Columbus, Georgia

Sec. 11-17.5.? Eligibility for promotions.





















































(a)? ? ?Computation of service. For purposes of computation of service, all

employees must meet the required time in rank or time in service (however

stipulated below) as of the eligibility date established in 11-17.3(g).

Further, time in rank or time in service requirements refer to continuous

full-time service in the Columbus, Georgia Department of Fire and Emergency

Medical Services.





















































(b)? ? ?For promotion to fire sergeant. To be eligible to participate in the

promotional procedure for fire sergeant, the employee must hold a firefighter

certification and successfully complete the Proficiency in Fire Apparatus

Operations Test administered by the department's division of fire training.

Each promotional candidate shall be provided an opportunity to pass the

Proficiency for Fire Apparatus Operations Test only once during any promotional

cycle. Further, each promotional candidate must have served on an engine or

other fire apparatus at least 30 shifts for 2003, 35 shifts for 2004, and 40

shifts for 2005 in the year immediately preceding the eligibility date or have

served on an engine or fire apparatus for 15 of the previous 36 months and

thereafter (except these requirements shall not apply to personnel who have

chosen a career path in fire prevention or training), and:





















































(1)? ? ?Hold an associate's degree (or equivalent two-year degree) and a total

of three continuous years serving as a firefighter, paramedic or EMT (EMS

lieutenants and EMS captains who meet the certification, proficiency and degree

requirements are therefore also eligible); or





















































(2)? ? ?Four additional years for a total of seven continuous years serving as

a firefighter, paramedic or EMT (EMS lieutenants and EMS captains who meet the

certification and proficiency requirements and have a total of seven continuous

years of service are therefore also eligible).























































(c)? ? ?For promotion to fire lieutenant. To be eligible to participate, each

promotional candidate must have served on an engine or other fire apparatus at

least 30 shifts for 2003, 35 shifts for 2004, and 40 shifts for 2005 in the

year immediately preceding the eligibility date or have served on an engine or

fire apparatus for 15 of the previous 36 months and thereafter (except these

requirements shall not apply to personnel who have chosen a career path in fire

prevention or training). (In addition, EMS lieutenants and EMS captains must

have successfully passed the fire sergeant promotional process, but are not

required to hold the rank of fire sergeant.) Further, all candidates must:





















































(1)? ? ?Hold an associate's degree (or equivalent two-year degree) or have a

date of service prior to September 16, 1997; and





















































(2)? ? ?A total of two continuous years serving as a fire sergeant or EMS

lieutenant (EMS captains who meet the certification and degree requirements are

therefore also eligible).





















































(d)? ? ?For promotion to fire captain. To be eligible to participate in the

promotional procedure for fire captain, the employee must:























































(1)? ? ?Hold an associate's degree (or equivalent two-year degree) or have a

date of service prior to September 16, 1997; and





















































(2)? ? ?A total of two continuous years serving as a fire lieutenant.























































(e)? ? ?For promotion to fire battalion chief. To be eligible to participate in

the promotional procedure for fire battalion chief, the employee must:























































(1)? ? ?Hold an associate's degree (or equivalent two-year degree) or have a

date of service prior to September 16, 1997; and























































(2)? ? ?A total of two continuous years serving as a fire captain.























































(f)? ? ?For promotion to EMS lieutenant. To be eligible to participate in the

promotional procedure for EMS lieutenant, the employee must hold a firefighter

certification and a paramedic certification and have served on an ambulance or

advanced life support fire apparatus at least 30 shifts for 2003, 35 shifts for

2004, and 40 shifts for 2005 in the year immediately preceding the eligibility

date or have served on an ambulance or advanced life support fire apparatus for

15 of the previous 36 months and thereafter (except these requirements shall

not apply to personnel who have chosen a career path in fire prevention or

training), and:























































(1)? ? ?Hold an associate's degree (or equivalent two-year degree) and a total

of three continuous years serving as an EMS paramedic or firemedic (fire

sergeants who meet the certification, shift, and degree requirements are

therefore also eligible); or























































(2)? ? ?Have four additional years for a total of seven continuous years

serving as a paramedic or firemedic (fire sergeants who meet the certification

and shift requirements and have a total of seven years of continuous service

are therefore also eligible).





















































(g)? ? ?For promotion to EMS captain. To be eligible to participate in the

promotional procedure for EMS captain, the employee must:























































(1)? ? ?Hold a firefighter certification and a paramedic certification and an

associate's degree (or equivalent two-year degree) or have a date of service

prior to September 16, 1997; and























































(2)? ? ?A total of two continuous years serving as an EMS lieutenant.



























































Sec. 11-17.17.? Rank structure, discontinuance of EMS lieutenant and EMS

captain promotional process.

























































(a)? ? ?All EMS officers will be required to participate in and successfully

complete the promotional process for each promotional fire rank up to and

including the fire rank equivalent to their current rank. Upon completion of

this process and meeting the minimum eligibility requirements, the EMS officer

will have achieved the permanent rank status of an integrated officer at that

rank. Upon achieving the status of an integrated officer, the candidate may

then obtain eligibility and compete for promotion to the next highest

integrated rank.



























































(b)? ? ?All fire officers will be required to successfully complete E.M.T.

training and achieve and maintain state certification in order to achieve the

integrated officer rank. Upon completion of this process and meeting the

eligibility requirements, the fire officer will have achieved the permanent

rank status of an integrated officer at that rank. Upon achieving the status of

an integrated officer, the candidate may then obtain eligibility and complete

for promotion to the next highest integrated rank. Implementation of this

requirement shall be based on the department's ability to provide E.M.T.

training to all field personnel.



























































(c)? ? ?This process will not reduce the current number of allocated positions

for the rank of captain or lieutenant. Thus, the total number of lieutenants,

whether EMS, fire, or integrated, will equal the total number of EMS and fire

lieutenants combined. Thus, the total number of captains, whether EMS, fire, or

integrated, will equal the total number of current EMS and fire captains

combined.



























































(d)? ? ?The department will discontinue conducting an EMS promotional process

after the 2005 promotional cycle. An integrated promotional process will be

developed as soon as practicable. Implementation of this requirement shall be

based on the department's ability to provide appropriate opportunities for all

field personnel to receive appropriate cross-training.