B.
The examination for the position of Deputy Chief shall consist solely
of an oral examination.
C.
[2]All examinations shall be practical in character and shall
relate to such matters and include such inquiries as will fairly test
the merit and fitness of the applicant to competently discharge the
duties of the position sought.
[2]
Editor's Note: Former Subsection C, pertaining to the submission
of a statement from a primary care physician, was repealed 1-14-2013
by Ord. No. 2674. Said ordinance also redesignated former Subsections
D and E as Subsection C and D.
D.
The Commission shall have the authority to choose and contract with
qualified professional individuals and/or business entities engaged
in the fields of expertise required to administer the examinations
or appropriate segments thereof.
A.
The Commission may appoint a written examination administrator, an
oral examination administrator or consultant, a polygraph examiner,
a physical agility examiner, a medical examiner and a psychological
examiner to conduct the appropriate examinations required by this
chapter.
B.
The Chief of Police, ex officio, shall be designated as the individual
responsible for insuring that proper background investigations are
conducted.
C.
Notice of said appointments shall be posted in the Township Building,
at the Police Department and on the Township website.
A.
For entry level positions, every candidate who has scored 70% or
higher shall be deemed to have passed the written examination and
shall be ranked by the Commission from the highest passing score to
the lowest passing score.
B.
The Commission shall then invite applicants who have passed the written
examination to continue in the examination process, beginning with
the applicant who earned the highest written examination score and
continuing in descending order until a sufficient number of applicants
have been invited.
C.
The number of applicants who are to be invited to continue with the
examination process shall be in the sole discretion of the Commission
but shall not be less than it believes the appointing authority will
require to create an eligible list to fill the number of patrol officer
positions that were initially posted and advertised.
D.
Regardless of score, all applicants shall be given written notice
of their written examination results in a timely manner, and the scores
shall be anonymously posted in the Township Building.
A.
The examination shall be designed and conducted in a manner which
will allow the fair assessment of the applicant's verbal skills, common
sense, professional knowledge and ability to competently perform the
duties of the position sought.
B.
After the administration of the oral examination, each applicant
shall be given written notice of his oral examination result, his
weighted score and the scores shall be anonymously posted in the Township
Building.
C.
Every candidate who scored 70% or higher on the written and oral
examinations shall be ranked, and the Commission shall, in its judgment,
notify enough of the top-ranked candidates of their participation
in the remaining application segments to permit the appointing authority
to create an eligible list to fill the number of patrol officer positions
that were initially posted and advertised.
A.
The result of an applicant’s final score is determined by converting
the raw written score and raw oral score into a weighted written score
and weighted oral score by multiplying each raw score by its applicable
percentage weight. The weighted scores are then added together for
an applicant’s final score.
[Amended 1-14-2013 by Ord. No. 2674]
B.
This formula applies to both entry level applicants and promotional
applicants except for the position of Deputy Chief.
A.
Pursuant to the Veterans' Preference Act, 51 Pa.C.S.A. § 7101 et seq., any applicant for the position of patrol officer who qualifies as a "soldier" under this statute shall receive an additional 10 points on top of their total score if that applicant has received passing scores under §§ 32-30, 32-33, 32-34 and 32-35 and passed all other aspects of the examination. Any applicant claiming veterans' preference is responsible for providing any and all relevant documents to the Commission.
B.
All entry level applicants exercising their right to veterans' preference
shall so indicate on the preliminary application and application or
said preference shall be waived.
C.
Veterans' preference points shall not be applied to promotional examination
scores.
A.
Every applicant for the position of patrol officer shall fill out
a personal data questionnaire and undergo a polygraph examination
as part of, and in conjunction with, the background investigation.
The polygraph examination shall be graded on a pass/fail basis.
B.
The results of the polygraph examination shall be reported to the Chief of Police, and he shall consider and report the results in his report to the Commission as required by § 32-39 of this chapter.
C.
In the event that an applicant fails the polygraph examination and
is disqualified solely on the basis of the results of the polygraph
examination, he will be given the opportunity to undergo a second
examination by a different polygraphist, at his own expense. The polygraphist
administering the second examination shall not have access to the
results of the first examination and shall be selected from a list
of polygraphists approved by the Commission.
D.
In the event the applicant fails the second examination, the applicant
will be disqualified and not eligible for further participation in
the examination process.
E.
In the event the applicant passes the second examination, the Commission
shall determine whether or not the applicant shall continue in the
examination process.
[Amended 1-14-2013 by Ord. No. 2674]
All applicants for the position of patrol officer shall undergo
a physical agility examination, on the date and time specified, which
shall be graded on a pass/fail basis. In order to receive a passing
grade, an applicant must successfully satisfy the current criteria,
established by the Commission after consultation with the Police Department.
The examination shall consist of eight criteria, which may be chosen
from the following categories:
A.
Body drag:
(1)
An applicant is required to drag a sandbag weighing approximately
175 pounds across a smooth surface for a distance of 50 feet. The
applicant will be required to pull the bag in a steady continuous
motion without stopping. If the applicant trips or falls, this will
be considered failing the exercise.
(2)
Job relation: simulates a situation in which an officer may be required
to drag a body to a position of safety.
B.
Quarter-mile run:
(1)
An applicant is required to run a distance of 1/4 mile (440 yards)
on a premeasured course in less than 110 seconds. Upon the sounding
of a whistle, the applicant will begin. The monitor will notify the
applicant after 60 seconds have elapsed. The applicant will run the
course as marked.
(2)
Job relation: simulates situations where an officer engages in a
foot pursuit of a suspect.
C.
Thirty-second trigger pull:
(1)
Within a thirty-second time limit, per hand, an applicant is required
to repeatedly pull, 12 times for each hand, the trigger of a double
action nonfunctional firearm with arm horizontally extended. The hammer
must fall each time the trigger is squeezed and the exercise should
be completed without hesitation.
(2)
Job relation: simulates a situation where an officer may be required
to fire his sidearm numerous times with either hand.
D.
Fence climb:
(1)
The applicant will be required to climb over the equivalent of a
six-foot wall. Once the applicant touches the wall, he must continue
through the exercise without stopping or pausing.
(2)
Job relation: simulates six-foot-high fences in backyards which may
be expected to be climbed during a foot pursuit.
E.
Hurdle jump:
(1)
The applicant will be required to run and jump over a set of four
hurdles 30 inches high. The applicant will be allowed sufficient starting
space but cannot touch or move hurdles in completing the exercise.
(2)
Job relation: simulates hedges, fences and similar obstacles that
an officer may encounter in a foot pursuit.
F.
Low crawl:
(1)
The applicant will be required to crawl underneath a set of four
barriers that are 18 inches high. The applicant will crawl for a distance
of approximately 12 feet and must clear each barrier.
(2)
Job relation: simulates movements that an officer may be required
to use in maintaining a low-profile, high-concealment posture during
the course of duty.
G.
Stairway climb:
(1)
The applicant will be required to ascend and descend a flight of
stairs while carrying an oxygen unit and medical box weighing approximately
40 to 50 pounds. The applicant will be required to complete the exercise
at a steady pace, without stopping, while carrying both items.
(2)
Job relation: simulates situations where officers are called upon,
in emergency situations, to climb stairways while carrying lifesaving
equipment.
H.
Car push:
(1)
The applicant will be required to push a standard, full-sized automobile
in neutral gear, with the brakes unengaged, for a distance of 20 feet
along a level surface. The applicant will push the automobile the
entire distance in a continuous motion.
(2)
Job relation: simulates a situation where an officer is required
to physically move a disabled vehicle.
A.
The Commission shall request the Chief of Police or the Chief's designee
to conduct a background investigation on each applicant, which shall
be graded on a pass/fail basis.
B.
The background investigation shall include, but not necessarily be
limited to, credit history, criminal convictions, driver's license
history, academic record, employment history and interviews with the
applicant's family, acquaintances, current and former employers, current
and former neighbors, references and current and former teachers and
school officials as well as any personnel file for the period of time
as authorized by law in order to determine the applicant's fitness.
C.
The applicant may be interviewed directly when the information collected
during the background investigation requires clarification or explanation.
D.
All applicants shall execute an appropriate authorization for release
of information to facilitate obtaining information relevant to the
background investigation.
E.
After the background investigation is completed, the Chief, or designee, shall make a written recommendation to the Commission on whether the applicant is appropriate for consideration for appointment as a patrol officer. Appropriateness of the applicant shall be based on the criteria set forth in §§ 32-22, 32-23 and 32-25 of this chapter.
F.
This recommendation shall be in writing and, if the recommendation
is to disqualify, then a written explanation of the reasons for disqualification
must be included.
G.
The Commission shall make the final determination on whether the
information collected during the background investigation warrants
rejection of the candidate.
H.
Within 30 days after the Commission considers the recommendation
of the Chief of Police or designee, each applicant will be informed
of whether he or she has passed/failed the background investigation.
