Hiring Age Limit Will Leave Many Veterans Ineligible for Chattanooga Police and Fire Departments.
The current hiring age limit set by Chattanooga city code will prevent many veterans from being able to join the police and fire departments upon separating from the military.
Online, March 4, 2013 (Newswire.com) - The current Chattanooga city code will leave many of recently separated military veterans ineligible from joining the police and fire departments. With so many veterans now exiting the military after honorably serving the nation for twenty years, many cities, governments, and private companies are making extra effort to be sure to hire those veterans. However, the age limit set by the Chattanooga may prevent the hiring of such valuable members of society.
City code states that the city shall not hire anyone employ anyone as a police officer or fire fighter who has reached their fortieth birthday. That means any person who would like to serve the citizens of Chattanooga as a police officer must apply, be vetted, hired, and then complete the months of training required all before they turn forty. While this may sound reasonable for most people, when considering that anyone who separates from the military after 20 years of service, the minimum for retirement, will be at the very least 38, but more than likely 39 when they separate, the age limit makes it very difficult or impossible for many. Even those who entered the military at the young age of eighteen will often be rendered too old for city police forces by the time they complete the entire necessary process. While most cities recognize the value in those years of experience, Chattanooga's age policy does not.
A small group of citizens is starting to take up the cause of have the city alter the code to grant veterans an age waiver. A petition has been started asking the city to change the code. All members of the current city council and the mayor's office have been contacted in regards to this issue, but so far, only one council member has chosen to give any opinion on the topic. Councilman Jack Benson stated that he had "questioned the justification for an arbitrary 'cut off 'in the past." With the election looming just around the corner, the community action group Chattanooga for Veterans hopes that all members of the council will weigh in, and express their intent to see this code changed for the betterment of the city and it's veterans. Chattanooga for Veterans is a newly forming Community Action group with the intent of having city code section 16.2 changed to grant veterans and age waiver. For more information, contact Christy Carroll Highfill.