A merit system of personnel management shall be established and maintained for all personnel of the department in order to ensure and provide for impartial selection of competent and qualified personnel and to accord to all department employees rights of tenure and advancement during satisfactory discharge of their duties.

In lieu of establishment of a merit system of personnel management for the department, the director may resort to and rely upon the civil service commission and civil service system for personnel and personnel services of the department.

The director may select a personal secretary and two deputy directors of the department to serve at the director's will and pleasure. The director shall fix the compensation of the secretary and the two deputy directors and shall prescribe their duties and responsibilities. The director, the secretary and the two deputy directors shall not have and enjoy merit system status, as herein provided, but any deputy director, when selected from department personnel ranks, shall retain and be accorded all of the rights of his merit system status regardless of his selection and tenure as deputy director.

The director shall select and designate a competent and qualified person as department personnel officer who shall be responsible for personnel management, personnel records and general personnel services. The personnel officer, under supervision of the director and subject to merit system rules, regulations and requirements, shall prescribe qualifications, classifications and salary scales for department personnel. He shall furnish to the director information and data relating to qualified personnel available for the various offices, positions and places of employment and may make recommendations concerning the selection, retention and advancement of personnel of the department.