Senate Bill No. 381
(By Senators Bailey, Ball, Bowman and Schoonover)
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[Introduced February 3, 1998; referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section twenty-two, article fifteen,
chapter eight of the code of West Virginia, one thousand
nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to vacancies
in paid fire departments; and requiring completion of
apprenticeship before eligibility for promotion.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section twenty-two, article fifteen, chapter eight of
the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one,
as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 15. FIRE FIGHTING; FIRE COMPANIES AND DEPARTMENTS; CIVIL
SERVICE FOR PAID FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
§8-15-22. Vacancies filled by promotions; eligibility for
promotion.
Vacancies in positions in a paid fire department shall be
filled, so far as practicable, by promotions from among individuals holding positions in the next lower grade in the
department. Promotions shall be based upon experience and by
competitive examinations to be provided by the firemen's civil
service commission: Provided, That no individual shall be
eligible for promotion from the lower grade to the next higher
grade until such individual shall have completed at least two
years of continuous service in the next lower grade in the
department and has completed the registered apprenticeship and
certification program under article twenty-nine-a, chapter
thirty of this code immediately prior to said examination. The
commission shall have the power to determine in each instance
whether an increase in salary constitutes a promotion.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require professional
firefighters to complete the apprenticeship program under
30-29A-1 before they are eligible for promotion.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.