### Meeting Overview The Bellingham Civil Service Commission met on November 12, 2025, to review and approve revisions to job classification specifications for two key positions: Battalion Chief in the Fire Department and Police Lieutenant in the Police Department. Both revisions aimed to broaden applicant pools by expanding qualification requirements to attract more diverse candidates. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Civil Service Commission:** A government body that oversees hiring practices, job classifications, and personnel policies for city employees to ensure fair and merit-based employment processes. **Classification Specification:** A formal document that defines the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and requirements for a specific job position within city government. **Battalion Chief:** A mid-level fire department management position that supervises fire operations and personnel, functioning between assistant fire chiefs and captains in the chain of command. **Division Chief:** A fire department leadership position equivalent in rank to Battalion Chief, typically assigned to oversee specific operational areas or specialized functions. **Police Lieutenant:** A supervisory law enforcement position that commands operations between the sergeant level and deputy chief, overseeing patrol, investigations, or special operations units. **Applicant Pool:** The total number of qualified candidates who apply for a specific job opening or promotional opportunity. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Commissioner Loan | Civil Service Commission Member | | Commissioner Stewartson | Civil Service Commission Member | | Commissioner Turin | Civil Service Commission Member | | Kathy Washatka | Civil Service Commission Member (remote) | | Emma Weinberg | HR Services Manager | | Dave Patick | Assistant Fire Chief | | Bill Hewitt | Fire Chief | | Amelia Sullivan | HR Staff | | Jay Hart | Deputy Chief, Police Department | ### Background Context Both the Fire and Police Departments have been experiencing challenges with limited candidate pools for supervisory positions. The Fire Department's proposed changes recognize that leadership experience can come from various promotional tracks, not just traditional fire captain roles. By including EMS captains and division chiefs as qualifying experience, the department acknowledges the diverse skill sets needed in modern fire services, which now encompass emergency medical services, specialized rescue operations, and community emergency management. The Police Department's request to allow external candidates for lieutenant positions reflects broader trends in law enforcement recruitment and the need for fresh perspectives in policing. With rapidly evolving community expectations and policing practices, departments nationwide are seeking to attract candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences that may not follow traditional promotional pathways. ### What Happened — The Short Version The Commission unanimously approved both classification specification revisions. For the Battalion Chief position, they expanded qualifying experience to include EMS captains and division chiefs in addition to fire captains, potentially adding 10+ candidates to future applicant pools. For Police Lieutenant, they opened the position to external candidates rather than limiting it to internal promotions only. Both changes maintain existing qualification standards while broadening the pool of eligible applicants. The Commission also congratulated Commissioner Washatka on her reappointment to continue serving. ### What to Watch Next • Fire Department will launch recruitment for Battalion Chief position using the newly expanded qualifications • Police Department will conduct lieutenant recruitment process that includes external candidates for the first time • Implementation of these changes will be monitored to assess their effectiveness in attracting qualified diverse candidates ---