Section 55625 - Appointments of police and firefighters(a) This subdivision shall not apply to any township having a police force of less than three members or to volunteer fire departments or companies employing their own firefighters or to townships having less than three salaried firefighters.(b) This subdivision shall be subject to the power of the board of commissioners to determine compensation.(c) An appointment to and promotion in the township's police force or fire department paid directly by the township shall be made only according to qualifications and fitness to be ascertained by an examination. An examination for qualifications and fitness shall be competitive as provided under this subdivision.(d) No individual shall be suspended, removed or demoted as a paid employe in any police force or as a paid firefighter of any township, except in accordance with the provisions of this subdivision.(e) Nothing in this subdivision shall apply to retirement or be construed to prevent a township from adopting a compulsory retirement age for the township's employes or any class of employes or to prevent the township from retiring the township employes automatically when they attain the compulsory retirement age.1931, June 24, P.L. 1206, art. VI, § 625, added 1949, May 27, P.L. 1955, § 20. Amended 2020, Oct. 29, P.L. 782, No. 96, § 33, effective in 60 days [Dec. 28, 2020].