WESTFIELD—The city and its Fire Commission are moving forward with considering removing the Westfield Fire Department’s Fire Chief position from the state’s civil service program.
The city’s Personnel Department is working with the Commission to determine whether to keep the position in civil service or to find the next chief through the city’s standard hiring process and has recently begun speaking with the fire department’s unions about the matter. The announcement to work with the union first came during last week’s Fire Commission meeting.
According to Westfield Personnel Director Jane Sakiewicz, the state removed the fire chief examination from civil service and notified municipalities earlier this year. Since then, the topic of changing has been discussed in recent months.
The Westfield Fire Commission discussed the dilemma with the fire chief’s exam in August. (Photo courtesy of Greg Fitzpatrick)
The Fire Commission first held a special meeting in August to discuss the possible changeover.
“We have two options, create an assessment center and keep it in civil service or taking it out of civil service,” Sakiewitz said.
With the creation of an assessment center, Sakiewitz said that an outside firm would have to be brought in to create the center, which would be specialized to the city by taking into consideration various factors, such as the university, an airport and a hospital all within the city, as well as other specific challenges to the city.
In addition, outside evaluators, such as fire chiefs from different municipalities, would be brought in as evaluators for the candidates for the eventually vacant fire chief position. These evaluators would potentially interview and conduct scenarios with the candidates, and scores would be tabulated and given to the state’s Human Resources Department (HRD). From there, they would be ranked and provided to the Commission.
However, if the city were to decide to take the position out of civil service, then the city’s hiring process could occur in its place, according to Sakiewitz.
“If we opt out of civil service, it’s a standard city hire per ordinance,” she said.
This would include a posting of the job for 30 days, the acceptance of applications, then a pre-screening panel would be created to rank the candidates, whereupon these would be given to the Fire Commission, who stands as the final screeners. In addition, Sakiewitz said that the Police Department follows these procedures for their chief and captain positions, which are both non-civil service.
Both of these methods though, have disadvantages.
For the assessment center route, the process would cost the city money. According to Sakiewitz, the latest estimate for five candidates—which the Fire Department has five deputy chiefs—could range between $6,900 to $9,200 for the assessment. And where the funds would come from for this, Sakiewitz said she was unsure. In addition, the process could take six to eight weeks to develop the assessment center.
To take the process out of civil service however, the city would have to seek special legislation, known as a home rule petition, in order to make the position one that can be filled through the standard procedure of the city. This could mean additional time between now and when it is determined, since there are several steps to that process, including drafting the legislation and sending it to the state’s House and Senate. In addition, this process could potentially open the position to outside applicants, who may not be as familiar with the city and the department.
“That’s why we want to see where the supervisors stand on this,” Sakiewitz said, referring to discussing the process with the unions, especially the Westfield Fire Supervisor Association.
“Promoting from within is a morale booster but also a win-win because the city knows the employee and the employee knows the job,” she said.
When the Westfield Fire Supervisor Association’s representative was contacted, they declined comment on the matter.
According to Fire Commission Chairman Albert Masciadrelli, the city must make a decision before it’s too late.
“Our present chief may be retiring mid-2018,” he said. “If that happens, what will we do?”
Masciadrelli said that after speaking with Sakiewitz, they determined to at least get started with the possibility of taking the position out of civil service due to the state going that way.
In addition, Masciadrelli views going away from civil service as a cost-saving measure.
“I think, in all honesty, its cost effectiveness, we have no choice but to do this,” he said.
“Let’s say we put a new chief on out of civil service and then in three or four months this person gets sick or something happens. Then we have to get another assessment center and get someone else,” Masciadrelli said. “By taking it out of civil service we don’t have to pay for that.”
Masciadrelli said that the Commission will also be looking at the possibility of changing the deputy chief’s hiring process from civil service, as well.
However, he noted that he would like to keep the process within the city.
“I highly respect the guys coming up for promotion,” he said. “Keeping it within city is very wise.”
