SWAMPSCOTT — Police and fire unions voted this weekend to leave the civil service system in a move that will have a major impact on the departments’ hiring processes and their overall level of diversity.
The screening of applicants for police and fire jobs is currently conducted by the civil service unit of the commonwealth’s Human Resources Division.
The hiring process is dependent on applicants’ test scores on a standardized civil service exam, which would be replaced by a more holistic process if the unions were to leave the civil service system.
“This choice will give us a more inclusive hiring system that will allow the town to more thoughtfully screen and interview candidates. As opposed to civil service, which is an old system that’s very restrictive,” said Swampscott Fire Chief Graham Archer.
“It’s basically a high stakes test that dictates everything about the hiring process and gives the town very little flexibility.”
Officials believe that the change will increase the diversity of the departments because the exam is inaccessible to certain groups.
“For whatever reason, there are significant portions of certain populations that just aren’t taking the exam,” said Archer. “That hundred-plus year old examination just hasn’t been embraced by a lot of people.”
“Tests are also just a very imperfect way of showing an employee’s merit,” he added. “It boils down all the facets of a person’s character and abilities and experiences into who filled out the most bubbles correctly. In today’s day and age, it just doesn’t make sense. ”
Archer also imagines that a new hiring process could lead to the departments expanding their search for new hires outside of the Swampscott borders.
Under the civil service requirements, new applicants must come from the Swampscott community, which limits their access to diverse candidates.
He imagines a large promotional effort to increase diversity in the force, both inside and outside the town, will occur following the change.
Town Administrator Sean Fitzgerald approached the unions over a year ago to pitch the idea of leaving civil service.
“I’m proud of the men and women that serve in our police and fire departments,” said Fitzgerald. “Their actions are those of a community that is fully committed to building a more open and inclusive practice for how we hire. This is a standard that reflects our values, and I truly believe that it will lead to incredible things for both departments.”
According to Archer, the idea initially received some push-back from his union.
“There’s a lot of comfort with civil service because it’s the way things have been done for a long time,” he said.
Archer also explained that there was some support for the disciplinary-appeals process, which the civil service system offers, although he added that it was rarely used.
“As we drilled down into it there were almost no specific assurances and safeguards that an in-house designed program couldn’t address,” said Archer.
By this weekend, most of the fire department union members had come to support the decision, favoring leaving the civil service by a nearly 4-1 margin.
Police union officials could not be reached regarding the decision.
At Monday’s special town meeting, the town will vote on whether or not to authorize exempting the police and fire departments from civil service, based on recommendations from a committee tasked with studying the issue.
If the shift occurs, Swampscott will join several other Massachusetts towns in rejecting the civil service system including Manchester-by-the-Sea, North Reading, Provincetown, Reading, Rockport, Walpole and Wellesley.
If approved, the change is expected to occur July 1 of next year.
The Select Board and unions will use the intervening months to iron out the details of their new hiring process and outreach policy.
“Hopefully we’re going to begin a very exciting program of outreach and recruitment and continue to hire quality candidates,” Archer said.
