Civil Service Employment

We want to thank you for your interest in employment opportunities with the City of Allentown. We want you to be well informed about how your application will be handled and what you should expect. Hopefully, this information will be helpful, but if questions still exist please call the Civil Service Specialist at the City of Allentown, Human Resources Department at (610) 437-7523.

Where are open positions normally advertised?

The open positions are advertised in the local newspaper (i.e., The Morning Call) and on our website at (www.allentownpa.gov). Advertisements must be posted at least 30 days in advance of the application period closing date in accordance with Civil Service Rules and Regulations guidelines.

Applications for the Civil Service positions are accepted every 2 years. The application process must be open for a period of at least 30 days. 

During the period of open applications, they can be obtained in City Hall, Human Resources, Room 233, during normal business hours. They must be returned to City Hall, Human Resources, Room 233 for processing.

There is an application processing fee that must be paid at the time the application is submitted. The amount is determined every two years.

The candidate must meet all of the necessary requirements outlined in the Civil Service Rules and Regulations. Each candidate will receive written notification of the details of each portion of the selection process. The candidate is given at least a 14 day written notification for each step of the process.

The first step in the selection process is a written examination. Each candidate will receive written notification of their individual test results.

Upon successful completion of all phases of the selection and hiring process, the candidate is then sent to the Fire Academy or the Police Academy. The candidate will receive pay as a Firefighter or Police Officer while attending the Academy.

Civil Service  - Fire Employment

The candidates that successfully pass the written examination are placed on an eligibility list that is valid for two (2) years after the Fire Civil Service Board approves the list. This is the list that will be utilized for all hiring, until the expiration of that list.

The next step in the process is a physical agility test. The first few candidates are tested. Upon successfully completing the agility test, copies of the candidate’s applications are sent to the Fire Department Administration for review.

If the candidate is selected to be hired, a contingent offer of employment is made based on successfully passing a pre-employment physical that includes a drug panel screening, psychological examination, and comprehensive background check that includes a criminal history.

The candidate’s name will then go before the Civil Service Board for their approval and then to City Council for final approval.

Veteran’s points are provided in accordance with the rules and regulations.

Civil Service - Police Employment

The second step in the process is the Physical Fitness Test. Each candidate that successfully passes the written examination is tested based upon standard tests for Municipal.

Candidates passing the written and physical examinations are required to undergo an oral examination. The panel consists of the Chief of Police, the Director of Human Resources, and a senior ranking police officer from another municipal police department, or a designated oral structured examination board.

The candidates that successfully pass the written, physical fitness test, and the oral examination, are then placed on an eligibility list that that is valid for two (2) years after the Police Civil Service Board approves the list. This is the validated list that is utilized for all hiring, until the list expires.

Applications are forwarded to the Police Department for review and the applicant is scheduled for a pre-academy physical fitness test and the required reading examination. Upon successful completion, a comprehensive background check and polygraph examination are completed.

The next step is an interview with the Police Chief.

If the candidate is selected to be hired, a contingent offer of employment is made based on successfully passing a pre-employment physical examination that includes a drug panel screening and psychological examination.

The candidate’s name will then go before the Civil Service Board for their approval and then to City Council for final approval.

Veteran’s points are provided in accordance with the rules and regulations.