City of Philadelphia - File #: 110356

• File #: 110356
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 5/5/2011
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 5/12/2011
• Title: Urging the Mayor to again invoke the "Extraordinary Extension" clause of the City's DROP ordinance, in order to authorize and encourage firefighters who are, or in 2012 will be, in the fourth year of the DROP program to remain employees for up to one additional year, in light of the fact that absent such extraordinary relief, the Fire Department, which is currently unable to hire entry-level firefighters until a new, valid civil service test is in place, will experience a shortage of approximately 98 firefighters in all of FY2012 and part of FY2013.
• Sponsors: Councilmember O'Neill, Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Jones, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Krajewski, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Sanchez, Councilmember Clarke, Councilmember Green, Councilmember DiCicco, Councilmember Reynolds Brown
• Indexes: DEFERRED RETIREMENT OPTION PLAN (DROP)

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
5/12/2011	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED
5/5/2011	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed On Next Week's Final Passage Calendar	Pass

Title
Urging the Mayor to again invoke the "Extraordinary Extension" clause of the City's DROP ordinance, in order to authorize and encourage firefighters who are, or in 2012 will be, in the fourth year of the DROP program to remain employees for up to one additional year, in light of the fact that absent such extraordinary relief, the Fire Department, which is currently unable to hire entry-level firefighters until a new, valid civil service test is in place, will experience a shortage of approximately 98 firefighters in all of FY2012 and part of FY2013.

Body
WHEREAS, The most recent firefighter Examination for entry-level firefighters was given on November 19, 2005, generating a list of eligible candidates that expired on January 31, 2010; and

WHEREAS, There is no current list from which additional entry-level firefighters can be hired; and

WHEREAS, Given recent federal court decisions calling into question the constitutionality of firefighter examinations (including the U.S. Supreme Court's 2009 decision in Ricci v. DeStefano), the City's Office of Human Resources, seeking to ensure that the next test will survive a judicial challenge, recently issued an RFP, which has not yet been awarded, to select a professional firm to prepare a new civil service examination for entry-level firefighters that is "legally defensible, valid and job-related"; and

WHEREAS, Until the new test is designed and given and a list of qualified applicants is prepared, no new entry-level firefighters can be hired to replace those who leave the Fire Department; and

WHEREAS, In testimony before Council's Committee of the Whole on April 11, 2011, Fire Commissioner Ayers stated that he anticipates hiring the next firefighter class in early Fiscal Year 2013 - which means that no new entry-level firefighters will be hired in all of calendar year 2011 and at least the first six months of calendar year 2012; and

WHEREAS, Because of anticipated attrition and the inability...