Article 11: Withdrawal of Fire Department from Civil Service

Passage of the article at Town Meeting would withdraw the Fire Department from Civil Service.  Civil Service is a unit within the State’s Human Resources Division, which has been responsible for testing job applicants and seeking promotions and creating lists for the Towns to choose from.  In recent years, some communities have sought to leave this process in order to have greater hiring flexibility.  In leaving Civil Service, the Town will have a bigger candidate pool, will no longer be in danger of exhausting lists and will no longer be required to hire off of other communities’ lay off lists.  The Town will maintain preferences for candidates from North Andover and those who are veterans.  Both the Administration and the Fire union are in favor of this article.