Monday, NOVEMBER 3, 2025 |

Photo – RFD logo – Courtesy Rawlins Fire Department

The Rawlins Fire Civil Service Commission has made hiring new firefighters cheaper and more convenient.

During the October 21st Rawlins City Council meeting, Fire Civil Service Commission Chairman Mark Pappenheim updated the governing body about changes to the organization’s bylaws. Over the course of 10 meetings, Pappenheim said the commission approved revisions to the Rawlins Fire Department’s hiring and promotion policies.

Pappenheim thanked City Clerk Lynn Shearer and Rawlins Fire Chief Allen Robinson for their work on the new bylaws and for helping keep the Fire Civil Service Commission on track.

Pappenheim said that most firefighter testing agencies stopped conducting exams in smaller communities after the COVID-19 pandemic. Pappenheim said Chief Robinson visited other fire departments around the state to review their hiring practices, then brought that knowledge back to Rawlins, where the Civil Service Commission approved his ideas.

Pappenheim said the City Council also approved of the Fire Civil Service Commission’s new policies, adding that the new hiring process will save the city money.

Fire Chief Allen Robinson said the city’s firefighter recruitment and hiring systems have moved online, saving approximately $1,000 for each testing session. Chief Robinson explained that applicants pay for their own online testing. Afterwards, only those who pass the online written exam are invited to complete in-person physical fitness testing. The fire chief said that in the past, most applicants failed the written portion, which led to wasted time and effort during the hiring process.

Chief Robinson said the new hiring process has worked very well.

The fire chief said the framework for in-house promotions has been overhauled as well. Chief Robinson said he looked at how other fire departments handled promotions, took what worked, and created a better system for Rawlins.

Under the new system, promotion candidates complete a three-part evaluation: a written test, practical exam, and interview. Like the updated hiring process, Chief Robinson said the new promotional track has proven very successful.

The Rawlins fire chief thanked the entire Fire Civil Service Board, saying they worked together on the new hiring and promotion systems.

The post Hiring and Promoting Firefighters in Rawlins Has Been Restructured first appeared on Bigfoot 99 Radio.