HFD Home Storage Vehicle Guideline (PDF)

HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT SUBJECT: HFD HOME STORAGE VEHICLE GUIDELINE VOLUME NO. I ALL COMMANDS REFERENCE NO. I-36 SECTIONS 1.01-6.03 1.00...

HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT SUBJECT: HFD HOME STORAGE VEHICLE GUIDELINE VOLUME NO. I ALL COMMANDS REFERENCE NO. I-36 SECTIONS 1.01-6.03 1.00 PURPOSE 1.01 The purpose of this guideline is to provide home-storage vehicle assignment to the employees of the Houston Fire Department (HFD). 1.02 Home storage vehicle assignment is to be considered a privilege only, never a right or term of work condition. 2.00 OBJECTIVES 2.01 To comply with the City of Houston home-storage vehicle policy. (AP 2-2). 2.02 To ensure that department vehicles are stored in a manner that will provide maximum benefit to the city and HFD. 3.00 DEFINITIONS 3.01 City Vehicle: All licensed passenger cars, specialty vehicles, vans, buses, trucks, and motor-driven equipment owned or leased by the City of Houston. 3.02 Employee: All individuals engaged in the performance of duties for, or on behalf of, the City of Houston, whether hired, appointed, full time, part time, temporary or permanent including classified as well as non-classified employees. 3.03 Home Storage: Storage of city owned vehicles after normal working hours, including overnight, at the private residences of employees who have received prior authorization from the Fire Chief. 3.04 Operational Necessity: A general term under which specific duties are defined that, when applicable, tend to justify an employee’s need for additional equipment, privilege or authority based on the city’s best interests. The Fire Chief, at his/her discretion, may choose to consider Operational Necessity as a basis for assigning city owned vehicles for home storage but is not obligated to do so. SUBJECT: HFD Home Storage Vehicle Guideline REFERENCE NO. I-36 08/01/05 Reviewed 5/20/23 1  4.00 SCOPE 4.01 Department vehicles are for official City business only. This guideline applies to the home storage of Department-owned vehicles. All HFD employees will follow these guidelines when approved for vehicle-home storage. The Fire Chief reserves the authority to make exceptions to this guideline that may be necessary in order to ensure the effective and efficient supervision and operation of this department. 5.00 RESPONSIBILITIES 5.01 Only the Fire Chief may authorize the use of city owned vehicles for home storage. Employees are not automatically entitled to an assigned vehicle for home storage based solely on their job duties, seniority, classification or any other reason. However, the fire chief may consider specific conditions (operational necessity) under which city owned vehicles may be approved for home storage if the justification to do so significantly increases the department’s efficiency and/or effectiveness. Furthermore, the Fire Chief and appropriate supervisors may revoke home-storage privileges in order to take necessary disciplinary action associated with non-compliance of this guideline or other rules, regulations, policies or procedures. 5.02 All Assistant Chiefs/Division Heads will annually review vehicle assignments to ensure compliance with this guideline. 5.03 All employees with authorization for assignment of home-storage vehicles must: A. Reside within a 30-mile radius of HFD headquarters located in or near downtown Houston unless otherwise specified in this guideline. B. Fill out an ES-1 Form and update it annually. C. Satisfactorily complete the Defensive Driver’s Course.. 6.00 GUIDELINES 6.01 Home Storage Assignment: A. Employees whose home storage privileges are based on “Operational Necessity” must comply with the following requisites: Routinely required to perform assignments beyond normal duty hours; Routinely required to report directly to or from various field work sites; Routinely required to carry and/or maintain specialized equipment; Routinely required to be “on call” after normal duty hours or; Routinely provide special repair or emergency services after normal duty hours. B. Assistant Chiefs/Division Heads will complete and maintain quarterly reports for all employees assigned a home-storage vehicle. SUBJECT: HFD Home Storage Vehicle Guideline REFERENCE NO. I-36 08/01/05 2 Reviewed 5/20/23  C. Employees will report odometer readings to their respective supervisors quarterly on the last day of March, June, September, and December. D. Employees will not operate City vehicles for personal use. E. Employees assigned home-storage vehicles are responsible for preserving the safety of those vehicles at all times and for ensuring that required maintenance is performed. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action and possible revocation of this home storage privilege 6.02 Commands/Divisions: A. Command Team: Classified Command, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, and non-classified staff employees who are assigned home-storage vehicles must reside within 30 miles of HFD Headquarters. B. Classified Command Team Support Employees: Support members with prior home storage approval must reside within 30 miles of HFD Headquarters, except for employees assigned to Emergency Operations Command who are required to respond after hours. 6.03 The Fire Chief may assign a home-storage vehicle to any HFD employee or revoke home storage privileges when, in the fire chief’s opinion, doing so would be in the best interest of the department. SUBJECT: HFD Home Storage Vehicle Guideline REFERENCE NO. I-36 08/01/05 3 Reviewed 5/20/23