Michigan § 38.511 - Rules for examinations; minimum passing grade; notice and distribution of rules; probationary period; final appointment; hearing; procedure for filling position or vacancy; temporary appointments; special examinations; “appointing officer” defined.

The civil service commission in each city, village, or municipality shall make rules providing for examinations of applicants for positions in the paid fire or police departments in each city, village, or municipality under this act, for appointments, and for such other matters as are necessary to carry out the purposes of this act. The minimum passing grade for numerically scored entry level examinations shall be at least 70. Seventy shall designate the applicant's demonstration of the minimum acceptable level of performance on the individual or cumulative selection procedures, or both. After initial appointment, the minimum passing grade for any examination shall be at least 70%. Due notice of the contents of the rules and of any modifications to the rules shall be given, by mail, in due season, to appointing officers affected thereby, and the rules and rule modifications shall be printed also for public distribution. All original appointments to any positions in a fire department, within the terms of this act, shall be for a probationary period of 6 months. All original appointments to any positions in a police department, within the terms of this act, shall be for a probationary period of 1 year after the completion of legally required courses of basic training. At any time during the probationary period, an appointee may be dismissed for cause, in the manner provided in this act. If at the close of this probationary term the conduct or capacity of the probationer has not been satisfactory to the appointing officer, the probationer shall be notified within 10 days, in writing, that he or she will not receive permanent appointment, whereupon his or her employment shall cease. Otherwise, his or her retention in the service shall be equivalent to final appointment. The probationer shall be entitled to a hearing before the commission as provided in section 14.

Every entry position, unless filled by reinstatement, shall be filled only in the following manner: The appointing officer shall notify the civil service commission of any vacancy in the service which he or she desires to be filled, and shall request the certification of eligibles. The commission immediately shall certify from the eligible list the names of the persons who received the highest 5 average composite scores on examinations held under the provisions of this act within a period of 2 years next preceding the date of the appointment. The appointing officer, thereupon, with sole reference to the merit and fitness of the candidates, shall make the appointment from the names certified. As each subsequent vacancy occurs, precisely the same procedure shall be followed. When an appointment is made under this section, it shall be in the first instance for the probationary period, as provided in this act.

All positions, other than entry, shall be filled only in the following manner: The appointing officer shall notify the civil service commission of any vacancy in the service which he or she desires to be filled and shall request the certification of eligibles. The commission immediately shall certify from the eligible list the name of the person who received the highest average at preceding examinations held under the provisions of this act within a period of 2 years next preceding the date of the appointment. The appointing officer, thereupon, with sole reference to the merit and fitness of the candidates, shall make the appointment certified. As each subsequent vacancy occurs, precisely the same procedure shall be followed. When an appointment is made under this section, it shall be in the first instance for the probationary period, as provided in this act.

Whenever there are urgent reasons for filling a vacancy in any position in the fire or police department and there is no list of persons eligible for appointment, the appointing officer may nominate a person to the civil service commission for a noncompetitive examination. If the nominee is certified by the commission as qualified, after a noncompetitive examination, he or she may be appointed temporarily to fill the vacancy until a selection and appointment can be made after a competitive examination, and in the manner prescribed in this act. However, the temporary appointment shall not continue for more than 3 months, nor shall successive temporary appointments be made to the same position. In the event of an emergency due to a war in which this country is involved, the civil service commission may make temporary appointments to fill vacancies when appointments cannot be made under the provisions of this act. These appointments shall be temporary, and only during hostilities, and for 6 months thereafter.

In event any position as an electrician, mechanic, radio engineer, fire inspector, or fire alarm operator is to be filled in a paid fire or police department, then the examination to be given to applicants shall be so drawn as to test only the qualifications of the applicants in regard to their ability as an electrician, mechanic, radio engineer, fire inspector, or fire alarm operator. The examinations shall be special examinations.

As used in this section, "appointing officer" means the mayor or principal administrative or executive officer in any city, village, or municipality.