Automatic Disqualifiers

Automatic Disqualifiers for Fire Department

• Conviction of a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude (crimes contrary to justice, honesty, or good morals)
• Conviction of any crime which carries a 6-month jail sentence or more, excluding traffic violations which are discussed separately, or the South Carolina State Law equivalent within the last 5 years
• Any conviction of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, refusal to take blood or breath test, eluding police, racing, or leaving the scene of an accident within the last 5 years
• Any involvement in the sale or distribution of illegal drugs as an adult
• Any illegal possession or use of heroin, cocaine, hallucinogens, or any other schedule 1 or 2 drugs or any derivative thereof, as defined in the Code of South Carolina within the last 5 years
• Use or illegal possession or use of anabolic steroids or any other injectable drugs not prescribed by a licensed medical professional within the last 5 years
• Illegal possession or use of marijuana or a derivative thereof within the last 24 months
• Dishonorable discharge from any military service (will be handled on a case by case basis)
• Untruthfulness and/or intentional withholding of information on any application, interview, or paperwork associated with the position. Examples of intentional withholding of information would include: deliberate inaccuracies or incomplete statements
• Cheating on any examination or testing associated with the position

Areas of Concern 

This is not intended to be an exhaustive listing of background disqualifiers. Applicants who are successful in the initial testing will undergo a thorough background investigation. Areas of concern will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis within the context of the full investigation/review. Examples of areas of concern may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Demonstrated history of financial irresponsibility. 
• Reduction of charges as a result of a plea agreement or other form of sentencing disposition prior to a conviction in any of the aforementioned criminal and driving history categories
• Crimes committed as a juvenile, including undetected crime
• Patterns of reckless and/or irresponsible driving
• Illegal drug possession that does not fall within the parameters defined above
• Less than honorable military discharge, erratic work record, or unfavorable employment references
• Pending litigation or prosecution for criminal offenses must be resolved prior to consideration for employment