Akron will no longer use a test for fire department promotions.
The city will instead rely on education and seniority.
A three-year contract recently approved by the fire union includes a new promotional process that is aimed at avoiding a repeat of years of legal challenges over promotional tests that caused a depletion of the department’s ranks.
“This is going to be groundbreaking,” said Russ Brode, president of the approximately 340-member fire union.
“It’s a game changer,” agreed Randy Briggs, Akron’s deputy mayor of labor relations. The new process will start when Akron’s current promotional lists expire. Firefighters still will need to spend a certain amount of time in each rank before they can be promoted. When they are eligible, they will be required to complete national standard classes. Promotions will be made based on completion of the classes and time in grade or the number of years firefighters have been in their current rank.
“This is really giving people a road map,” Brode said.