Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-30
new POLICE AND
FIRE TESTS ARE
DRAWN BY BOARD
An Applicants Must Measure Up to
Severe Physical and Men
tai Standards.
CHANCES FOR PROMOTION
Strict Discipline Under Penalty of
Dismissal or Suspension to
Be Maintained.

IQ6- QUALIFICATIONS WHICH snail
govern the board of fire and police
commissioners In accepting an ap-
plicant for the position Of patrol
man or fireman with the city are
parallel in most Of the particulars
for both departments OF the city's
safety. The public can rest satisA
fed that the man who passes the
examination and comes up to the
qualifications for either position is
physically and mentally fitted for
the work and should make a val
liable asset in the maintenance Of
the welfare Of the city.
The board of police and fire COM
missioners announce the following
as the qualifications that must be
net by the applicant:
For PatrOlmen.
No person will be appointed pa
trolman who is less than 25 years
of age nor more than As years Of
age, who is less than feet 8 inches
in height or less than $50 pounds,
who is less than SO inches chest
measurement. No person will be
appointed patrolman who is not a
citizen of the United States and a
legal voter in the city of Rock Is
land at least three years immedi-
ately preceding the filing of his ap-
Plication, or who does not speak
the English language understand
llgly. No person who has been
convicted Of crime will be ap-
pointed.
For Firemen.
No person will be appointed a
fireman who is under 81 years of
age or more than 35 years of age,
who is less than 5 feet 6 inches in
height or less than 140 pounds in
weight or less than SO inches chest
measurement. No person will be
appointed fireman who is not a cit
iZen of the United States and a le-
gal voter Of the city Of Rock Is
land, who has not resided in the
city of Rock Island at least three
years Immediately preceding the
filing of his application or who does
not speak the English language un-
appointed who has been convicted
of crime.
Promotions From Ranks.
One of the features of the new
method is that all promotions in
both departments higher than the
grade of patrolman or common fire
man will be made by promotion of
persons already in the service. So
that man entering the service at
the bottom of the ladder will have
the opportunity to reach the top.
That which will be strongly OBJ
served by the board is the rule as
to character and habits. Proof at
any time produced to the board as
to the bad character, Incorporate
or dissolute habits of an applicant
shall be deemed sufficient cause to
exclude the applicant from exam
fnation or for removal from a reg
lister of eligibles after examination.
Removal or Suspension.
Charges against a member of
either department must be made
N writing and filed with the head
of the department in which the per-
son against whom such charges are
made is employed. All such charges
will be carefully Investigated by
the board. The accused shall be
given every opportunity to defend
himself before the board at the
hearing. Pending such investiga-
tons the board, at its own option,
may suspend the accused for a pc
Rod not exceeding 30 days.
Bonds,
The official bond of each member
of the police department and of the
fire chief and assistant fire chief
shall be not less than $1,000.