The village of Brookfield is expecting to see four new public safety employees join its ranks this year.
The village is hiring for two open firefighter-paramedic positions and two or more open police officer positions. Applications for the positions opened online Feb. 16 and will stay open until March 15 at 2 p.m. Brookfield Police Chief Michael Kuruvilla said Wednesday the police department’s open positions are a result of officers retiring or otherwise leaving the Brookfield force.
“We look for officers and people that take pride in their work, that exemplify professionalism, integrity, just the highest standards of ethics and morals and values,” he said in a phone call. “I don’t want it to sound boilerplate, but especially when it comes to integrity, respect, honor … I know these are qualities and characteristics that we talk about a lot within the department, and certainly, therefore, what we seek as we look to bring on the next generation.”
The annual salary for each of Brookfield’s new firefighters will start at $73,172 and can grow to $111,088 after six years. For the police department’s open positions, the starting salary is listed at $70,283, which can grow to $103,625 after six years; however, both figures are currently under negotiation and are likely to increase once the village and the Illinois Council of Police — the police union of which Brookfield officers are members — settle on a new collective bargaining agreement for 2024 and the next few years. The previous contract expired at the end of 2023.
Interested candidates for all four positions must have high school diplomas or GED equivalents and valid driver’s licenses. They must be between the ages of 21 and 35. Candidates will also be required to pass a mandatory written exam online during business hours between April 15-19. Any candidates who pass that exam will then have to pass a mandatory oral interview; police applicants will interview in-person on Wednesday, May 8, and firefighter applicants will interview Thursday, May 9.
From that point, Kuruvilla said, the police department creates a list of eligible applicants. The applicants are ranked on the list based on their performance in the exams, with Illinois law awarding extra points to those with a history in the military or with a college degree, he said. According to the law, former firefighters also receive preference points.
After the ranking is finalized, the Brookfield PD — like other police departments across the state, Kuruvilla said — performs background checks on the top applicants. Then, they must pass a polygraph test, a psychological exam and a physical exam before being offered employment.
“Our hope is to get through all of that in the fall,” Kuruvilla said.
Then, once the department has selected its new officers, they will be required to complete training at a police academy. That process typically begins in August, Kuruvilla said, at which point the applicants are hired as “probationary” officers.
“When they go to the academy, they are actually an employee of the village of Brookfield,” he added. “Of course, they have to complete and pass the academy and then the state certification exam to become a police officer.”
After three to four months on average of “localized field training,” the officers are “cut loose” and allowed to ride and respond to calls on their own, Kuruvilla said. Finally, after at least a year of working for the village, the officers lose the “probationary” label, becoming “fully sworn” members of the force.
“It’s an investment,” he said. “Not just for us, but for the person who wants to become an officer.”
Those applying for the open police officer positions must be authorized to work in the United States and have completed the Peace Officer Wellness Evaluation Report, or POWER, test, a physical assessment used by police academies and departments across Illinois, within a year of the March 15 application deadline.
Applicants interested in either of the firefighter positions must be U.S. citizens with valid paramedic certifications by the time of hire. They must also have passed the Candidate Physical Ability Test, an international standardized evaluation for firefighters, and received an Approved Ladder Climb card from a licensed agency within a year of taking the written exam. There is also a non-refundable $35 fee to apply to be a firefighter.
Interested candidates can visit Brookfield’s website for more information and for links to apply.
