Promotions for Fire, Police Departments on Macon, Georgia's Horizon

After years of legal wrangling over the fairness of promotions in the Macon police and Macon-Bibb County fire departments, an end could be in sight.

It has been five years since any permanent promotions have been approved in the two departments, but an agreement struck in May is expected to give the departments that ability later this year.

"Nothing motivates like the chance for that next promotion, since it's been announced that promotions are near," Fire Chief Jimmy Hartley said. "I've seen a little bit more spring in everyone's step, a little bit more light in everyone's eyes."

Promotions for the city's nearly 600 sworn public safety employees have been an issue for nearly a quarter of a century.

In 1981, after a group of black police officers and firefighters accused Macon of discriminatory promotions, a consent decree required the city to match the racial and gender makeup of both public safety departments' administrative structure with the city and county's overall makeup.

Then in 2000, 74 white firefighters and 20 white police officers filed another lawsuit, saying they faced discrimination based on their race and gender. Since then, no permanent promotions of sworn public safety employees have been approved.

This May, the city and all of the plaintiffs in the case agreed to a gender- and race-neutral promotions process. The city hired a consulting firm to handle that task.

Fields Consulting Group visited Macon this summer and interviewed police officers and firefighters. Company officials interviewed and observed on-duty employees to determine the skills, abilities and knowledge needed for specific jobs, said Thomas Richardson, an attorney representing the city in the promotions case.

"The city recognized that they needed to come up with a new promotions plan," Richardson said. "We decided that we had to come up with a promotions plan that people had confidence in."

This summer, Fields Consulting, which the city paid about $300,000, created a new promotion system, including the tests that will determine rank. If approved by a federal judge and without any challenges, the new system will be put in place permanently, Richardson said.

Tests for sergeant, lieutenant and captain positions will begin this fall and conclude in December, Richardson said. U.S. District Court Judge Duross Fitzpatrick will review the plan at an unspecified date after the tests have been taken, Fitzpatrick said.

Without a promotion system, Macon police have made temporary promotions since 2000.

The fire department, however, has not made any promotions - either temporary or permanent. Of 130 sergeant, lieutenant and captain positions in the fire department, only half are full, Hartley said.

Despite the recent developments in the case, there is some dissatisfaction with the process.

Jim Wood, one of the white firefighters who filed the lawsuit in 2000, said the new process doesn't give enough weight to seniority.

"This thing has been a complicated process. We need a fair promotions system where seniority counts," he said.

Tim Self, another firefighter who was part of the 2000 lawsuit, said the new test is too subjective and should be challenged in court.

"It's going to be up to whoever's grading you how you do, instead of a right or wrong answer," he said.

Still, he said, a promotion process is a step forward.

"Something needs to be done," he said. "We're at a standstill and have been for the last five years."

Fire Sgt. Shane Edwards said he wouldn't know how fair the system will be until after the tests have been given, but he said morale has improved recently.

The 17-year veteran said he's glad there will be a promotion process so people can progress in their careers. But, he said, getting a payscale in place is more important.

"At least we're getting a promotions system," he said. "It looks like things are turning around now. All we need is a pay scale."

Distributed by the Associated Press