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​Rules & Regulations List

RULE XIV - PROMOTIONS

Section 1. 
The Board shall provide for promotion to all positions in the Classified Service on the basis of merit and fitness demonstrated by examination or other appropriate evidence of competition and by records of merit, efficiency, character, conduct and seniority. (City Charter, Chapter XVI, Section 6)

Section 2. 
A. Vacancies in the competitive class that are not filled by transfer, reinstatement or reduction shall be filled as far as practicable by competitive promotional examinations, but no promotion from one position to a higher one in the competitive class shall be made unless the applicant for promotion shall have given evidence of fitness by meritorious performance as shown by the records of the Civil Service Board. The Secretary shall determine the availability of candidates within the City work force and will authorize open advertising or restriction of eligibility to employees only as manpower needs may indicate is in the best interest of the City and is consistent with the City's Affirmative Action Program.

B. Eligible registers shall be created and promotions made therefrom in the same manner as prescribed for original appointment except that applicants for promotion shall not be entitled to veteran's preference credits as stated in Rule XXX. Where employees and non-employees are combined on a register of eligibles, City employment shall be so noted and may be taken into account to the extent that City experience is relevant to the position involved.

C. In police and fire classes, applicants for promotional examinations must have regularly occupied the next lower classification in the same service group for at least six months immediately prior to the examination. For purposes of these Rules ÒrankÓ shall be understood to indicate a level of responsibilility and authority evidenced by a level of compensation; ÒclassificationÓ shall include the title and type or specialty associated with a given rank.

Section 3. 
Promotional examinations shall be open to all City employees who have completed six months service after appointment and who have established eligibility to compete in such examinations.

Section 4. 
A. Police Department. Minimum Requirements for Promotion.

(1) Promotions to all classes in the department shall be made from respective eligible lists created as a result of promotional examinations administered to employees meeting the following minimum requirements or as otherwise provided.

(a) Probationary Police Officer: Employees who have successfully completed the training and qualification period as Trainee Police Officer shall be eligible for certification and appointment to the class of Probationary Police Officer.

(b) Police Officer: Employees who have successfully completed a six-month service period as Probationary Police Officer shall be eligible for the class of Police Officer without further examination.

(c) Senior Corporal: Police Officers who have served in the Department for three years including two years as a Police Officer shall be eligible to take this examination.

(d) Sergeant: Those employees who have served one year as a Senior Corporal shall be eligible to take this examination.

(e) Police Lieutenant: Those employees who have served for one year as Sergeant or Detective shall be eligible to take this examination.

(f) Police Captain: Those employees who have served for one year as Police Lieutenant shall be eligible to take this examination.

(2) Where experience in a lower rank is made a part of the requirements the applicant must have been appointed to a permanent position in that rank as a result of passing a promotional examination and have received the pay for that rank. Those candidates who will meet the eligibility criteria for any promotional rank prior to six months following administration of an examination may compete on that examination but will not be eligible for promotion until they have successfully completed service required for promotion in Subsection 1.

(3) The Civil Service Board shall have the right to establish promotional requirements for any new class that might be established and any class now established which might be changed so as to affect its relationship with other classes.

(4) Probation. Promotion of any employee of the Police Department shall not be deemed complete until a period of six months shall have elapsed from the date of appointment to the higher class. If, during the six-month period, the promoted employee does not merit the promotion and it is recommended by the Chief of the department and approved by the City Manager that he be reduced, then the employee so promoted shall be returned to the rank or class held by him at the time of his promotion. This shall be done without the necessity of a trial or of showing that his efficiency has fallen below the minimum requirment.

(5) Promotional Examinations. On any promotional examination for the Police Department the names of all those making passing grades in the examination shall be placed on the eligible list. Where the examination has consisted in part of an assessment center the promotional eligible list shall remain in effect for a period not to exceed eighteen months from the date the list is established or is exhausted. Lists established based on examinations which do not include an assessment center shall be in effect for one year. For purposes of calculating effective dates of lists of eligibles each period shall begin at 12:00 a.m., the date certification of eligibles is made to the Police Department and shall end at 11:59 p.m., on the 365th or 548th following day as applicable. The Civil Service Board shall hold an examination to create an eligible list within ninety (90) days after receiving notification of a vacancy in any classification filled under this rule, unless an eligibility list is in existence.

(6) Serving in Higher Positions. Nothing in these rules shall prevent the Chief of the Police Department from designating some person from the next lower classification to fill a position in a higher classification and to receive the base pay for such higher classification plus his or her own experience, service, and education incentive pay. Such temporary assignments shall be for a period of no less than 15 calendar days nor more than 90 calendar days, without express approval by the Civil Service Board. Temporary performance of the duties of any such higher position by a person who has not been promoted in accordance with these rules shall never be construed to promote such person, nor shall such temporary assignment affect in any way that person's status on the eligible list and eligibility for certification for  permanent promotion.

B. Fire Department. Minimum Requirements for Promotion.

(1) Promotions to all classes in the department shall be made from respective eligible lists created as a result of promotional examinations administered to employees meeting the following minimum requirements or as otherwise provided.

(a) Probationary Fire and Rescue Officer: Employees who have successfully completed the training and qualification period as Trainee Fire and Rescue Officer shall be eligible for certification and appointment to the class of Probationary Fire and Rescue Officer without further examination.

(b) Probationary Fire Prevention Officer: Employees who have successfully completed the training and qualification period as Trainee Fire Prevention Officer shall be eligible for certification and appointment to the class of Probationary Fire Prevention Officer without further examination.

(c) Fire and Rescue Officer: Employees who have successfully completed a six-month service period as Probationary Fire and Rescue Officer shall be eligible for the class of Fire and Rescue Officer without further examination.

(d) Senior Fire and Rescue Officer: Fire and Rescue Officers who have completed five years service and have demonstrated good performance may be transferred to this classification without further Civil Service examination.

(e) Fire Prevention Officer: Employees who have successfully completed a six-month service period as Probationary Fire Prevention Officer shall be eligible for the class of Fire Prevention Officer without further examination.

(f) Senior Fire Prevention Officer: Fire Prevention Officers who have completed two years of service after completing probation as a Fire Prevention Officer in the department, shall be eligible to test for promotion to this rank. Emergency Operations personnel who laterally transfer to Fire Prevention, Inspection, and Education, must successfully complete training and obtain certification as a Fire Prevention Officer. He/She must then serve as a Fire Prevention Officer in the FPE&I Division for two years before becoming eligible to test for promotion to this rank. Department members who have already been transferred from Emergency Operations to Fire Prevention as of the date of the adoption of this amendment and have been certified by the State of Texas as Fire Inspectors are exempted from the provisions in Section F. (Adopted by City Council on January 9, 2008 CR #080155.)

(g) Second Driver: Those employees who have served in the department for eighteen months and who have served in the Bureau of Special Services, Bureau of Administration, or Fire Control and Rescue Operations Bureau for six months immediately prior to the examination shall be eligible to take this to examination.

(h) Driver-Engineer: Those department members who have completed two years of service after completing probation as a Fire and Rescue Officer or currently have the rank of Second Driver, shall be eligible to test for promotion to this rank. Fire Prevention personnel who laterally transfer to Emergency Operations, must successfully complete training and obtain certification as a Fire Rescue Officer and Paramedic. He/She must then serve as a Fire and Rescue Officer in Emergency Operations for two years before becoming eligible to test for promotion to this rank. Department members hired in classes 276, 277, 278 and 279 of the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department who have been certified by the State of Texas as firefighters are exempted from the provision in Section H. Additionally, any department members who have transferred from Fire Prevention to Emergency Operations as of the date of the adoption of this amendment and have been certified by the State of Texas as firefighters are exempted from the provision in Section H. (Adopted by City Council on January 9, 2008 CR #080155.)

(i) Fire Lieutenant: Those employees who have served in the department for four years and who have served as Driver Engineer for six months immediately prior to the examination shall be eligible for promotion to this rank.

(j) Fire Prevention Lieutenant: Those employees who have been in the department for four years and who have served as Senior Fire Prevention Officer for six months shall be eligible for promotion to this rank.

(k) Fire Captain: Those employees who have served as Fire Lieutenant for twelve months and who have been in the department for a total of five years shall be eligible for promotion to this rank.

(l) Fire Prevention Captain: Those employees who have served as Fire Prevention Lieutenant for twelve months and who have been in the department for a total of five years shall be eligible for promotion to this rank.

(m) Battalion-Section Chief: Those employees who have served in the Fire Department for seven years and who have served as Fire Captain for eighteen months shall be eligible for promotion to this rank.

(n) Fire Prevention Section Chief: Those employees who have served in the Fire Department for seven years and who have served as Fire Prevention Captain for eighteen months shall be eligible for promotion to this rank.

(2) (a) Where experience in a lower rank is made a part of the requirements the applicant must have been appointed to a permanent position in that rank as a result of passing a promotional examination and have received the pay for that rank. Those candidates who will meet the eligibility criteria for any promotional rank prior to six months following administration of an examination may compete on that examination but will not be eligible for promotion until they have successfully completed service required for promotion in Subsection 1.

(b) Nothing in this rule shall prevent the assignment of personnel within a rank from one division to another as their training and qualifications will permit.

(3) The Civil Service Board shall have the right to establish promotional requirements for any new class that might be established and any class now established which might be changed so as to affect the relationship with other classes.

(4) Probation. Promotion of any employee of the Fire Department shall not be deemed complete until a period of six months shall have elapsed from the date of appointment to the higher class. If, during the six-month period, the promoted employee does not merit the promotion and it is recommended by the Chief of the department and approved by the City Manager that he be reduced, then the employee so promoted shall be returned to the rank or class held by him at the time of his promotion. This shall be done without the necessity of a trial or of showing that his efficiency has fallen below the minimum requirement.

(5) Promotional Examinations. On any promotional examination for the Fire-Rescue Department, the names of all those making passing grades on the examination (including assessment exercise where applicable), shall be placed on the eligible list. All promotional lists of eligibles shall remain in effect for a period of eighteen months from the date the list is certified. For purposes of calculating effective dates of lists of eligibles, each period shall begin at 12:00 a.m., the date certification of eligibles is made to the Fire-Rescue Department and shall end at 11:59 p.m., on the 548th following day. The Civil Service Board shall hold an examination to create an eligible list within ninety (90) days after receiving notification of a vacancy in any classification filled under this rule, unless an eligibility list is in existence. (Adopted by City Council on January 9, 2008 CR #080155.)

(6) Serving in Higher Positions. Nothing in these rules shall prevent the Chief of the Fire-Rescue Department, or his/her designee from assigning an individual to fill a position in a higher classification and to receive temporary assignment pay as determined by the current salary administration schedule. Any temporary assignments that extend beyond 180 consecutive days must be approved by the Civil Service Board. Temporary performance of the duties of any such higher position by a person who has not been promoted in accordance with these rules shall never be construed to promote such person, nor shall such temporary assignment affect in any way that person's status on the eligible list and eligibility for certification for permanent promotion. (Adopted by City Council on January 9, 2008 CR #080155.)

Section 5. 
A. Notice of a promotional examination shall be posted in the office of the Civil Service Board, as well as in the department in which the promotion may be made, for one week prior to such examination and shall indicate the grade or rank of those eligible thereto.

B. Applicants for promotional examination shall register in the office of the Civil Service Board at least two days before the date fixed for the examination.

C. An employee who cannot attend a promotional examination because of injuries suffered in the performance of his job or because of a work training assignment or temporary military service away from the City will be permitted to take a comparable examination at an alternate location provided:

1. The employee is mentally and physically capable of being examined subject to verification by a physician.

2. The employee provides proof of eligibility and proof of inability to attend the examination.

3. The employee makes written request for alternate examining on or prior to the announced eligible date or as much time prior to the examination date as is practical.

4. The Civil Service Department is able to give the examination under conditions that insure fairness and do not create an undue hardship on departmental resources as determined by the Secretary.

The eligible date may be extended to the date of the examination to accommodate an employee qualifying under the provisions of this rule.

D. An employee who would be prevented from observance of a religious holiday or practice by attending a promotional examination shall be permitted to take a comparable examination at another time provided:

1. The employee signs up for the examination by the announced eligible date.

2. The employee makes a written request for alternate examining on or prior to the announced eligible date.

3. The Civil Service Department is able to give the examination under conditions that insure fairness and do not create an undue hardship on departmental resources as determined by the Secretary.

Section 6. 
In any promotional examination the candidates shall be examined, either in writing or by a practical test or both, in such matters as will fairly test knowledge of the actual duties, responsibilities, and requirements of the position to be filled and their fitness and qualifications to discharge such duties and meet such requirements.

Section 7. 
Where a physical test is not included in the schedule of promotional examination such tests may be added as a subject and weight thereof may be fixed by the Civil Service Board, prior to the promotional examination.

Section 8. 
A. When the Civil Service Board, because no appropriate eligible registers exist at the time of a vacancy or one cannot be established within a reasonable time, has approved the underfilling of a vacancy by the selection of an employee from among the highest available eligibles in a lower career series classification as determined by a competitive special examination, and when the selected employee, by records of performance in the underfilled position, has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Civil Service Board the ability to perform satisfactorily the duties of the underfilled position for a period of no less than six months, the employee will be permitted to take a non-competitive qualifying examination for the higher classification provided all other minimum requirements for that classification are met.

B. If an employee fails to make a passing score on a non-competitive examination he or she may, upon the recommendation of the department head and approval of the Civil Service Board, remain in the position for further training for a period not to exceed ninety days and take another non-competitive examination. If the employee fails to qualify on the second non-competitive examination, eligibility to underfill the position shall terminate.

C. An employee in a position upgraded by re-evaluation to a higher classification who meets the minimum requirements established for the higher classification, and who, by records of performance in the position, has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Civil Service Board the ability to perform satisfactorily the duties of the position for a period of no less than six months may be considered qualified for the higher classification and may be promoted to the higher classification without further examination. Except in instances of the creation of a new rank, this section does not apply to any employee in a position reclassified to a higher existing rank in the uniformed police and fire classified service.

D. When restriction of funds, department reorganization or other extraordinary conditions influencing the effective operation of a department warrant promotion procedures other than those herein contained, the Board may approve specially designed strategies to address such needs. Such strategies should seek to maximize competition but may limit eligible applicant groups to address specific conditions. Typically the Board will approve special strategies on a time limited basis with periodic review toward the reversion to standard procedures when conditions warrant.

Rules & Regulations