Except for the position of Chief of Police, each appointment to the police force shall be made only according to qualifications and fitness, to be ascertained by competitive examinations. Said examinations shall be given at such time or times, and from time to time, as the Commission shall determine.
Public notice that a civil service examination is scheduled and that applications are being accepted, together with information as to the kind of position to be filled, shall be given by publication on two occasions within a newspaper of general circulation within the Borough during a thirty-day period prior to the closing date for acceptance of applications; however, the last advertisement must appear no later than 14 days prior to the closing date for acceptance of applications.
Each person desiring to apply for an examination shall file with the Commission an application on the form provided in which the applicant shall state, under oath or affirmation:
A. 
Full name and present address.
B. 
Citizenship or permanent residency status and place and date of birth.
C. 
Condition of health and physical capacity for public service.
D. 
Business or employment and residence for the previous 10 years.
E. 
Educational record, including special training or experience.
F. 
Military or naval service.
G. 
Such other information as the Commission may require.
No person shall be admitted to an examination for a position in the Police Department of Aldan until after having filed, on the official form prescribed by the Commission, a sworn application giving such information as the Commission may require. The official application form and all notations, references and statements appearing in it are incorporated by reference into these rules and regulations and shall be as much a part of these rules as if they were fully described herein.
Application forms shall be available to all interested persons in the office of the Borough Secretary and from such other offices and officers that the Commission, from time to time, may designate.
Applications for positions in the Police Department may be received at any time during normal business hours in the office of the Borough Secretary and by such other offices and officers as the Commission may designate. The receipt of such applications shall be subject to the following conditions:
A. 
No application will be accepted after 12:00 noon on the day specified in the public announcement as the final date for receiving applications; and
B. 
An application shall become invalid one year after the date upon which it was received.
The Borough Secretary shall review each application, upon receipt, for the purpose of determining that such application contains no errors or omissions. An application containing errors or omissions may, at the Secretary's discretion, be returned to the applicant for correction. The Secretary shall date, number and record, in order of receipt, all acceptable applications, which, once recorded, shall be Commission records and shall not be returned to the applicants.
The Commission shall not examine any applicant who lacks any of the prescribed qualifications unless, in the judgment of the Commission, it can be reasonably presumed that the applicant shall have acquired the necessary qualifications prior to the date of a possible certification from the list of eligibles produced as a result of the examination.
A. 
The statements made by the applicant in the official application shall contain no falsification, omission or concealment of material fact. Should investigation disclose any willful misstatement, falsification or concealment with respect to an application:
(1) 
The application shall be invalid and the applicant shall be disqualified from examination;
(2) 
The applicant shall have been examined, the name of such applicant shall be removed from the eligible list; or
(3) 
If the applicant shall have been appointed, such willful misstatement, falsification or concealment shall constitute grounds for dismissal from the Police Department.
B. 
No person who shall make any willful falsification shall be permitted to make further application for any position in the Police Department of the municipality.
Applicants for positions on the police force must meet the following qualifications:
A. 
Citizenship. The applicant must be a citizen of the United States of America.
B. 
Residence. The applicant must agree in writing to establish his/her permanent residence within 10 driven miles of the Borough of Aldan within one year subsequent to completing his/her probationary period in gaining permanent status and must continue to reside within these boundaries during his/her tenure.
[Amended 9-8-2004 by Ord. No. 486]
C. 
Age. The applicant must be at least 21 years of age at the date of appointment for the position of probationary police officer.
D. 
Act 120 training. The applicant must be a graduate of the Delaware County Police Academy or be otherwise certified by the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission in strict accord and compliance with the dictates of Act 120 (codified at 53 Pa. C.S.A. § 2161, et seq.).
[Amended 9-8-2004 by Ord. No. 486]
E. 
Education.
(1) 
The applicant must be a high school graduate or its equivalent.
(2) 
In addition, it is preferred that the applicant has achieved one of the following:
[Amended 9-8-2004 by Ord. No. 486]
(a) 
An associate's degree;
(b) 
Thirty credits at a college or university and two years' experience in law enforcement; or
(c) 
Five years' experience in law enforcement.
F. 
Character. The applicant must be of good moral character, withstand a thorough background investigation and have no misdemeanor or felony convictions.
G. 
License. Must possess a current valid unrestricted Pennsylvania operator's license (except for restriction of wearing corrective lenses) and must maintain this license during his tenure as a police officer.
H. 
Health and fitness. Each applicant must be physically, psychologically and medically fit for the performance of the duties of a police officer.
I. 
Prior experience. Each applicant must have served as a part-time police officer within the Borough of Aldan for 12 consecutive months within the last two years prior to the submission of his/her application.
[Added 9-8-2004 by Ord. No. 486]
A. 
The Commission will refuse to examine or, if examined, will refuse after examination to certify as eligible any applicant who is found to lack any of the qualifications for examination prescribed above or who:
(1) 
Is physically disabled and unfit for performance of the duties of the position for which he seeks employment.
(2) 
Is addicted to the habitual use of intoxicating liquors or drugs.
(3) 
Has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor offense or a crime involving moral turpitude or has engaged in infamous, notorious or disgraceful conduct. It shall not be a defense that such applicant has not been convicted, but has entered into a program for rehabilitation short of conviction.
(4) 
Has been dismissed from public service for delinquency or misconduct in office.
(5) 
Is affiliated with any group whose policies or activities are subversive to the form of government set forth in the Constitution and laws of the United States and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
B. 
If any applicant feels aggrieved by the action of the Commission in refusing to examine him or to certify him as eligible after examination, the Commission shall, at the written request of such person and within 15 working days following receipt of such written request, appoint a time and place where the applicants may appear personally and by counsel, whereupon the Commission shall review its refusal to make such examination or certification and shall take such testimony as may be offered. The decision of the Commission shall be final.
The examination for the position of police officer shall consist of the following parts:
Step
Element
Passing Score
Weighting
1
Physical agility test
Completion of all Exercises
Pass/Fail
2
Written examination
80%
70%
3
Oral examination
80%
30%
4
Background investigation
--
Pass/Fail
5
Medical examination
--
Pass/Fail
6
Psychological examination
--
Pass/Fail
7
Polygraph examination
--
Pass/Fail
A. 
Nature of the examination. The physical agility examination for appointment to the police force shall be practical in character and shall relate to such matters as will fairly test the applicant's physical ability to discharge the duties of police officer.
B. 
Physical ability test, police officer. The following physical exercises will be required of all applicants for the position of police officer. Those persons who fail to successfully complete all exercises will be eliminated from the selection process:
(1) 
Six-foot wall climb. Applicants are required to climb over a six-foot wall from a standing position.
(2) 
Hurdles. Applicants are required to jump over two separate thirty-inch hurdles, given a running start.
(3) 
Quarter-mile run.
(a) 
Applicants are required to run a distance of 1/4 mile on a premeasured course in the least time possible.
(b) 
Maximum time: 110 seconds.
(4) 
Body drag. Applicants are required to drag a one-hundred-seventy-five-pound bag a distance of 50 feet without assistance.
(5) 
Trigger pull.
(a) 
Applicants are required to pull the trigger, double action, on a nonfunctional revolver with arm horizontally extended in both the right and left hand using a steady, rhythmic motion and pulling the trigger as many times as possible within a thirty-second time limit.
(b) 
Required pull per hand: 15.
C. 
Applicants who have not released the Borough of Aldan from liability for any possible injury resulting from the participation in the physical agility test by completing the personal injury waiver will not be permitted to take the test.
A. 
Nature of the examination. The validated written examination for appointment to the police force 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 persons examined to discharge the duties of the employment sought by them.
B. 
Identity of applicants. The identity of each candidate taking the written examination for appointment to the police force shall be concealed until after the Commission has determined the minimum passing raw score.
C. 
Minimum passing score. For each examination, the Commission shall determine the number of questions to be answered correctly, which shall be the minimum passing raw score and which shall be stated as 80. In the event that any candidate's identification envelope is opened and his identity is thereby disclosed before the decision as to the minimum passing raw score has been made, the minimum passing raw score shall be 80% of the questions in the examination.
D. 
Written examination score. Each passing candidate's raw score (the number of questions the candidate answered correctly) shall be converted to a final written test score on a scale of 80 to 100 on a basis to maintain the relationships among the raw scores of the passing candidates. Raw scores of failing candidates shall not be converted.
A. 
Applicants for appointment to the police force receiving a minimum score of 80% in the written examination must pass, to the satisfaction of the Commission, a valid oral examination conducted under its direction for grading applicants on the personal qualities which are job related to the position of police officer, including but not limited to honesty, alertness, appearance, physique, personality, judgment, sensitivity, ability to communicate, lack of bias and general bearing.
B. 
Applicants passing the written and the oral examination with a minimum score of 80% will be placed on the eligibility list.
C. 
Following successful completion of the written and oral examinations, 10 points will be given to candidates entitled to veteran preference points. Form DD/214 must be provided as proof of military service.
The Commission may designate the Department of Community Affairs, Municipal Consulting Services Division or any other recognized examining agency to act as examiner for the written examinations. The Commission shall reserve the right to accept or reject for cause, in whole or in part, the recommendations of the appointed examining agency. The oral examination and the evaluation of any applicant shall be the responsibility of the Commission; provided, however, that the Commission may designate, from time to time, such persons qualified in oral examining procedures and techniques.
A background investigation of the character and reputation of the applicant must be made by the Police Department or the Borough Council's designee and may include credit reports and reports of investigations from recognized agencies. The applicant's character and reputation must be sufficient for him to merit appointment as a police officer. A written report on such background investigation shall be submitted to the Commission.
The applicant chosen to fill the position of police officer by the Borough Council shall undergo a physical examination which shall be conducted under the supervision of a doctor of medicine appointed by the Commission. They must be in good health, both mentally and physically. Minimum requirements are: eye vision acuity 20/50 or better in both eyes corrected to 20/20, normal red green color vision; weight commensurate with height; and height sufficient to perform all police functions. This examination is to be complete, requiring heart, cardiovascular, orthopedic, blood, urine, hearing, soundness of limbs and back or any other test or examination mandated by the Commission to ensure that the applicant is qualified physically for appointment as a police officer.
Prior to appointment, the applicant must undergo psychological testing by a certified psychologist chosen by the Commission. Successful completion of this test is a prerequisite to appointment as a police officer.
The polygraph examination into the character and reputation of the applicant will be conducted by a polygraphist, appointed by the Commission, who has attained certification from a school accredited by the American Polygraph Association. Successful completion of this test is a prerequisite to an appointment as a police officer. The polygraphist will submit a written report to the Commission.
The applicant chosen by Borough Council to fill the position of police officer shall be deemed fit as determined by a medical or psychological examination. If, in the judgment of the Commission, there shall have been any change in the fitness of any applicant after being medically or psychologically examined, whether or not such change shall have been reported by the applicant, the Commission may require the applicant to submit to further medical or psychological examination before being certified for appointment.
The Commission shall post in the Municipal Building the eligible list containing the names and scores of those who have been certified eligible, which list shall be effective only until new examinations are held, but not to exceed two years.