ELIGIBILITY FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT PROMOTIONAL EXAMINATION

(a) This section does not apply to a municipality with a population of 1.5 million or more. (b) Each promotional examination is open to each fire fighter who at any time has continuously held for at least two years a position in the classification that is immediately below, in salary, the classification for which the examination is to be held. (c) If the department has adopted a classification plan that classifies positions on the basis of similarity in duties and responsibilities, each promotional examination is open to each fire fighter who has continuously held for at least two years a position at the next lower pay grade, if it exists, in the classification for which the examination is to be held. (d) If there are not enough fire fighters in the next lower position with two years' service in that position to provide an adequate number of persons to take the examination, the commission may open the examination to persons in that position with less than two years' service. If there is still an insufficient number, the commission may open the examination to persons with at least two years' experience in the second lower position, in salary, to the position for which the examination is to be held. (e) If a fire fighter had previously terminated the fire fighter's employment with the department and is subsequently reemployed by the same department, the fire fighter must again meet the two-year service requirement for eligibility to take a promotional examination. In determining if a fire fighter has met the two-year service requirement, a fire department may not consider service in another fire department. (f) This section does not prohibit lateral crossover between classes.