3. Employee Disciplinary Action

Employee Disciplinary Action Guidelines for Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District

• The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) contains a list of violations and corresponding disciplinary actions and is intended to serve as a guide for supervisory personnel.

• The list of violations is not complete as disciplinary action may result from any violation of the labor agreement, District rules, regulations, policy or directives.

• The SOP provides a step-by-step process to be followed when the facts of a case can only be determined through an investigation.

• Officers are granted authority by the Fire Chief to order reasonable disciplinary action within specific limits.

• Officers may recommend disciplinary action which exceeds their specific authority.

• Prior to suspending any employee, the on-duty Battalion Chief must be notified.

• The SOP will replace any previous policy or procedure defining the investigative procedures.

• The counseling session is a process to apprise an employee that their attitude or job performance is falling below standards.

• An informal inquiry is the initial questioning of persons to determine if a violation occurred and if there is a need to continue to a formal investigation.

• Misconduct is defined as a deliberate violation of a rule, regulation, policy, or directive. Negligence is defined as the omission to do something which a reasonable person would do or the doing of something which a reasonable and prudent person would not do.

• The discipline matrix is intended to be used as a guide for supervisory personnel in identifying levels of discipline for infractions and occurrences of LAFCRD SOPs and policies.

• An administrative hearing will be conducted if the process proceeds, and the investigating officer shall inform their supervisor that an administrative hearing can be scheduled.Employee Disciplinary Action Guidelines

• The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District has a disciplinary matrix that includes verbal counseling, oral reprimand, written reprimand, suspension, demotion, and termination for employees who fail to complete required training assignments or violate district rules and regulations.

• Required training assignments or reports not submitted/completed are subject to progressive discipline beginning with oral counseling, up to termination.

• The district has an informal inquiry process where supervisory or management personnel meet with the employee to mediate a complaint or discuss the facts to determine whether a formal investigation should be commenced.

• The formal investigation process is initiated by supervisory personnel, after determining that the employee shall be reprimanded, suspended, or removed, during which the questioning of an employee is conducted for the purpose of gathering evidence of misconduct.

• The Florida Firefighters Bill of Rights, Part VIII, Florida Statutes, 112.80 –84, consisting of Sections, outlines the rights of firefighters during interrogations and investigations.

• A firefighter has the right to receive written notice of sufficient detail of the investigation in order to reasonably apprise the firefighter of the nature of the investigation and the names of all complainants.

• All interrogations shall be conducted at a reasonable time of day, preferably when the firefighter is on duty, unless immediate action is required.

• A complete record of any interrogation shall be made, and if a transcript of such interrogation is made, the firefighter under investigation shall be entitled to a copy without charge.

• An employee or officer of an employing agency may represent the agency, and an employee organization may represent any member of a bargaining unit desiring such representation in any proceeding.

• No firefighter shall be discharged, disciplined, demoted, denied promotion or seniority, transferred, reassigned, or otherwise disciplined or discriminated against in regard to his or her employment, or be threatened with any such treatment as retaliation for or by reason solely of his or her exercise of any of the rights granted or protected by the Florida Firefighters Bill of Rights.

• The district has a documentation of interrogation duration form where the start and end times of each person present during the interrogation are recorded.

• The district has a notice of administrative hearing process where an employee is notified of a recommendation for disciplinary action and has the right to be present during the hearing and to have union representation.

Employee Disciplinary Action Guidelines for Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District

• The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) contains a list of violations and corresponding disciplinary actions and is intended to serve as a guide for supervisory personnel.

• The list of violations is not complete as disciplinary action may result from any violation of the labor agreement, District rules, regulations, policy or directives.

• The SOP provides a step-by-step process to be followed when the facts of a case can only be determined through an investigation.

• Officers are granted authority by the Fire Chief to order reasonable disciplinary action within specific limits.

• Officers may recommend disciplinary action which exceeds their specific authority.

• Prior to suspending any employee, the on-duty Battalion Chief must be notified.

• The SOP will replace any previous policy or procedure defining the investigative procedures.

• The counseling session is a process to apprise an employee that their attitude or job performance is falling below standards.

• An informal inquiry is the initial questioning of persons to determine if a violation occurred and if there is a need to continue to a formal investigation.

• Misconduct is defined as a deliberate violation of a rule, regulation, policy, or directive. Negligence is defined as the omission to do something which a reasonable person would do or the doing of something which a reasonable and prudent person would not do.

• The discipline matrix is intended to be used as a guide for supervisory personnel in identifying levels of discipline for infractions and occurrences of LAFCRD SOPs and policies.

• An administrative hearing will be conducted if the process proceeds, and the investigating officer shall inform their supervisor that an administrative hearing can be scheduled.Employee Disciplinary Action Guidelines

• The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District has a disciplinary matrix that includes verbal counseling, oral reprimand, written reprimand, suspension, demotion, and termination for employees who fail to complete required training assignments or violate district rules and regulations.

• Required training assignments or reports not submitted/completed are subject to progressive discipline beginning with oral counseling, up to termination.

• The district has an informal inquiry process where supervisory or management personnel meet with the employee to mediate a complaint or discuss the facts to determine whether a formal investigation should be commenced.

• The formal investigation process is initiated by supervisory personnel, after determining that the employee shall be reprimanded, suspended, or removed, during which the questioning of an employee is conducted for the purpose of gathering evidence of misconduct.

• The Florida Firefighters Bill of Rights, Part VIII, Florida Statutes, 112.80 –84, consisting of Sections, outlines the rights of firefighters during interrogations and investigations.

• A firefighter has the right to receive written notice of sufficient detail of the investigation in order to reasonably apprise the firefighter of the nature of the investigation and the names of all complainants.

• All interrogations shall be conducted at a reasonable time of day, preferably when the firefighter is on duty, unless immediate action is required.

• A complete record of any interrogation shall be made, and if a transcript of such interrogation is made, the firefighter under investigation shall be entitled to a copy without charge.

• An employee or officer of an employing agency may represent the agency, and an employee organization may represent any member of a bargaining unit desiring such representation in any proceeding.

• No firefighter shall be discharged, disciplined, demoted, denied promotion or seniority, transferred, reassigned, or otherwise disciplined or discriminated against in regard to his or her employment, or be threatened with any such treatment as retaliation for or by reason solely of his or her exercise of any of the rights granted or protected by the Florida Firefighters Bill of Rights.

• The district has a documentation of interrogation duration form where the start and end times of each person present during the interrogation are recorded.

• The district has a notice of administrative hearing process where an employee is notified of a recommendation for disciplinary action and has the right to be present during the hearing and to have union representation.

Employee Disciplinary Action Guidelines for Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District

• The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) contains a list of violations and corresponding disciplinary actions and is intended to serve as a guide for supervisory personnel.

• The list of violations is not complete as disciplinary action may result from any violation of the labor agreement, District rules, regulations, policy or directives.

• The SOP provides a step-by-step process to be followed when the facts of a case can only be determined through an investigation.

• Officers are granted authority by the Fire Chief to order reasonable disciplinary action within specific limits.

• Officers may recommend disciplinary action which exceeds their specific authority.

• Prior to suspending any employee, the on-duty Battalion Chief must be notified.

• The SOP will replace any previous policy or procedure defining the investigative procedures.

• The counseling session is a process to apprise an employee that their attitude or job performance is falling below standards.

• An informal inquiry is the initial questioning of persons to determine if a violation occurred and if there is a need to continue to a formal investigation.

• Misconduct is defined as a deliberate violation of a rule, regulation, policy, or directive. Negligence is defined as the omission to do something which a reasonable person would do or the doing of something which a reasonable and prudent person would not do.

• The discipline matrix is intended to be used as a guide for supervisory personnel in identifying levels of discipline for infractions and occurrences of LAFCRD SOPs and policies.

• An administrative hearing will be conducted if the process proceeds, and the investigating officer shall inform their supervisor that an administrative hearing can be scheduled.Employee Disciplinary Action Guidelines

• The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District has a disciplinary matrix that includes verbal counseling, oral reprimand, written reprimand, suspension, demotion, and termination for employees who fail to complete required training assignments or violate district rules and regulations.

• Required training assignments or reports not submitted/completed are subject to progressive discipline beginning with oral counseling, up to termination.

• The district has an informal inquiry process where supervisory or management personnel meet with the employee to mediate a complaint or discuss the facts to determine whether a formal investigation should be commenced.

• The formal investigation process is initiated by supervisory personnel, after determining that the employee shall be reprimanded, suspended, or removed, during which the questioning of an employee is conducted for the purpose of gathering evidence of misconduct.

• The Florida Firefighters Bill of Rights, Part VIII, Florida Statutes, 112.80 –84, consisting of Sections, outlines the rights of firefighters during interrogations and investigations.

• A firefighter has the right to receive written notice of sufficient detail of the investigation in order to reasonably apprise the firefighter of the nature of the investigation and the names of all complainants.

• All interrogations shall be conducted at a reasonable time of day, preferably when the firefighter is on duty, unless immediate action is required.

• A complete record of any interrogation shall be made, and if a transcript of such interrogation is made, the firefighter under investigation shall be entitled to a copy without charge.

• An employee or officer of an employing agency may represent the agency, and an employee organization may represent any member of a bargaining unit desiring such representation in any proceeding.

• No firefighter shall be discharged, disciplined, demoted, denied promotion or seniority, transferred, reassigned, or otherwise disciplined or discriminated against in regard to his or her employment, or be threatened with any such treatment as retaliation for or by reason solely of his or her exercise of any of the rights granted or protected by the Florida Firefighters Bill of Rights.

• The district has a documentation of interrogation duration form where the start and end times of each person present during the interrogation are recorded.

• The district has a notice of administrative hearing process where an employee is notified of a recommendation for disciplinary action and has the right to be present during the hearing and to have union representation.

Employee Disciplinary Action Guidelines for Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District

• The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) contains a list of violations and corresponding disciplinary actions and is intended to serve as a guide for supervisory personnel.

• The list of violations is not complete as disciplinary action may result from any violation of the labor agreement, District rules, regulations, policy or directives.

• The SOP provides a step-by-step process to be followed when the facts of a case can only be determined through an investigation.

• Officers are granted authority by the Fire Chief to order reasonable disciplinary action within specific limits.

• Officers may recommend disciplinary action which exceeds their specific authority.

• Prior to suspending any employee, the on-duty Battalion Chief must be notified.

• The SOP will replace any previous policy or procedure defining the investigative procedures.

• The counseling session is a process to apprise an employee that their attitude or job performance is falling below standards.

• An informal inquiry is the initial questioning of persons to determine if a violation occurred and if there is a need to continue to a formal investigation.

• Misconduct is defined as a deliberate violation of a rule, regulation, policy, or directive. Negligence is defined as the omission to do something which a reasonable person would do or the doing of something which a reasonable and prudent person would not do.

• The discipline matrix is intended to be used as a guide for supervisory personnel in identifying levels of discipline for infractions and occurrences of LAFCRD SOPs and policies.

• An administrative hearing will be conducted if the process proceeds, and the investigating officer shall inform their supervisor that an administrative hearing can be scheduled.Employee Disciplinary Action Guidelines

• The Lehigh Acres Fire Control and Rescue District has a disciplinary matrix that includes verbal counseling, oral reprimand, written reprimand, suspension, demotion, and termination for employees who fail to complete required training assignments or violate district rules and regulations.

• Required training assignments or reports not submitted/completed are subject to progressive discipline beginning with oral counseling, up to termination.

• The district has an informal inquiry process where supervisory or management personnel meet with the employee to mediate a complaint or discuss the facts to determine whether a formal investigation should be commenced.

• The formal investigation process is initiated by supervisory personnel, after determining that the employee shall be reprimanded, suspended, or removed, during which the questioning of an employee is conducted for the purpose of gathering evidence of misconduct.

• The Florida Firefighters Bill of Rights, Part VIII, Florida Statutes, 112.80 –84, consisting of Sections, outlines the rights of firefighters during interrogations and investigations.

• A firefighter has the right to receive written notice of sufficient detail of the investigation in order to reasonably apprise the firefighter of the nature of the investigation and the names of all complainants.

• All interrogations shall be conducted at a reasonable time of day, preferably when the firefighter is on duty, unless immediate action is required.

• A complete record of any interrogation shall be made, and if a transcript of such interrogation is made, the firefighter under investigation shall be entitled to a copy without charge.

• An employee or officer of an employing agency may represent the agency, and an employee organization may represent any member of a bargaining unit desiring such representation in any proceeding.

• No firefighter shall be discharged, disciplined, demoted, denied promotion or seniority, transferred, reassigned, or otherwise disciplined or discriminated against in regard to his or her employment, or be threatened with any such treatment as retaliation for or by reason solely of his or her exercise of any of the rights granted or protected by the Florida Firefighters Bill of Rights.

• The district has a documentation of interrogation duration form where the start and end times of each person present during the interrogation are recorded.

• The district has a notice of administrative hearing process where an employee is notified of a recommendation for disciplinary action and has the right to be present during the hearing and to have union representation.