Some personnel in the Los Angeles County Fire Department will face discipline for possessing and sharing confidential information that may have enabled relatives or others to cheat on the hiring process, and that process itself is undergoing significant reform, Chief Daryl Osby said Wednesday.
An audit last month by the LA County Auditor-Controller found 27 sworn department personnel had information from a previous admission exam in their email accounts. Seventeen of them "disseminated these materials to others, including to non-County email accounts." according to the audit. It also identified three candidates who received copies of oral interview questions and answers before their interviews, "which compromised the integrity of the exam process and provided these candidates with an unfair advantage." One of them, a fire captain's son, was later hired.
Follow-up investigation cleared many, but not all of those implicated, and a number could face discipline as severe as dismissal, according to Osby. He said notification letters will be sent in two to three weeks.
"While the numbers show that cheating was far from endemic or widespread, I absolutely will not tolerate any behavior that undermines the integrity of our department," Osby said. "We can't afford the actions of a few to erode the public trust that has been hard-earned by generations of county firefighters."
Reform of the admission process has been in the works since 2012, Osby said, a year after he became chief. Early on he saw potential for abuse of the exam system, Osby said, but evidence of actual violations did not surface until late last year. It was uncovered in a Los Angeles Times investigation.
This week, the department is conducting its first written examination to screen applicants since 2011. All who applied and supplied the required certification of physical agility were invited to take the two day exam. In years past, as few as 5 percent of applicants were permitted to continue to the exam process. Wednesday drew 4,511 applicants to rows of tables set up inside exhibit halls on the grounds of Fairplex in Pomona. The exam resumes Thursday morning.
To develop and handle the new written exam, the department hired a private company, PSI Services, LLC. The exam papers were delivered to Fairplex in an armored truck, and Sheriff's deputies maintained security.
News
Top news of the day
For NBC4's full interview with Chief Osby, watch the NBC4 News at 5 and 6 p.m.
The test has fresh questions and will not be used again to prevent questions and answers from being shared with later applicants. Previous versions recycled some questions, and one exam format was used nine times over four years, according to a department statement.
Beyond the release of the confidential exam material, the audit found additional evidence the field was not level for all candidates, concluding some may have had access to test preparation assistance "that was not available to the general public. The assistance included mock interviews and preparation guide."
In advance of the current written exam, the department website posted study materials online, a further effort to equalize access.
Those who pass will move on to the oral exam, where the concern was greatest about the limited number of questions being supplied to relatives. The new oral exam will come in 16 variations of four questions drawn from 50 possible questions.
For the first time, the department is also in the process of developing a formal anti-nepotism policy, intended to preclude personnel from involvement in hiring, promotions, performance evaluations, or disciplinary actions involving family or significant others. It's expected the policy will be ready for issue early next month.
