Illinois Senate bill aims to standardize Chicago firefighter promotion process

CHICAGO - An Illinois Senate bill could help Chicago firefighters get promotions more easily and frequently by standardizing the process.

Unlike other departments statewide, Chicago's force is exempted from the Fire Department Promotion Act, which oversees the process to ensure that is fair and free of bias.

The Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 is in support of Democratic senator Willie Preston's bill and says the promotional exam is held irregularly, and sometimes happens only once a decade.

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This means some members may only get one chance at a promotion during a 20-year career.

"Chicago firefighters you have been treated unfairly for far too long. You don't have clarity about the career that you have chosen to take on that is very dangerous and that protects all of us. And that ends now," Preston said.

Senate Bill 1707 passed the Senate Labor Committee Wednesday and now heads to the full Senate for consideration.