FPC committee advances plan to award promotional preference points for volunteer and leadership service
January 13, 2026 | Milwaukee , Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
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The Fire and Police Commission testing and recruiting committee on Jan. 18 debated a proposal to award promotional preference points to candidates who complete verified community volunteer work or leadership training and to field training officers (FTOs).
Commissioner Ramey said the committee should “recognize” volunteer efforts and recommended the committee develop a rule to bring to the full board. Chief Parrish described the idea as a way to reward employees who have ‘‘contributed a substantial amount of time to the betterment of the Milwaukee community’’ and said prior discussions used a two‑year lookback and tiered hour thresholds as potential starting points.
Staff outlined initial thresholds discussed in earlier work: a two‑year lookback with three hour tiers (approximately 120, 180 and 240 hours) that would give different levels of preference depending on sustained engagement. The committee emphasized using points rather than altering exam scoring weights; a commissioner suggested limiting the effect to roughly a 10% maximum so volunteerism would not make promotion impossible for those unable to volunteer.
Deputy director Jay Pusek told commissioners they must define what counts as community or volunteer service and consider legal limits (for example excluding political activity). Chief Parrish recommended validating organizations via existing lists (IRS 501(c)(3) filings or CDBG eligible agency lists) so the commission can verify an organization’s status before awarding points.
On leadership and FTO preferences, Chief Sarno proposed 40 hours of qualifying leadership training (examples cited: 16‑ and 24‑hour WCTC courses or a 40‑hour FBI‑LEEDA supervisor institute) and suggested awarding points to FTOs with two years’ service in good standing. Commissioners asked for clarity on how FTOs are selected and how the commission would cross‑check supervisory records before granting points.
Next steps: staff and commissioners agreed to develop draft rule language and materials for the committee to review in March, with the goal of presenting a formal recommendation to the full board. Deputy director Jay Pusek volunteered to work with Chief Parrish and Commissioner Ramey on an interim draft for circulation.
Commissioner Ramey said the committee should “recognize” volunteer efforts and recommended the committee develop a rule to bring to the full board. Chief Parrish described the idea as a way to reward employees who have ‘‘contributed a substantial amount of time to the betterment of the Milwaukee community’’ and said prior discussions used a two‑year lookback and tiered hour thresholds as potential starting points.
Staff outlined initial thresholds discussed in earlier work: a two‑year lookback with three hour tiers (approximately 120, 180 and 240 hours) that would give different levels of preference depending on sustained engagement. The committee emphasized using points rather than altering exam scoring weights; a commissioner suggested limiting the effect to roughly a 10% maximum so volunteerism would not make promotion impossible for those unable to volunteer.
Deputy director Jay Pusek told commissioners they must define what counts as community or volunteer service and consider legal limits (for example excluding political activity). Chief Parrish recommended validating organizations via existing lists (IRS 501(c)(3) filings or CDBG eligible agency lists) so the commission can verify an organization’s status before awarding points.
On leadership and FTO preferences, Chief Sarno proposed 40 hours of qualifying leadership training (examples cited: 16‑ and 24‑hour WCTC courses or a 40‑hour FBI‑LEEDA supervisor institute) and suggested awarding points to FTOs with two years’ service in good standing. Commissioners asked for clarity on how FTOs are selected and how the commission would cross‑check supervisory records before granting points.
Next steps: staff and commissioners agreed to develop draft rule language and materials for the committee to review in March, with the goal of presenting a formal recommendation to the full board. Deputy director Jay Pusek volunteered to work with Chief Parrish and Commissioner Ramey on an interim draft for circulation.
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