Title
Amending Civil Service Rule 14 providing promotional rights to Fire Medic Cadets into the Fire Fighting group.
Body
WHEREAS, Civil Service Rule 14 provides promotional rights for qualified employees from a classified position to any other classified position except to Parking Enforcement Officer, Community Liaison Officer, and any positions within the sworn Police and Fire Fighting groups; and from Parking Enforcement Officer, Community Liaison Officer, and any classified positions within the sworn Police group to any other classified position in the sworn Police group; and from a classified position in the sworn Fire Fighting group to any other classified position in the sworn Fire Fighting group, and
WHEREAS, the City and Fire Department desire to establish an apprenticeship program similar to the Parking Enforcement Officer program that would lead highly trained and certified Fire employees into jobs as paramedic Firefighters, and
WHEREAS, the City, the Fire Department, and a variety of community, corporate, and educational partners have invested considerable time and effort into establishing the EMS Academy and the BLS Transport Program, providing career training and job opportunities for Saint Paul youth interested in pursuing careers in EMS; and providing promotional rights to Fire Medic Cadets would finalize the career development bridge started in the EMS Academy and continuing through the BLS Transportation Unit, and provide the means of achieving the ultimate goal of many of Saint Paul's youth: a career as a Saint Paul paramedic Firefighter, and
WHEREAS, Fire Medic Cadets would serve a 2-4 year apprenticeship with the Fire Department, and would be required to attend and complete paramedic and Firefighter training and attain state/national paramedic, Firefighter I, and Firefighter II certification; maintain a clean background; maintain satisfactory work performance and demonstrate proficient, compassionate patient care working in the BLS Transportation Unit of the Fire Department; and make continuous, satisfactory progress in academics, physical fitness, and skill requirements in both EMS and firefighting or be released from the program, and
WHEREAS, the City and the Fire Department intend the Fire EMS Cadet apprenticeship program to be solely used as a training program for paramedic fire suppression functions; neither the City or the Fire Department intends to supplant existing certified employees, or reduce opportunities for existing certified employees to work overtime at firefighting or EMS special events, and
WHEREAS, the City and Fire Department intend to limit the number of employees holding the title of Fire Medic Cadet to a reasonable number established by both budgetary constraints and the bona fide staffing needs of the Fire Department as established by the Fire Chief, and
WHEREAS, those who complete the apprenticeship program as Fire Medic Cadets will be more extensively trained, certified, and experienced in EMS and the physical demands of the Firefighter title; will have more experience working in EMS operations for the Fire Department; and will be more familiar with Saint Paul neighborhoods and City infrastructure, administration, and operations then Firefighter candidates not participating in the apprenticeship program; and will have an established work history with the City and Fire Department not possessed by other Firefighter candidates; now,
THERFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, Civil Service Rule 14.1 is changed to read, "Any appointment from a classified position to any other classified position except to Parking Enforcement Officer, Community Liaison Officer, Fire Medic Cadet, and any positions within the sworn Police and Fire Fighting groups, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, Civil Service Rule 14.3 is changed to read, "Any appointment from Fire Medic Cadet, and any classified position in the sworn Fire Fighting group to any other classified position in the sworn Fire Fighting group."