Civil Service Commission Minutes - 09/18/2009MINUTES OF THE FIREFIGHTERS AND POLICE OFFICERS'
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
September 18, 2009
Present:
Dr. Floyd Thornton
§ Commission Members
Penny Miller
§
Tammy Guerra, Civil Service Director
§
Julia Vasquez, First Asst. City Attorney
§
Dennis Bachman, Police Chief
§ City Staff
Earl Foster, Fire Chief
§
Linda Merrill, Recording Secretary
§
Greg Oliver
§ WFFD Members
Cory Lindeman
§
Chris Schweiger
§
William C. Ramsey, Jr.
§
Absent:
Dr. Ernest Dover § Commission Member
1. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Commissioner Thornton at 2:03 p.m.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES (NOVEMBER 13, 2008)
Commissioner Miller moved, seconded by Commissioner Thornton, that the
November 13, 2008, minutes be approved. The motion unanimously carried.
3. CONSIDER GRIEVANCES OF PROMOTION TESTING NOTICE AND SOURCE
LISTING POSTING FOR THE FIRE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR EXAMINATION BY VARIOUS
FIREFIGHTERS, PURSUANT TO §143.029 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CODE AND RELATED CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION RULES.
Commissioner Thornton said the Commission will hear the appeals of firefighters
of certain questions on the Fire Equipment Operator examination. There are three
possible actions to be taken regarding each challenged examination question: 1)
sustain the answer key, 2) overrule the answer key, or 3) eliminate the test question.
Civil Service Commission Minutes September 18, 2009 2
Question 4
Complaint: This question refers to a 1 -1/4" hose, this size hose is not used by the
Wichita Falls Fire Department; nor did the examinees have the formula to figure friction
loss in this size hose.
Civil Service Director's Recommendation: This question should be eliminated.
Comments: Gregory Oliver spoke to the Commission, identifying himself as one
of those who appealed this question. He urged this question be eliminated, as the
Department does not use a 1-1/4" hose.
Commission's Action: Commissioner Miller moved that the question be
eliminated. Seconded by Commissioner Thornton, the motion carried.
Question 21
Complaint: All answers are correct.
Civil Service Director's Recommendation: The answer key should be sustained.
This question can be found verbatim on page 93 in the source material.
Commission's Action: Commissioner Miller moved that the answer key be
sustained. Seconded by Commissioner Thornton, the motion carried.
Question 46
Complaint: The question did not contain the reason for skidding.
Civil Service Director's Recommendation: The answer key should be sustained.
This question can be found verbatim on page 86 in the source material.
Commission's Action: Commissioner Miller moved that the answer key be
sustained. Seconded by Commissioner Thornton, the motion carried.
Question 53
Complaint: The grammar is incorrect.
Civil Service Director's Recommendation: The answer key should be sustained.
There is a punctuation error (missing comma); otherwise, the answer is found verbatim
on page 190 of the source material.
Commission's Action: Commissioner Miller moved that the answer key be
sustained. Seconded by Commissioner Thornton, the motion carried.
Civil Service Commission Minutes September 18, 2009
Question 88
Complaint: The answer key is wrong for this question. Answer B was the correct
answer; Answer C is incorrectly keyed as the correct response.
Civil Service Director's Recommendation: The answer key should be overruled;
Answers B and C should both be accepted as the correct answer.
Comments: Gregory Oliver requested this question be removed from the test, as
it has an incorrect answer key. Ms. Guerra said no examinee answered this question
correctly. Julia Vasquez said acceptance of both answers as correct would therefore not
reward those who incorrectly answered the question.
Commissioner Miller questioned the rationale to accept both answers when one
of them is incorrect. Ms. Guerra replied that the Local Rules require that, when
overruling an answer key, the Director must accept two or more answers.
Commission's Action: Commissioner Miller moved that the answer key be
overruled, and Answers B and C be accepted as correct answers. Seconded by
Commissioner Thornton, the motion carried.
Question 95
Complaint: Answers B and C are the same.
Civil Service Director's Recommendation: The answer key should be sustained.
Answers B and C are not the same.
Commission's Action: Commissioner Miller moved that the answer key be
sustained. Seconded by Commissioner Thornton, the motion carried.
6. REPORT FROM POLICE CHIEF
Chief Bachman said 11 officers graduated on September 11. The Department is
short 10 officers. They were short six officers, but the Council recently approved a grant
for four more officers. They will start a new Academy by mid - summer.
7. REPORT FROM FIRE CHIEF
Chief Foster said the Fire Department has two vacancies (FEO and Battalion
Chief). The FEO will be filled by promotion since the appeals have been addressed
today. The Battalion Chief promotional exam is October 2. A promotional exam for Fire
Captain will be November 6. The Academy graduated June 19. Commissioner Thornton
asked how long those positions had been vacant. Chief Foster replied that the FEO
position had been vacant 60 days; the Battalion Chief position, less than 60 days.
• Civil Service Commission Minutes September 18, 2009 4
8. ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 2:20 p.m.
Dr. Ernest Dover, Commissioner
I ITM 2 w(i' . -
Penny Miller, Commissioner