The job of Firefighter requires the successful completion of responsibilities in the following task categories; driving fire vehicles, searching a fire area for victims, completing rescue operations, applying force to enter structures and vehicles, operating pumps, activating fire hydrants, operating aerial ladders, deploying ground ladders, providing emergency medical treatment, handling hose lines, advancing charged hose lines and extinguishers, cutting holes in roofs, doors and walls, ventilating fire areas, illuminating fire scenes, transporting victims on stretcher, extracting victims from vehicles and structures, salvaging property, maintaining equipment, completing housekeeping chores at the fire station, planning strategies for fighting fires, and conducting fire inspections.  Performs other job-related duties as required.

 

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

AGE:  Applicant must be a minimum of 18 years of age and no older than 35 years of age AT THE TIME OF APPOINTMENT TO THE CITY OF CLEVELAND FIRE TRAINING ACADEMY.

EDUCATION:  Applicants must indicate in their application, and present proof at the time of filing, that they have received a High School Diploma* from an accredited educational institution or have satisfactorily completed the General Education Development Test (GED).  One of the following must be presented at the time of filing:

 

A.   High School Diploma

B.    GED

C.     Letter on official stationery from High School or Board of Education stating that the applicant did graduate.

D.     DD-214 (Separation from Active Duty) which indicates the individual graduated from High School or passed the General Education Development Test.

E.   For those students about to graduate, a letter on official stationery from their High School stating that they will graduate at the end of this school year.  Such applicant must submit a copy of one of the above items or a copy of an official transcript indicating graduation date to the Civil Service office no later than July 1, 2010.

*If the applicant graduated from, for example, a Charter School was home schooled, or graduated from a school outside of Ohio applicant MUST be able to document that the requirements of the state in which the diploma/GED was issued were met.

 

APPLICANTS WHO CANNOT PRESENT PROOF OF IDENTITY, AGE, AND EDUCATION WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO FILE AN APPLICATION.  THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION RESERVES THE RIGHT TO VERIFY THE AFOREMENTIONED DOCUMENTS AND TO WITHHOLD THE ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF APPLICATION UNTIL SUCH VERIFICATION CAN BE OBTAINED.

DRIVER'S LICENSE

Applicant must have a valid State of Ohio Driver’s License PRIOR to appointment to the Fire Academy.

CITIZENSHIP

Applicant must be a citizen of the United States PRIOR to appointment to the Fire Academy.

 

WORK HOURS

Firefighters must be available to work any shift on any day of the week

AMERICAN'S WITH DISABILITIES ACT

Any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation in order to compete effectively on this examination shall notify the Civil Service Commission of such need on the appropriate form, available through Civil Service, at the time of filing.  The Commission will contact the individual concerning such accommodation prior to the examination.  The Commission may refuse to provide such accommodation if it is not reasonable or would constitute an undue hardship.  The Commission will require current (within one year) documentation supporting the need for the requested accommodation.  Such documentation shall be submitted at the time of filing.

EXAMINATION INFORMATION

Written Test

DATE:      SATURDAY, JULY 31, 2010

TIME:       9:00 a.m.

 

PLACE:     

CLEVELAND CONVENTION CENTER, 500 Lakeside Ave., Cleveland, OH 44114

 

TYPE:  WRITTEN EXAMINATION

This examination is designed to measure your ability to succeed as a firefighter in the City of Cleveland. If your score is sufficiently high enough on the written test battery, you will be asked to complete the physical ability test at a later date. The weighting of these two tests will be determined based on results of the job analysis which is currently being completed.  The final weights will be provided to candidates during the instruction period at the start of the written testing.  If you receive a passing grade on the combined examination, you will be placed on the eligibility list for Firefighter.  Your examination grade will be used in conjunction with any residency credit and/or veterans’ preference credit to determine your rank order position on the eligibility list.

Physical Abilities Examination          

The test is designed to evaluate physical ability to perform the duties of a Firefighter.  Applicants invited to complete the physical capability test will be notified of their scheduled date, time, and location to take the test by U.S. mail after the written examination.  The physical skills test contains events which reflect physical activities actually encountered on the job by Cleveland Firefighters.

ADDITIONAL SELECTION PROCEDURES

Applicants who receive a passing grade on the combined examination score and rank high enough on the eligible list for Firefighter and receive Civil Service Certification will be subject to the following examinations:

Drug Screening: Each applicant shall undergo an examination for drug usage.  This examination may be in the form of urinalysis.  Any applicant whose results from the drug screening examination are determined to be positive shall be removed from the eligibility list unless such results can be satisfactorily related to the advice of a recognized medical practitioner.  Drug screening may also be conducted after appointment to the academy.

Background Investigation: Background investigation and evaluation may include interviews with present and previous employers.  Neighbors and family may be contacted as part of the investigation.  In addition, a check of Local and State Police and FBI records, both adult and juvenile, and Bureau of Motor Vehicle records will be made. The background test also includes review of sealed and expunged records. Unsatisfactory findings in one or more of these areas may be cause for removal from the Civil Service eligibility list.  Conviction of a felony is absolute grounds for removal from the list.  Any applicant convicted of a felony will be removed from the eligible list and will receive no further consideration. There are also misdemeanor convictions that would result in the removal of an applicant from the eligibility list.

Psychological Evaluation:  A psychological evaluation to determine the applicant’s emotional suitability to perform all aspects of the job will be conducted.  Each applicant may be required to take several written examinations.  These, along with the results of the background investigation, will be submitted to one or more psychologist(s)/psychiatrist(s) who will interview the candidates.  All records of the psychological and background examinations will be made available to the Civil Service Commission.  The Commission will review such records and make the final determination of each applicant’s suitability for removal from the eligible list.

Medical Examination: Any appointment to the position of Firefighter will be conditioned upon passing a pre-employment medical examination conducted in accordance with the provisions of Title I of the Federal American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).  A copy of the ADA may be obtained online at www.ada.gov/pubs/adastatute08.htm.  The standards for the medical examination are available for review in the Office of the Civil Service Commission. 

LIFE OF THE ELIGIBILTY LIST

The life of the eligibility list from this examination will not exceed two years from the date the list is established, pursuant to the Charter of the City of Cleveland (Section 130).

RESIDENCY CREDIT

In accordance with the Charter of the City of Cleveland:  A person who has had as his/her primary residence in the City of Cleveland for at least one year at the time of filing a Civil Service application, and desires to take an entry-level Civil Service examination, shall, if a passing grade on the written examination is attained, have ten (10) points added to his/her passing score.

In order to receive residency credit, applicants must present the originals OR LEGIBLE COPIES of 4 different proofs of residency from ONE YEAR AGO* and 4 different proofs of residency that are CURRENT** (A total of EIGHT documents) for verification.  Such proofs include but are not limited to:

Ø  Driver’s License

Ø  Bank Statements

Ø  Utility Bills

Ø  Mortgage or Lease Agreement

Ø  Bills from creditors not listed above

Ø  Other Postmarked mail such as magazines with name and mailing label attached, organization newsletters, medical/dental bills, voter registration card, or motor vehicle registration

Ø  Insurance Statement (Home insurance, rental insurance, car insurance or other insurance documents).                    

* ”ONE YEAR AGO” SHALL BE ONE YEAR PREVIOUS TO DATE OF FILING. For example, if you are filing for the examination in April of 2010 you must present 4 different documents dated February, March, or April of 2009.

** “CURRENT” SHALL BE WITH IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS. For example, if you are filing for the examination in April of 2010 you must present 4 different documents dated February, March, or April of 2010.

NOTE: IF CREDITORS ARE PAID ONLINE, A COPY OF BILL IS TO BE PRINTED SHOWING THE ADDRESS OF THE APPLICANT. THE BILL MUST HAVE THE DATE VISIBLE.

NOTE:              PURSUANT TO THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF CLEVELAND AND RULES OF THE CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION AND THE OHIO REVISED CODE:

Any applicant that willfully provides any false document, statement, or certification in regard to any test will be terminated from all processing, removed from any eligible list, and may face possible criminal prosecution.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE

Veterans’ preference will be awarded, when applicable, to eligible veterans in accordance with Civil Service Rules 4.40E and 4.40F.  Proof of active service or a DD Form 214, must be presented to the Commission at the time of filing application for the examination in which credit is sought in order to qualify for veterans’ credit. If the applicant has received an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions and served for at least 180 consecutive days, that applicant shall receive an additional five (5) points added to their raw score on the examination.

NOTE:  Only DD Form 214 (long form) or an official armed service document indicating type of discharge or separation and the dates of active service will be accepted as proof of active service.

NOTE: Active duty military personnel must provide their most recent Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) or their current military orders as proof of service.

NOTE:  Applicants who desire additional Veterans’ Credit (as provided for in Rule 4.40E) due to a service connected disability will be required to have an affidavit stating the applicant’s date of separation from active duty and date of discharge as well as percentage of disability; and shall understand that this affidavit will be subject to verification by the Civil Service Commission.  Any false information provided on this affidavit will be considered as a falsification of application and result in the applicant being removed from the eligible list upon discovery of the error (in accordance with Civil Service Rule 5.40). 

ADDITIONAL PREFERENCE POINTS

In recognition of the public safety curriculum at the Cleveland Municipal School District’s Martin Luther King Jr. High School (MLK) and the unique exposure that MLK fire career track graduates have to the Cleveland Division of Fire, those students who have graduated from the fire career track at MLK and who have obtained State of Ohio Firefighter II certification are determined to have increased fitness to be Cleveland firefighters and will receive five preference points as a part of their raw examination score. To be eligible, candidates must present evidence of graduation from the Martin Luther King High School fire career track and a copy of the State of Ohio Firefighter II Certificate. The evidence of completion of the fire career track may be a letter on official stationery from an official at Martin Luther King H.S. that the candidate completed the fire career track.

Those applicants who have not yet graduated from MLK must submit a letter indicating that they are expected to complete the program. An official letter from MLK stating that the individual DID complete the program must be submitted to the office of the Civil Service Commission no later than July 1, 2010.

 

THE COMMISSION WILL NOT ENTERTAIN APPEALS FOR RESIDENCY CREDIT OR VETERANS’ PREFERENCE CREDIT AFTER THE APPLICANT HAS FILED HIS/HER APPLICATION. THE DECISION OF THE COMMISSION IS FINAL.

TIE SCORES

In accordance with Civil Service Rule 5.11, in an Open examination, should two or more applicants receive the same grade, the order in which their names shall be placed on the eligible list shall be determined by random selection.

WAIVER OF RULES

The Civil Service Commission hereby waives all applicable rules or portions of its rules which may or may not conflict with the Charter of the City of Cleveland and/or litigation involving this examination.  In particular:

 

1.     Rule 3.30 (The waiver of this Rule shall mean that the examining staff may refuse to allow an applicant to file, if the applicant cannot present proof of identity, age, and education at the time of filing.)

2.      Rule 3.43  (The waiver of this Rule will allow the applicants to present their Driver’s Licenses prior to appointment to the Fire Training Academy.)

3.      Rule 4.30D  (The waiver of this Rule shall mean that a medical examination will not be administered prior to the establishment of the eligible list.)

4.       Rule 4.30F  (The waiver of this Rule shall mean that applicants who fail the psychological examination will be automatically scheduled for re-examination to gain a second opinion.)

5.        Rule 4.40B  (The waiver of this Rule shall mean that the required passing grade shall be established by the Commission.)

6.        Rule 4.50    (The waiver of this Rule shall mean that there will be no review periods for this examination.)

7.         Rule 6.80  (The waiver of this Rule shall mean that the probationary period for Firefighter shall be fixed at six months, upon completion of the Fire Academy)

The aforementioned Civil Service Rules are hereby waived either in their entirety or in part.  The Commission retains the right to waive other Rule requirements as appropriate.

Applicants having questions regarding these waivers should contact the Civil Service Office at (216) 664-2467.

 

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER