The Brunswick Division of Fire and Rescue will now be permitted to hire candidates from a “lateral transfer” list. City Council approved legislation Monday (Sept. 28) to allow the Civil Service Commission to provide for such a process. Fire Chief Josh Erskine explained that the process will provide the city with a larger pool of qualified candidates when hiring. A lateral transfer process allows qualified candidates to be hired from other jurisdictions without requiring them to take the entry portion of the Civil Service test. This allows the department to both select from a larger list and shorten the overall hiring process. Similar legislation was passed earlier this year to address lateral hires in the Brunswick Division of Police.