420.01 CREATION. There may be created in every city, except cities of the first class, and in statutory cities having a population of 2,000 or more, and having a fire department consisting of two or more regularly employed and paid firefighters, a firefighter’s civil service commission with powers and duties as hereinafter provided. History: (1933-23) […]
420.02 ADOPTION OF ACCEPTING ORDINANCE. Any city or statutory city in the class mentioned in section 420.01 which may wish to avail itself of the provisions of this chapter, shall do so by an ordinance expressly accepting the provisions hereof. The ordinance shall be adopted in the same manner as other nonemergency ordinances, but at […]
420.03 MEMBERSHIP; DUTIES; TERMS. Except in a city having a combined police and firefighters’ civil service commission, the commission shall consist of three members who are citizens of the state and resident of such city, and shall be appointed by the council of the city, and when first created one commissioner shall be appointed for […]
420.04 MEETINGS. The commission shall first meet immediately after its appointment and select from its members a secretary who shall serve until a successor is elected. The commission shall, from time to time, fix the times of its meetings, and adopt, amend, and alter rules for its procedure. All records must be kept at the […]
420.05 MEMBERS TO SERVE WITHOUT PAY. Each commissioner shall serve without pay but the council may allow the secretary such compensation, not exceeding $100 per year, as it shall deem commensurate with the additional services rendered. The council shall pay from the municipal treasury all expenses incurred by the commission in connection with the performance […]
420.06 POWERS AND DUTIES. The commission shall have absolute control and supervision over the employment, promotion, discharge, and suspension of all officers and employees of the fire department of such city and these powers shall extend to and include the chief and assistant chief of such, and all inspectors, fire wardens, electricians, engineers, auto mechanics, […]
420.07 RULES FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT SERVICE. The commission shall adopt rules to promote efficiency in the fire department service and to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The rules must provide among other things for: (1) the classification of all offices and employments in the fire department; (2) public competitive examinations to test the […]
420.08 REMOVAL OR DISCHARGE. No officer or employee after six months’ continuous employment shall be removed or discharged except for cause, upon written charges and after an opportunity to be heard in defense of the charges as in this chapter hereinafter provided. Such charges shall be investigated by or before such civil service commission. The […]
420.09 EMPLOYEES GRADED. The commission shall ascertain the duties of each office, position, and employment in the fire protection service of such city and designate by rule as well as may be practicable the grade of each office, employment, or position. The commission shall prescribe standards of fitness and efficiency for each office, position, and […]
420.10 EXAMINATIONS; EXAMINERS. All examinations shall be impartial, fair and practical and designed only to test the relative qualifications and fitness of applicants to discharge the duties of the particular employment which they seek to fill. No question in any examination shall relate to the political or religious convictions or affiliations of the applicant. All […]
420.11 NOTICE OF EXAMINATIONS. Notice of the time, place, and scope of each examination shall be given by publication and posting as specified in section 420.07 and by mailing such notice to each applicant upon the appropriate list of the application register ten days in advance. The names of those found eligible upon examinations after […]
420.12 CHARGES TO BE FILED; TRIAL. Charges of inefficiency or misconduct may be filed with the secretary of the commission by a superior officer or by the appointing authority, and thereupon the commission shall try the charges after not less than ten days’ written notice to the accused. Such notice shall set forth the charges […]
420.13 SUSPENSION OR REMOVAL. An employee who, after investigation and trial by the civil service commission, is found guilty of inefficiency, breach of duty, or misconduct, may be removed, reduced, or suspended. The employee’s name also may be stricken from the service register. If the board determines that the charges are not sustained, the accused, […]
420.14 COMMISSION, WHEN ABOLISHED. Any firefighter’s civil service commission hereafter created pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, except where such civil service commission has been continuously in operation for eight years or more, may be discontinued and abolished as follows: A petition signed by 25 percent of the number of legal voters voting at […]
420.15 ELECTIONS. When such petition is filed the governing body of such city shall cause the question to be submitted to the voters at the first following general municipal election. Such commission shall be deemed to be abolished if two-thirds of the votes cast in the election be in favor of such abolishment; and the […]
420.16 CERTAIN ACTS MISDEMEANORS. An applicant for examination, appointment, or promotion in the fire prevention service of the city who shall, either directly or indirectly, give, render, or pay or promote to give, render, or pay any money, service, or other thing to any person for or on account of or in connection with the […]
420.20 PROHIBITION OF SERVICE BY MINORS AS VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS. It is unlawful for any municipality or independent nonprofit firefighting corporation to employ a minor to serve as a firefighter or to permit a minor to serve in any capacity performing any firefighting duties with a fire department, except for members of a youth, civic, or […]
