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How do I get hired
for an entry-level position with fire and police departments in
the Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service System?
If you wish to be employed in entry-level classified
positions with fire and police departments included in the Louisiana
Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service System, you must submit
an application and any required documentation directly to the municipal
fire and police civil service board in the city or fire protection
district where you wish to be employed. (Applications may be obtained
from the contact person indicated for the jurisdiction as noted
on this website, or may be downloaded directly from this website.
Most boards accept the downloaded version; however, please confirm
with the board in advance to determine whether the downloaded version
will accepted.) Your application will be reviewed by the civil
service board for compliance with the minimum qualifications for
the position, and, based upon the information provided, the board
may approve your admission to the competitive examination. If approved,
you will be informed at least five days in advance of the date,
time and place of the examination. If you receive a passing score
(at least 75%), the civil service board will place your name upon
an eligibility list, which is certified in writing to the appointing
authority. The appointing authority may then select anyone deemed
qualified from the list in accordance with the selection procedures
adopted by the appointing authority (interview, background check,
etc.)
Once you have received a passing score, you may
report your passing score to the board in the city or fire protection
district where you wish be employed. You must, however, submit
an application to the board where you wish to take the test, as
well as to the board in the jurisdiction where you wish to be hired.
Scores may be reported only for the classifications of Police Officer
and Firefighter.
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Do I have to pay a
fee to take a municipal fire and police civil service test?
No.
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If I take an entrance
Police Officer, Firefighter, entry level Police Communications Officer, or entry level Fire Communications Officer test and fail, or simply wish to
improve my score, do I have to wait a specific time period before
taking it again?
No. Because civil service law allows you to take the Police Officer, Firefighter, entry level Police Communications Officer, and entry level Fire Communications Officer tests in one jurisdiction and report your score to others, these exams can be taken as often as they are given. This, of course, is provided that your application is submitted to the respective civil service boards for whom the tests are being given, and approval to take the respective exam has been given.
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What about tests for
other classifications, such as Jailer, Secretary to the Chief, or Records Clerk? Can my score for any of these tests be reported to other boards, and can these tests be taken often as well?
Civil service law does not allow scores to be reported between jurisdictions for classes other than those of entrance Police Officer, Firefighter, entry level Police Communications Officer, and entry level Fire Communications Officer; therefore, you would not be able to take these tests more frequently than they are offered in the jurisdiction where you wish to work B usually a twelve- to eighteen-month interval.
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Can I have veterans'
points added to my score?
You may have five (5) veterans' points added to
your passing score only, and for the entrance classes. If you have
claimed veterans' preference on your application for admission
to the test, and have provided a copy of your Form DD-214, these
points will be added by the civil service board upon approval of
your exam score. As it relates to the entrance Firefighter, Police
Officer, Police Communications Officer, and Fire Communications Officer exams, because these scores may be reported to another civil
service board, only the test score is reported. You must claim
veterans' preference and provide documentation with applications
to every board to which you wish to report your score in order
to have the veterans' preference points added.
Five-point veteran's preference is available to
former military personnel who were discharged under honorable conditions
from active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces during a war, or in a
peacetime campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has
been authorized, including the following wartime periods:
- 06/27/50 - 01/31/55 (Korean Conflict)
- During
the period of more than 180 consecutive days, any part
of which occurred between 01/31/55 and 10/15/76 (including
the Vietnam
era), not including active duty for training in Reserves
or National
Guard;
- From 08/02/90 - 01/02/92 (Gulf War).
If your service began after October 15, 1976,
you must have received a Campaign Badge, or Expeditionary Medal.
Campaigns or expeditions for which such medals have been authorized
include El Salvador, Lebanon, Granada, Panama, Southwest Asia,
Somalia, Haiti, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Medal holders and
Gulf War veterans who originally enlisted after September 7, 1980,
(or began active duty on or after October 14, 1982, and have not
previously completed 24 months of continuous active duty) must
have served continuously for 24 months or the full period called
or ordered to active duty.
Note: If your DD-214 does not provide proof of
entitlement for preference, you must obtain an amended DD-214 or
other written documentation showing award of Armed Forces Expeditionary
Medal.
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Can someone be an employee
of a fire department or police department, but choose not be in
the classified service?
Employees and appointing authorities do not have
the option to determine what positions are to be included or excluded
from the classified fire and police services. The duties assigned
to full-time positions determines which positions are included
under civil service according to civil service law.
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What defines a position
as classified or unclassified?
According to civil service law, certain positions
of employment in the fire and police departments are required to
be included in the classified service, while some positions are
specifically excluded. Those which are not part of the classified
service include, among others, elected officials, department secretaries,
stenographers, porters, custodians, mechanics helpers, and part-time
employees. Therefore, there may be positions of employment in either
department which are not classified.
Positions which must be included in the classified
fire service are those which have the primary duty and responsibility
of the following: chief, assistant chiefs, intradepartmental division,
bureau, squad, platoon, and company officers of the department;
fire fighting; fire prevention and fire inspection; driving, tillering,
and operation of fire apparatus; operations and maintenance of
radio, fire alarm, or signal system; fire training; fire salvage
and overhauling services; first aid, advanced life support, and
emergency medical services; automotive or fire apparatus repairs;
and, secretary to the chief and departmental records clerks.
Positions which must be included in the classified
police service are those which have the primary duty and responsibility
of the following: chief, assistant chiefs, the intradepartmental
division, bureau, squad, platoon, and company officers of the police
department; law enforcement; crime prevention, identification,
inspection, and investigation; police headquarters desk service,
jailer, and police matron; operations and maintenance of radio,
police alarm, or signal system; police training; traffic control;
automotive or police apparatus repair; and secretary to the chief
and departmental records clerks.
Positions are created by the appointing authority
as the needs of the service require. When a position is created,
the appointing authority must notify the local civil service board.
The board then evaluates the position in order to determine whether
it should be included in the classified service, according to the
duties assigned. Neither the appointing authority nor the employee
may determine whether a position should be included in the classified
fire or police service. Such a determination may be made only by
the local civil service board.
If you wish to seek a full-time, permanent position
with a fire or police department which involves the primary duties
and responsibilities listed in the latter two paragraphs, you must
first qualify for employment eligibility by passing a civil service
exam for the position. Taking and passing an examination begins
the employment process whereby the appointing authority fills vacancies.
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What is the recruit
period?
The recruit period is the initial period of employment
required for all newly appointed Firefighters or Police Officers,
during which the new employee must obtain Firefighter I certification
or Police Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) certification,
respectively. The maximum time that a new employee serves as a
recruit is six months; however, upon obtaining the appropriate
certification anytime during the six-month period, the recruit
moves immediately from recruit status to probational status, the
working test period. If, by the end of the six-month recruit period,
the recruit fails to obtain certification, the appointing authority
has the discretion of placing the recruit in a working test, or
separating the recruit from service. Persons who have already obtained
certification at the time of selection from the employment list
do not serve a recruit period, but must begin the working test
immediately upon appointment.
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What is a probational
appointment?
When an employee is first appointed to a classified
position, he or she must serve a working test or "probationary"
period of at least six months, but not to exceed one year. During
this period of time the appointing authority evaluates the employee's
ability to perform the duties of the position. When an employee
proves his/her ability after serving at least six months, the appointing
authority may confirm the appointment and the employee becomes
permanent in the position.
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I am approaching
the end of my working test, and I've been advised by the appointing
authority that I will not be confirmed. Can I appeal this decision
to the civil service board?
You may appeal only upon the grounds that you
were not given a fair opportunity to prove your ability in the
position.
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What is "fair opportunity"
in the working test?
Since the working test is a period of evaluation
during which the employee's performance is more closely scrutinized,
fair opportunity is that which affords the employee sufficient
challenge to demonstrate that he or she is able and willing to
perform the duties of the position, and that he or she possesses
the habits and dependability necessary to be successful in the
position. For example, if the appointing authority assigns a probationary
Firefighter to radio dispatch, and restricts her from performing
fire suppression duties during the working test period, the Firefighter
may appeal to the civil service board upon the grounds that she
was not given sufficient opportunity to perform the duties of a
Firefighter. On the other hand, if a probational Assistant Fire
Chief has been given sufficient opportunity to perform the duties
of his class, and has shown by his actions that he is not dependable,
has poor work habits, and/or challenges authority, it is considered
that he does not have sufficient grounds to appeal the action.
Of course, the appointing authority is required to notify the employee
and the civil service board in writing, the reasons for rejecting
the employee from the working test. The civil service board should
use this documentation in order to determine if a hearing is to
be granted.
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Can an employee who
resigns from the classified fire or police service be re-employed?
Yes. Civil Service Law provides that a regular employee of the classified service (that is, an employee who has
been confirmed after having served a working test) may be re-employed
if the re-employment occurs within four years of the date of resignation
and provided no person on the reinstatement list (resulting from
non-disciplinary demotions), promotional employment list, or re-employment
list (lay-off situation) is willing to accept an appointment to
a position to which the former employee is applying. In order to
be re-employed, the former employee must obtain prior approval
of the civil service board, and provide a favorable medical certificate
to the appointing authority and the board following a recent medical
exam. (See R.S. 33:2490(D) and 33:2550(D).) The employee may be
re-employed under this provision and probationally appointed to
any position that he or she held as a regular and permanent employee.
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If I am re-employed,
would I have to serve another working test period?
If you are re-employed you must complete another
working test of not less than six months.
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If I resign to go
to work for another department that is in the municipal fire and
police civil service system, may I be hired at my current rank,
and will my seniority count at the new job?
If you resign from your department you lose all
accumulated seniority in the classified service. You may not be
employed at your current rank; rather, you may be employed with
the other department only by qualifying for and taking an entrance
test. You may qualify for and take tests (if offered) to be considered
for positions in other competitive classes in the other department,
but you will not be eligible for future promotions in the line classes unless you begin again at the entrance level position of
Firefighter or Police Officer. A person hired competitively in
a specific division, such as Fire Prevention, would, however, be
eligible for promotion within that division.
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If I resign, and
later come back to work for the same department, won't the time
I served with the department before I resigned count toward my
total seniority?
No. An employee who resigns from the classified
service forever loses all accumulated seniority, and seniority
would begin again upon confirmation following successful completion
of the working test. (Please note that our comments pertain only
to civil service issues, and are not intended to comment on how
such a re-employment might impact supplemental pay and your retirement.)
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How is seniority
counted?
Seniority is counted in calendar days, from the
current date back to the date of confirmation in the entrance class,
less suspensions and any leaves of absence without pay and seniority.
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What is the difference
between a substitute appointment and a provisional appointment?
First, it is necessary to point out that both
appointments are temporary appointments to which the incumbent
acquires no permanent status.
Whenever an employee is on any type of approved
leave of absence (for example, annual leave, sick leave, or military
leave) the position continues to be occupied. If the appointing
authority needs someone to temporarily perform the duties of a
position in place of the incumbent who is on leave, a substitute may be appointed. For absences that last fewer than thirty days,
the appointing authority may put anyone in the position he deems
qualified; however, civil service law provides that if a substitute
is needed for more than thirty days, the appointing authority must
offer the appointment to the most senior person on the promotional
eligibility list. We recommend that substitute appointments, sometimes
referred to as "step-ups", should be for the duration of the incumbent's
absence.
Provisional appointments are temporary appointments
which are made whenever an incumbent has permanently vacated his
position through separation, promotion, or demotion, and there
is no eligibility list from which a probational appointment may
be made. Provisional appointments may be made of anyone the appointing
authority deems qualified, although it is our advice that the person
selected meet the qualification requirements for the class as adopted
by the local civil service board. The period for each provisional
appointment may not be for more than ninety days, although civil
service law allows only one extension of an additional 90 days
upon the approval of the local civil service board. The civil service
board must call for an examination anytime a provisional appointment
is made.
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If an employee is
on leave of absence, is the appointing authority required to make
a substitute appointment?
Substitute appointments are not required, but
may be made if the appointing authority deems it necessary for
departmental operations. Some classes do not require anyone to
assume the duties in the absence of an incumbent, which others
do. A Fire Driver position might need to be filled, in most cases,
while it may not be necessary to do so in the case of a Planning
and Research Officer.
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I've been transferred
to another shift, and I don't like the new assignment. May I appeal
the transfer to the civil service board?
Any employee may be transferred from any position
in the classified service to any other position of the same class
within the classified service at the pleasure of the appointing
authority without notice to and confirmation by the board. Any
regular employee so transferred may appeal to the board, but only
for the following reasons:
- the transfer was made to a position not included
within the class to which the employee was previously allocated;
- the position to which he has been transferred
is not included within the classified service;
- the transfer
was made deliberately
to discriminate against him;
- the employee "feels" he has
been subjected to disciplinary action.
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There are rumors
going around about lay-offs. I'm a Police Lieutenant, so the lay-off
probably won't affect me, right?
Your insulation from lay-offs depends upon the
extent of cuts that may have to be made, and the organizational
structure of your department. If you are included in a budget reduction
lay-off scheme, you may or may not be laid-off, or you may find
that you may be demoted to a lower class. Lay-offs are made in
the order of persons having the least seniority in the overburdened
class. In any event, the civil service board must place your name
upon a reinstatement list for a period not to exceed four years.
Should a vacancy occur in the class of positions from which you
were laid-off or demoted during the four-year period, the appointing
authority must offer it to you and to any other persons whose name
are on the reinstatement list, in the order of seniority.
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I'm in the military
reserve and my unit is being deployed overseas for twelve months.
What happens to my position with the department?
Once you have exceeded the amount of paid military
leave that you are authorized per year, you will be placed on unpaid
military leave of absence until you are released from military
duty. You will continue to be employed with the department and
your military duty will count toward your departmental seniority.
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What if I miss a
test or a promotion during my military leave?
If you miss any promotional opportunities for
which you would have been otherwise eligible during your absence,
you may apply to your civil service board to take the promotional
exam in order that your name may be placed upon the eligibility
list. If you pass the exam, and an appointment had been made while
you were on military leave and you would have had more seniority
than the other eligibles at the time the appointment was made,
you must be offered the position.
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There is a Police
Captain in our department who is wearing the badge and other insignia
of an Assistant Police Chief. Is this appropriate?
Civil service law (LRS 33:2485 and 33:2545) provides:
The title of each class shall be the official
title of every position allocated to the class, for all purposes
having to do with the position as such, and shall be used to the
exclusion of all other titles . . .
It is only appropriate for
the Police Captain to wear the insignia designated for use by
the class of Police Captain. The display of insignia or other symbols
of a higher rank indicates that this employee has been given
certain
authority over positions of other classes, which may be considered
tacit or concrete evidence that the appointing authority has
created a position of a different class. Civil service law (LRS
33:2484
and 33:2544) also provides:
. . .whenever the duties of a position are so
changed by the appointing authority that the position in effect
becomes one of a different class from that to which it is allocated,
the change shall operate to abolish the position and to create
a new position of the different class.
The civil service board should take action necessary
to allocate the position to the appropriate class, and to assure
that the position is filled in accordance with the law.
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A District Fire Chief
recently retired, and there is an active eligibility list. The
appointing authority seems to be taking a long time to make an
appointment. Doesn't the position have to be filled right away?
If there is a bona fide vacancy, the appointing
authority is required to make an appointment within sixty
days of the occurrence of the vacancy. However, inasmuch as the appointing
authority may expand or contract the number of positions in classifications
as the needs of the service require, the appointing authority may
have abolished the position following the former District Fire
Chief's retirement. If someone is currently performing the duties
which were performed by the District Fire Chief prior to retirement,
there is evidence that the position has not been abolished, and
should be filled in accordance with civil service law.
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May I request a voluntary
demotion?
Yes. We advise that an employee may request to be demoted voluntarily to a position in a class the employee previously held as a regular and permanent employee; however, the appointing authority is not required to grant such requests. If the request is granted, the employee must perform the duties of the class of positions to which he/she is demoted, and the employee’s pay must be adjusted according to the pay plan of the class to which he/she is demoted. When demotions are made for any reason other than disciplinary action, the employee's name must be placed on a reinstatement list for four (4) years from the date of the demotion. Names are placed on the reinstatement list in the order in which the demotions are made. When a vacancy occurs in a class for which a name is on a reinstatement list, the appointing authority must first offer the appointment to the individual whose name is on the reinstatement list, prior to offering the appointment to any person whose name appears on the eligibility list. The law provides that if the offer of reinstatement is declined, the civil service board may remove the name from the reinstatement list. We advise, however, that the employee write to the appointing authority and the civil service board advising that he will notify both entities whenever he is ready to accept a reinstatement. This would allow the appointing authority to proceed with filling future vacancies without having to offer the appointment to the employee every time a vacancy occurs and protect the rights of the employee who requested the voluntary demotion. Therefore, the employee’s name would remain on the reinstatement list until reinstated or for four years, whichever occurs first. If, after a voluntary demotion, the employee wishes to go back to a position in the class previously held and requests a reinstatement, the appointing authority is not obligated to create a position in the class in order to reinstate the employee. The appointing authority must, however, offer the next vacancy to the employee.
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