KRS 78.425: Personnel included in merit system.

(1) All police officers of whatever rank and title, and all employees, except civilian

employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement, of every county police

force affected by KRS 78.400 to 78.460 and 78.990 are covered by the provisions

hereof, except probationary officers and employees. All covered officers and

employees of every county police force on active duty or service as of the effective

date of an order of the fiscal court of the county creating a county police merit

system and board, shall be deemed fit and qualified to continue their respective

duties of employment on or for their respective county police force without

examination or further qualification, except and unless the chief of police of any

county police force shall, within sixty (60) days after the establishment of the board,

certify to the board that any officer or employee is physically unfit to continue his or

her duties.

(2) If a merit system is established which covers a county fire department, the

provisions of subsection (1) shall apply to the county fire department as they apply

to the county police force.

(3) All personnel covered by the provisions (a) of KRS 78.400 to 78.460, or (b) KRS

67.323, 67.325 and this section, or both, except probationary officers and

employees, shall be deemed to be permanent employees subject to their ability to

satisfactorily perform their respective duties and further subject to their good

behavior.

(4) Probationary officers and employees shall not be included in the merit system until

they sati sfactorily complete their initial probationary periods established by the

governing merit board. Officers and employees serving promotional probationary

periods, however, shall not be deemed excluded from the merit system during the

promotional probationary periods.