Swampscott Ends Civil Service Hiring; Seeks Fire, Police Pool

SWAMPSCOTT, MA — A year after Swampscott town meeting members voted to break from the civil service hiring system, the town is hoping for a larger, more diverse pool of candidates for its fire department and police applicant pool.

The changes from last year's negotiations with unions and town meeting vote went into effect in October.

The town has worked with a vendor to develop an entrance exam "designed to minimize the disparity between applicant groups of diverse backgrounds." The town is now able to consider all candidates who pass the exam — as opposed to only those with the top scores — and can assess candidate qualifications that go beyond the test score.

In the new system, there is less advantage given to Swampscott residents with anyone who attended Swampscott Middle or High School for three or more years considered a town resident for hiring purposes. Residency also includes those who live in Lynn, Salem, Marblehead and Nahant.

Applicants may live up to 25 miles away from Swampscott or be willing to relocate.

The police applicants are due Dec. 16 at 9 a.m. with the written entry exam held on Dec. 18. The physical agility test will be held that day immediately following the exam.

More information on the police application process can be found here.

The exam for the fire openings is expected to be held in February or March Those interested in taking the exam can apply here.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)