West Virginia Code § 8-15-17

Form of application; age and residency requirements; exceptions
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(a) The Firemen's Civil Service Commission in each municipality shall require individuals
applying for admission to any competitive examination provided for under the civil service
provisions of this article or under the rules of the commission to file in its office, within a
reasonable time prior to the proposed examination, a formal application in which the
applicant shall state under oath or affirmation: e
(1) His or her full name, residence, and post office address;
(2) His or her United States citizenship, age, and the place aund date of his or her birth;
(3) His or her state of health, and his or her physical capacity for the public service;
(4) His or her business and employments and residaences for at least three previous
years; and
(5) Any other information reasonably required, touching upon the applicant's
qualifications and fitness for the public service.
(b) Blank forms for the applications shall be furnished by the commission, without charge, to
all individuals requesting the same.
(c) The commission may requiere, in connection with the application, certificates of citizens,
physicians, and others, having pertinent knowledge concerning the applicant, as the good of
the service requires. L
(d) Except as provided in subsections (e), (f), and (g) of this section, the commission may not
accept an application for original appointment if the individual applying is less than 18 years
of age or more than 35 years of age at the date of his or her application.
(e) WIf any applicant is an honorably discharged veteran of any branch of the United States
armed forces, armed services reserve, or National Guard, then the individual may apply for
an original appointment if the applicant is not more than 40 years of age.
(f) If any applicant formerly served upon the paid fire department of the municipality to
which he or she makes application for a period of more than one year, and resigned from the
department at a time when there were no charges of misconduct or other misfeasance
pending against the applicant within a period of two years next preceding the date of his or
her application, and at the time of his or her application resides within the corporate limits
of the municipality in which the paid fire department to which he or she seeks appointment
by reinstatement is located, then the individual is eligible for appointment by reinstatement
in the discretion of the Firemen's Civil Service Commission, even though the applicant is
over the age of 35 years, and the applicant, providing his or her former term of service so
justifies, may be appointed by reinstatement to the paid fire department without a
competitive examination. The applicant shall undergo a medical examination; and if the
individual is so appointed by reinstatement to the paid fire department, he or she shall be
the lowest in rank in the department next above the probationers of the department and may
not be entitled to seniority considerations.
(g) If an individual is presently employed by one paid fire department and is over the age of
35, he or she may make an application to another paid fire department if:
(1) The paid fire department to which he or she is applying is serving a municipality that
has elected to participate in the West Virginia Municipal Police Officers and Firefighters
Retirement System created in §8-22A-1 et seq. of this code: Provided, That any
individual applying pursuant to this subdivision is to be clasusified as a new employee for
retirement purposes and prior employment service may not be transferred to the West
Virginia Municipal Police Officers and Firefighters Retirtement System; or
(2) The paid fire department to which he or she isa applying is serving a municipality that
has elected to participate in the West Virginia Public Employees Retirement System
created in §5-10-1 et seq. of this code: Provideld, That any individual applying pursuant
to this subdivision is to be classified as a snew employee for retirement purposes and
prior employment service may not be transferred to the West Virginia Public Employees
Retirement System, except for individuals and their prior employment service already
credited to them in the West Virgginia Public Employees Retirement System pursuant to
§5-10-1 et seq. of this code.
(h) Individuals who are authorized to apply to a paid fire department pursuant to subsection
(f) of this section shall be in the lowest rank of the department and are not entitled to
seniority considerations.
(i) Notwithstanding charter provisions to the contrary, any applicant for original
appointment need not be a resident of the municipality or the county in which he or she
seeks to become a member of the paid fire department.

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