(a) For the purpose of granting promotion to any rank to which this Act applies, the appointing authority shall from time to time, as necessary, administer a promotion process in accordance with this Act.
     (b) Eligibility requirements to participate in the promotional process may include a minimum requirement as to the length of employment, education, training, and certification in subjects and skills related to fire fighting. After the effective date of this Act, any such eligibility requirements shall be published at least one year prior to the date of the beginning of the promotional process and all members of the affected department shall be given an equal opportunity to meet those eligibility requirements.
     (c) All aspects of the promotion process shall be equally accessible to all eligible employees of the department. Every component of the testing and evaluation procedures shall be published to all eligible candidates when the announcement of promotional testing is made. The scores for each component of the testing and evaluation procedures shall be disclosed to each candidate as soon as practicable after the component is completed.
     (d) The appointing authority shall provide a separate promotional examination for each rank that is filled by promotion. All examinations for promotion shall be competitive among the members of the next lower rank who meet the established eligibility requirements and desire to submit themselves to examination. The appointing authority may employ consultants to design and administer promotion examinations or may adopt any job-related examinations or study materials that may become available, so long as they comply with the requirements of this Act.