City likely won't loosen fire chief test rules

Requirements to take the city of Watertown fire chief promotional civil service test likely will remain as is, despite Timothy "Tucker" Wiley's request to the City Council on Monday to change them.

Mr. Wiley, president of Watertown Firefighters Local 191, asked that the city loosen requirements for the Jan. 9 test given to members of the department who want to become chief. The city also is administering an open competitive chief's test on the same day for firefighters not employed by the city.

The City Council, however, has no authority over civil service tests; the city Civil Service Commission oversees those tasks.

Elizabeth U. Morris, executive secretary of the Civil Service Commission, said the three-member board likely will meet at 1 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall. Discussing the request, however, would be pointless because the last day to file for both exams is Monday. Both exams were announced Oct. 27, she said.

Mr. Wiley asked that the minimum number of years as a battalion chief be reduced from four to two, which is similar to the promotional police chief test given in 2000. The move would give two additional battalion chiefs an opportunity to take the test and be appointed, he said.

"It would add a 35-year guy and a 25-year guy to the list," Mr. Wiley said. "And it doesn't add me, so I'm not doing this for personal gain."

City Manager Mary M. Corriveau said there are three city firefighters eligible to take the Jan. 9 promotional test. That list, however, includes acting Chief Milton M. Sayre.

Relaxing the requirements would allow five firefighters to take the test. If three of them passed it, the city would be legally obliged to hire from those candidates, a move that would be ideal with the department's rank and file, Mr. Wiley said.

"After the chief's exam, the department has had a black eye in terms of that exam," Mr. Wiley told the council. "We had, I think, two guys take it and neither of them did very well."

He added, "Personally, some of the comments I got was, 'What, you don't have anyone smart enough to be the chief?' which is not the case in the fire department."

Mr. Wiley also argued during the meeting that the commission recently relaxed the requirements for the open competitive exam. Therefore, promotional exam requirements also should be loosened.

Mrs. Corriveau said that before the 2008 open competitive exam, the city Civil Service Commission tightened requirements so much that even then-Chief Daniel J. Gaumont would not have been eligible to take the test.

"You have to look at the long, long picture," Mrs. Corriveau said. "The open competitive requirements were too high and were backed off a little bit."

The requirements were subsequently loosened following Mr. Gaumont's resignation. Requirements to take the promotional exam, she said, have not changed in years.

"The test is in January, so I think that was the final shot," Mr. Wiley said. "I was hoping that if they saw it my way then they might say 'yeah, you're right' and they would help out."

Both the chief and now-vacant deputy chief positions are expected be filled in 2010. In March, then-Deputy Chief Sayre stepped into the chief's position after Mr. Gaumont resigned. Mr. Sayre had planned to retire earlier this year, but was asked to stay until mid-2010 so a new chief can be selected.

TESTING FOR THE CHIEF

Applicants from within the Watertown City Fire Department must meet the following requirements based on the test being given Jan. 9:

■ Four years' experience as a battalion chief.

/ Certification indicating completion of Level I and II state firefighter training, or a minimum of 229 hours of state training and Level I and II state or national fire officer training.

/ Within one year, obtain a fire inspector/fire instructor certificate and have a New York state driver's license.

/ As many as five additional points are awarded for seniority.