Inspector Apprentice, CSC Docket No. 2020-1817

BackgroundThe Division of Agency Services (Agency Services) requests the establishment of the noncompetitive title of Inspector Apprentice, Fire Safety and the inactivation of the Inspector Trainee and Assistant Inspector titles.

In support of its request, Agency Services presents that the Inspector Apprentice, Fire Safety title will be used exclusively within the Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) Division of Fire Safety. The primary function of the title would involve learning to perform field work pertaining to the enforcement of the New Jersey Uniform Fire Safety Act, fire codes and regulations in a four-year apprenticeship program. Incumbents would be required to successfully attain a valid Fire Inspector Certification issued by the Division of Fire Safety within one year of appointment. Incumbents who successfully complete the apprenticeship program and attain the required certification will be eligible for advancement to the journeyman title, Inspector 1 Fire Safety (32194). See N.J.A.C. 4A:3-3.7(j). The new title would combine the duties and functions of two existing titles: the noncompetitive Inspector Trainee title (53707) and the competitive Assistant Inspector title (53708),1 both of which are presently unencumbered and would be inactivated upon the establishment of the new title.2 Agency Services requests that the new title be assigned to the noncompetitive division in keeping with the current assignment of the Inspector Trainee title and due to the impracticability of competitive testing.3

1 Currently, the job specification for Inspector Trainee provides for advancement to Assistant Inspector upon successful completion of a 12-month training period. 2 Agency Services advises that the DCA had an urgent need to fill entry-level inspector positions due to staffing issues. To accommodate the need, Agency Services authorized the temporary utilization of the Tentative Title designation for that purpose in anticipation of the future establishment of the new apprentice title. Upon establishment of the new title, the employees serving under the

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:3-3.2(a) provides that the Civil Service Commission (Commission) shall establish and maintain classification plans for all job titles in the career, senior executive and unclassified services. Additionally, N.J.A.C. 4A:3- 3.3(a)2 provides that this agency shall implement and administer the classification plans and, in this regard, shall establish new titles, abolish unnecessary titles and consolidate titles.

N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(c) provides that a job title may be placed in the noncompetitive division on an ongoing or interim basis when it is determined by the Commission that it is appropriate to make permanent appointments to the title and one or more of the following criteria are met:

1. Competitive testing is not practicable due to the nature of the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with the job;

Analysis2. Certification procedures based on ranked eligible lists have not or are not likely to meet the needs of appointing authorities due to such factors as salary, geographic location, recruitment problems and working conditions; or

3. There is a need for immediate appointments arising from a new legislative program or major agency reorganization.

Based on all of the foregoing, ample reasons exist for the establishment of the subject title and its allocation to the noncompetitive division based on N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.2(c)1. In this regard, the Inspector Trainee title had already been allocated to the noncompetitive division. Further, the Inspector Apprentice, Fire Safety title is an entry-level title with no experience requirement and is responsible for learning to perform field work pertaining to the enforcement of the New Jersey Uniform Fire Safety Act, fire codes and regulations. Incumbents will be required to obtain a valid Fire Inspector Certification and will gain the necessary skillset during the apprenticeship program. Additionally, incumbents would be required to complete a four-month working test period prior to attaining permanent status. See N.J.A.C.

Tentative Title designation will be removed from that designation and placed in the new title at a level in the apprenticeship program deemed appropriate by the DCA. 3 Agency Services also indicates that the new title would be assigned to salary range I15 with a 40 hour workweek, for consistency with the workweek assigned to the higher-level titles in the series, Inspector 1 Fire Safety, Inspector 2 Fire Safety and Inspector 3 Fire Safety.

4A:4-5.1(b) and N.J.A.C. 4A:4-5.2(b)2. Accordingly, competitive testing is impracticable for this title.

The Commission also finds good cause to inactivate the Inspector Trainee and Assistant Inspector titles. Specifically, the titles are unencumbered and will be replaced by the new Inspector Apprentice, Fire Safety title.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that this request be granted and the title of Inspector Apprentice, Fire Safety be established and allocated to the noncompetitive division. It is further ordered that the request be granted to inactivate the titles of Inspector Trainee and Assistant Inspector. These actions shall be effective the first pay period following the Civil Service Commission’s approval.

ClosingThis is the final administrative determination in this matter. Any further review should be pursued in a judicial forum.