(a) Nonapplicability of subchapter.— This subchapter shall not apply to:
- (1) a borough that has a police force of less than three members;
- (2) a borough that has a police force of three or more members if those members in excess of two are appointed on a temporary basis through a federally funded program;
- (3) a volunteer fire department or company that employs its own operators; or
- (4) a borough that has less than three salaried fire apparatus operators.
- (b) Compensation.— This subchapter is subject to the power of council to determine compensation.
- (c) Appointments and promotions.— An appointment to and promotion in the police force or as fire apparatus operator paid directly by a borough and in the borough shall be made only according to qualifications and fitness, to be ascertained by examinations which shall be competitive as provided in this part.
- (d) Suspension, removal and reduction in rank.— No person shall be suspended, removed or reduced in rank as a paid employee in any police force or as a paid fire apparatus operator of a borough, except in accordance with this subchapter.
- (e) Retirement.— Nothing in this subchapter shall apply to retirement, nor shall anything in this subchapter be construed to prevent a borough from adopting a compulsory retirement age for its employees or for any class of employees and from retiring all employees automatically when they reach that age.