Baton Ridge Metropolitan Byron Police Civil Service Board Meeting - October 27, 2025

The Baton Ridge Metropolitan Byron Police Civil Service Board held its regular meeting on October 27, 2025. All five board members were present (Michael Lemming, Edwin Burra, Bradley Rick, Joshua Wanuville, Todd Sterling), establishing a quorum. The board approved an amended agenda, reviewed personnel actions, accepted applications and test results, and authorized new examinations, including a waiver for one position.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Approval (Item 2): The board added an agenda item (number 12) to call for examinations in the Baton Ridge Fire Department for Chief of Training, Assistant Chief of Training, Chief Investigator, Chief Communications Officer, Assistant Chief Communications Officer, and Training Officer. After this amendment, the agenda was approved unanimously.
• Minutes Approval (Item 3): The minutes from September 22, 2025, were approved without amendment.
• Personnel Action Forms (Item 4): Approved personnel action forms for the Baton Ridge Fire and Police Departments.
• Call for Examination – Police Communications Supervisor (Item 5): Approved calling for the examination.
• Acceptance of Applications – Police Sergeant and Fingerprint Technician (Item 6): Approved acceptance of applications for Police Sergeant (40 applicants) and Police Fingerprint Technician I (13 applicants).
• Acceptance of Applications – Fire Chief Safety Officer and Public Information Officer (Item 7): The board amended the item to correct the department from "Baton Ridge Police Department" to "Baton Rouge Fire Department," then approved acceptance of applications for Chief Fire Safety Officer (2 applicants) and Fire Public Information Officer (1 applicant).
• Rehire Requests (Items 10 & 11): Approved rehiring Kari Wright (Fire Department, resigned December 2, 2024) and police officers Kurtlin Williams (ended May 18, 2024), Courtney Hill (ended January 1, 2024), Colin Cox (ended October 19, 2024), and Jefferson Pendergrass (left in good standing, currently in background checks and oral interview).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made. The chair opened and closed the floor for public comment with no response.

Discussion Items

• Test Results – Fire Department (Item 8): Detailed results were reported:
  • Fire Equipment Operator: 59 passed, 14 did not pass, 17 did not take the exam.
  • Fire Captain: 50 passed, 4 did not pass, 1 received no grade, 3 did not show.
  • District Fire Chief: 31 passed, 8 did not pass, 10 did not show.
  • Deputy Fire Chief: 4 passed, 0 failed, 0 did not show.
  • Chief of Special Services: 0 passed, 1 did not pass, 0 did not show. During discussion, it was noted that the Chief of Special Services had no active list. Fire Chief Kimball requested a new examination with a waiver to lower qualifications to "any certified position of fire services and supply technician." The board agreed to add this to the existing agenda item 12 after completing item 8. The motion to accept the test results carried.
• Test Results – Police Department (Item 9): Results were reported for Police Fingerprint Technician II (2 passed, 2 did not pass, 0 did not take), Police Cadet (0 passed, 2 did not pass, 3 did not show), and Police Criminal Information Specialist I (specific numbers not read aloud, but the motion to accept carried).
• Examination Calls (Item 12): The originally added item was amended multiple times to include the Chief of Special Services examination with the waiver. The final list of examinations in the Baton Rouge Fire Department: Chief of Training, Assistant Chief of Training, Chief Fire Investigator (clarified as "chief fire investigator"), Chief of Communications, Assistant Chief of Communications, Training Officer, and Chief of Special Services (with waiver to allow any certified fire services and supply technician to qualify). The motion carried.

Key Outcomes

• Approved amended agenda and minutes.
• Approved all personnel actions, applications, and test results as listed above.
• Approved rehire requests for five individuals.
• Authorized examinations for seven Fire Department positions, including a waiver for Chief of Special Services.
• Adjourned after completing all agenda items.

All motions were passed without opposition; no dissenting votes were recorded. The meeting adjourned after item 12.