Driver Operator – Pumper Certification, OR both Emergency Vehicle Operator Training (EVOC) and pump operations course.
The written examination will take place on April 12, 2023 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bucks County Public Safety Training Center located at 1760 South Easton Road in Doylestown, Pa.
The studying list/study materials for the written examination consist of:
Firefighter 1: “Essentials of Fire Fighting,” IFSTA, Sixth Edition.;
Firefighter 2: “Essentials of Fire Fighting,” IFSTA, Sixth Edition.;
Hazmat Operations: “Hazardous Materials Awareness and Operations,” Jones and Bartlett, Second Edition.; and Driver Operator Pumper: “Pumping and Aerial Apparatus Driver/Operator Handbook,” IFSTA, Third Edition.
Other mandatory components of the complete testing process are an oral examination, physical agility testing, background check, and medical and psychological examinations. The physical agility testing will be conducted on May 2, 2023 and May 3, 2023 at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Campus, 1175 Conshohocken Road, Conshohocken, PA 19428.
The Municipality of Norristown is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you require any special accommodation in accordance with the Americans With Disabilities Act to complete the testing, please provide evidence of such recognized disability to the Municipal Administrator at the time the application is submitted.
Any questions, please contact Deputy Fire Chief Lockhart at 610-270-2894, or by email at: rlockhart@norristown.org
TROY – The city has discovered that buying new fire engines and ambulances and repairing firehouses is far easier than finding the firefighters required to staff the equipment and fire stations.
The city swore in a new firefighter, Thomas Halpin, Friday morning at City Hall but won’t see him on duty for months. The new firefighter heads off to the Albany Fire Department training academy Tuesday, then will complete his paramedic training at Hudson Valley Community College.
Halpin’s appointment leaves the city down 11 firefighters from its authorized staffing of 120 positions. With retirements, the department could be short 20 firefighters later this year, Chief Eric McMahon said.
The situation has become so serious that it led Mayor Patrick Madden in his State of the City address to say, “Departments across the country are having difficulty filling their ranks and the problem is particularly acute for those that offer emergency medical services.”
The city had required all new firefighters to be certified as paramedics before they could be hired. The city dropped that requirement and will send its newest firefighters to school to be trained as paramedics. In July 2022, U.S. senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand obtained $702,545 to pay for the paramedic training from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.
Madden said the city fire department hopes to be able to fill its vacancies from the 140 people who have signed up to take the firefighter test on Saturday, Feb. 11. The city waived the test fee to encourage participation.
The city had expected to swear in two new firefighters Friday, but one called to say he had decided to join the Saratoga Springs Fire Department instead, McMahon said.
Officials said the city fire department’s call volume of 13,713 calls in 2022, a jump of 11 percent over 2021, and lower salaries than other departments make it difficult to compete.
When it comes to waiving the paramedic requirement, Firefighter Eric Wisher, president of the Troy Uniform Firefighters Association Local 86, said, “They should have done that five to 10 years ago.” Wisher said the union warned city leaders against establishing the paramedic training requirement.
Wisher also criticized the city for not making increased use of videos and other recruiting tools as the police department has done. The police department is currently at full strength with all 137 positions filled.
City Council President Carmella Mantello said the city has to complete a study of the municipality’s ambulance and firefighting needs in an effort to avoid facing the staffing shortages.
TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — The city of Troy is facing a shortage of firefighters, but officials are hopeful that the next firefighter test will bring them a new wave of department members.
Fire Chief Eric McMahon said his firefighters have been working a lot of overtime lately to make sure all shifts are covered. He claims they’re down 10 percent of their workforce, or 12 members. Going into the summer months, retirements are expected, which will lead to more vacancies.
“We could be down as many as 20 members by the time we start our hiring process, and that’s a scary, big number,” McMahon said.
The chief is hopeful that the big pool of people signed up to take the firefighter test on Saturday will help fill the empty spots.
“Right off the bat we’re starting with 144. We’re hoping that all 144 show up, we’re hoping that they all do well, and we have a large number of candidates to choose from,” he explained.
McMahon said many of those test takers will cross-apply in other municipalities. He praised the city administration and his own department’s members for aggressive recruitment measures and spreading the word about their need for applicants.
Nine trainee firefighters have been sacked for cheating in an exam. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said their actions were unacceptable and that it had acted quickly to deal with the situation.
The fire service put its training course at Earlswood Training Centre, Jersey Marine, on hold last November after allegations of cheating were made. Twelve recruits were suspended and an investigation got under way.
A fire service spokesman said: "The internal investigation has now concluded and based on the information provided and the evidence before us, the service has resolved to terminate the employment of nine individuals with immediate effect. You can get more local news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
READ MORE: Neath Port Talbot council investigates claim it has hired a disgraced ex police sergeant
"As a service, we expect our staff to conduct themselves in line with our core values, which set out high levels of expected behaviour. On this occasion, those involved behaved in a manner which is not acceptable and as such, we acted promptly to bring this to an appropriate conclusion."
The training course puts recruits who have passed a selection process through their paces. The fire service's budget for 2023-24 will be £63.2 million, more than £9 million more than currently.
The above-inflation increase was approved by Mid and West Wales Fire Authority, which oversees the service, earlier this month. A report before the authority said trainee firefighters earned £24,191, as of July 2021.
Show more
A small number of qualified firefighters from Mid and West Wales have been sharing their search and rescue expertise in earthquake-damaged Turkey in exact days.
Most Read
Read next:
Seek out jobs where you live:
© Getty Images A dozen recruits were investigated following allegations of cheating
A number of trainee firefighters have been sacked for cheating on their exams, a fire service confirmed.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MWWFRS) said 12 recruits at the Earleswood Training Centre in Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, were previously suspended following allegations of cheating.
An internal investigation found grounds to fire nine of the recruits.
MWWFRS said it expected staff conduct "in line with our core values".
"Those involved behaved in a manner which is not acceptable and as such, we acted promptly to bring this to an appropriate conclusion," a fire service statement added.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters are working to contain a massive fire in Kissimmee, in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida, on Thursday.
The fire broke out at a nursery in the early hours of Thursday, involving more than two acres worth of pallets holding plastic planters, according to emergency authorities.
The pallets at the nursery retail outlet are outdoors, and firefighters are trying to protect the outlet's building from the blaze.
The Osceola County Fire Rescue and EMS said on Thursday noon that "75 firefighters and 21 vehicles continue working to contain the fire entirely, with it expected to be fully contained in the next hour or so."
"We estimate an additional couple of hours of overhaul as there's quite a large mess of melted plastic, etc.," the agency also updated.
Video footage circulating on social media showed flames and plumes of thick, black smoke rising in the air.
Crews have established air monitoring devices and are prepared to issue evacuation orders, if necessary, officials said. No injuries have been reported so far.
The nursery is located about 21 kilometers from Walt Disney World, an entertainment resort complex near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Enditem
