Delaware Civil Service Commission Meeting - September 2, 2026
Delaware Civil Service Commission Meeting - September 2, 2026
On September 2, 2026, at 3:30 PM, the Delaware Civil Service Commission met in City Hall Council Chambers. The commission unanimously approved the motion summary from the August 10, 2026 meeting, firefighter and police certified lists, and updated recruitment and promotional processes for police captain and sergeant. No public comments were received. The meeting adjourned at 3:51 PM.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments, emails, letters, or petitions were received. No attendees from the public were present.
Discussion Items
- Approval of Motion Summary (August 10, 2026): The commission approved the minutes from the previous meeting unanimously.
- Approval of September 2026 Firefighter Certified List: Fire Chief Pyle presented nine changes to the list: seven new hires (six of whom are for the new fire station coming online next year) and two removals. One removal was for being passed up five times per rules; the other was for disqualification for not passing all parts of the test. The list was approved unanimously.
- Approval of September 2026 Police Certified List: Police Chief Moore presented a list updated to 24 candidates after adding two new candidates and removing two who withdrew or accepted other employment. Two candidates have received conditional offers and are expected to start the Delaware County Sheriff's Office police academy on December 9, 2026. Chief Moore noted that the state highway patrol academy is free to the city (funded by casino gambling money), while other academies cost $5,000–$6,000 per candidate, plus salary and equipment. The list was approved unanimously.
- Approval of 2026 Police Captain Recruitment Process: Human Resources representative Ms. Faust presented an updated process. Key changes include partnering with an external entity to ensure impartiality and reconfiguring scoring: 50% oral interview and 50% assessment center (excluding seniority points). The process was approved unanimously.
- Approval of Police Sergeant Promotional Process (Revised August 2026): Ms. Faust presented a revised process with three components: written exam (40%), oral interview (40%), and a leadership assessment via vendor Pradco (20%). This change addresses union feedback that previous single-test methods were too narrow. The written exam will be customized to Delaware policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreement. The commission discussed how multi-component testing may better predict on-the-job performance. The process was approved unanimously.
- Commissioner Comments on Firefighter Training: A commissioner asked Fire Chief Pyle about firefighter training requirements. Chief Pyle explained that entry-level firefighters must have Firefighter I/II (about 300 hours) and EMT Basic (about 150 hours). Medic school, if not already held, takes 15 months and involves about 1,100 hours, including clinicals in cardiac labs, OB, trauma, and pediatrics. Continuing education is also required for promotion and certifications such as fire inspector or instructor.
Key Outcomes
- Approved unanimously: Motion summary from August 10, 2026.
- Approved unanimously: September 2026 Firefighter Certified List (7 new hires, 2 removals).
- Approved unanimously: September 2026 Police Certified List (24 candidates, 2 conditional offers given).
- Approved unanimously: 2026 Police Captain Recruitment Process (scoring: 50% oral interview, 50% assessment center; external partner used).
- Approved unanimously: Police Sergeant Promotional Process revised August 2026 (scoring: 40% written exam, 40% oral interview, 20% leadership assessment; customized written exam).
- No other business was discussed.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. It's 3 30, and I will call the um civil service commission meeting on September 2nd, 2026 to order and ask Mr. Nova to please call the roll. Ms. Hollyhead Mansell here. Vice Chair Hurley? Here. Chair Santos. Here. Would you please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Mr. Nova, would you please read item three into the uh motions into the agenda, please? Approval the motion summary from the Civil Service Commission meeting on all held on August 10th, 2026 as recorded and transcribed. Thank you. Um are there any additions or corrections from the commission? Hearing none, I would ask for a motion to approve. I motion to approve. Second. We have a motion and a second, Mr. Nova, would you please call the roll? Ms. Hollington Mansell? Yes. Vice Chair Hurley? Yes. Chair Santos. Yes. Mr. Nova, do we have any public email letters or petitions? No, ma'am. Thank you. And nobody's here. Um would you please read item 5a into the agenda? Approval of the September 2026 firefighter certified list. Thank you. Chief Pyle. Good afternoon. Thank you, Madam Chair, members of the commission. Before you today is our nine changes to the list. Seven of them, thankfully, are new hires. They are starting their third week. Things are going well. And then the other two are removals from the list. One is due to being passed up five times per the rules. That member has also been employed elsewhere but remained on our list. So really just a cleanup on that one. And the other one, as you can see from the memo, is a removal for disqualification for not passing every part of the test.
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