Spring Fire Department Minimum Staffing & Mandatory Call Back Guidelines (SFD.063) PDF

Manual Name: Spring Fire Department Policies & Procedures Document Title: Minimum Staffing & Mandatory Call Back Chief’s Signature: Document Number: SFD.063 Date: 08/22/2022 Revision Number: 01 PURPOSE Define the procedures for mandatory call back of personnel to achieve minimum staffing. SCOPE Al...

Manual Name: Spring Fire Department Policies & Procedures Document Title: Minimum Staffing & Mandatory Call Back Chief’s Signature: Document Number: SFD.063 Date: 08/22/2022 Revision Number: 01 PURPOSE Define the procedures for mandatory call back of personnel to achieve minimum staffing. SCOPE All Spring Fire Department personnel are responsible for knowing and complying with this procedure. REVIEW The Fire Chief or designee is responsible for reviewing this guideline annually and assuring its accuracy. REFERENCES/DEFINITIONS Full-Time: Employed by the Spring Fire Department This employee is on a 48 hour on, 96 hours off, three-platoon schedule. Part-Time: This employee is on an as needed basis and will be scheduled wherever seen fit to best benefit this organization. Captain: An employee holds the rank of Captain either from appointment or a tested position, can be either full-time or part-time. Will be responsible for overseeing the station, apparatus, and crew of his or her assigned location. District Chief: Holds the rank of District Chief either from appointment or a tested position. Will be responsible for the overseeing of all personnel on their respective shift and ensuring this guideline is adhered to where applicable. Acting Officer: An employee designated “Acting Officer”, is responsible for the station, apparatus, and crew of his or her assigned location. Driver: The operator of the apparatus as defined by SFD Driving Guideline (SFD.018). The Driver is responsible for safe operation and function of fire apparatus. Firefighter 1: Assigned to first line by Officer or Acting Officer. Firefighter 2: Assigned to hydrant by Officer or Acting Officer. Shall and Will: The words “SHALL” and “WILL” as used in herein shall indicate that the action is mandatory. Maximum Working Hours: Personnel may not work more than 72 consecutive work hours without a minimum of 12 hours off duty. The Deputy Chief of Operations, or his designee, can grant approval for additional work hours at his or her discretion. Page 1 of 5 Manual Name: Spring Fire Department Policies & Procedures Document Title: Minimum Staffing & Mandatory Call Back Chief’s Signature: Document Number: SFD.063 Date: Revision Number: 01 GUIDELINE Minimum Staffing Station 70 Officer Driver FF 1 FF 2 (Rehab) E71 Officer Driver FF 1 R71 Officer Driver FF 1 E72 Officer Driver FF 1 E73 Officer Driver FF 1 L74 Officer Driver FF 1 L75 Officer Driver FF 1 E76 Officer Driver FF 1 E77 Officer Driver FF1 E78 Officer Driver FF1 The minimum crew necessary for suppression apparatus to be considered staffed and respond to emergencies is a crew of three (3), preferred is four (4). This will consist of an Officer, or Acting Officer, Apparatus Operator or acting Apparatus Operator as the driver and Firefighter. The apparatus or acting apparatus operator must be a cleared driver as defined by SFD Driving Guideline (SFD.018). Rescue 71 shall be staffed with a minimum of three (3) personnel, and Rehab 70 shall be staffed with a minimum of an Apparatus Operator or acting Apparatus Operator as the driver. Filling Positions The filling of open positions created either by PTO, Sick Time, or other related vacancies shall be completed as follows: 1. It will be the responsibility of the personnel to fill the overtime created for the first day of the oncoming shift’s 48-hour tour. For example, if FF 1 is on the B shift, and there is an unfilled position listed as their relief on the first day of the C shift tour, it will be the affected B shift firefighter’s responsibility to fill the position. 2. Apparatus Operator or acting apparatus operator positions must be filled by persons eligible to drive and operate that apparatus. Per approval of the District Chief, a held over apparatus operator (or acting) may seek relief from any rank as provided the oncoming shift has a qualified driver available. 3. If the unfilled position occurs on the 2nd day of the 48-hour tour, it will be the responsibility of the District Chief to fill the position. 4. Volunteer and/or Part-time employees cannot be held over beyond their scheduled timeframe for open positions. If a volunteer or part time personnel are assigned to a minimum staffing position above and there is a vacancy for a 12 hour or 24 hours, the overtime will roll to the next eligible full time employee; however, volunteer or part time personnel are permitted to fill the position if they are available. Page 2 of 5 Manual Name: Spring Fire Department Policies & Procedures Document Title: Minimum Staffing & Mandatory Call Back Chief’s Signature: Document Number: SFD.063 Date: Revision Number: 01 Shift Filling Process 1. The District Chief will notify the personnel that their relief has called off, or there is a vacancy as their relief. Once notified, that personnel will be responsible for finding relief for the vacancy on the oncoming shift, in their riding position. 2. If personnel have reached the maximum hours allowed to consecutively work seventytwo (72) hours, the responsibility for filling the vacancy will roll to the next eligible personnel in the same fire station. In the instance where there are no eligible personnel available to fill the vacancy, the District Chief will become responsible for filling the vacancy. If personnel have reached the maximum hours allowed to consecutively work, and are willing to remain on duty, he or she may remain on duty filling the open position at the discretion of the Deputy Chief of Operations or designee. 3. Personnel will attempt to fill the position by contacting any available Full-Time, PartTime, or Volunteer Personnel to fill the entire 24-hour shift in either 12 or 24-hour blocks. Personnel shall call, email, or text message all personnel using any available contact information available. If relief is found, the District Chief will be notified as soon as the relief has been identified. 4. If no personnel are willing to fill the position, the District Chief will attempt to move any available personnel to fill the vacated position to meet minimum daily staffing requirements. 5. If no available personnel can be found, the personnel are considered held over and will be required to stay to fill the position for the first 12 or 24 hours of the open shift. 6. If a personnel are held over, he or she may continue to find relief for the remaining hours of the shift. Example: Engine 72 Captain Calls in Sick for Day one of tour: 1. Off going Captain is notified of overtime, he or she can accept the overtime and stay for the first 24 hours, or he or she can find their own relief by calling other captains or personnel. 2. If a non-captain is found as relief, the District Chief must approve of the fill in and have personnel be the acting officer. 3. If no one is able or willing to work the position, the District Chief will attempt to fill the vacancy by re-assigning personnel from other stations to achieve minimum staffing. 4. If no personnel are available to be re-assigned, the Captain is considered held over for the first 24 hours of the oncoming shift only. Page 3 of 5 Manual Name: Spring Fire Department Policies & Procedures Document Title: Minimum Staffing & Mandatory Call Back Chief’s Signature: Document Number: SFD.063 Date: Revision Number: 01 Open positions on the 2nd day of a tour of duty/Mandatory Call Back 1. Open positions on the 2nd day of a shift’s tour of duty shall be filled by the District Chief. 2. If no personnel are willing to fill the shift, and no personnel can be moved from another station to fill the position, off duty personnel will be called in. The process is as follows: a. Full time personnel who are on their 2nd day of the 4 days off period will be utilized and will be called in. b. A Mandatory call back calendar will be utilized with pre-assigned call back days beginning alphabetically from A to Z. The call back roster will be displayed on the Master PTO calendar and updated as needed. c. Personnel will be permitted to trade their pre-scheduled Mandatory call back days to accommodate PTO or other arranged off time. Mandatory call back trades will need to be submitted via email for approval to the personnel’s District Chief. The personnel’s District Chief will make the alteration to the PTO calendar if approved. d. The only exceptions to the mandatory call back is if the employee is out of town on department business/training, or he or she is on injury/medical leave/FMLA. e. On a personnel’s pre-assigned mandatory call back day, they shall maintain availability for contact from the District Chief until 0615. If there is no contact from the District Chief by 0615, they are released from their responsibility for mandatory call back. f. If the personnel are called in to work, he or she shall be paid from the time they are contacted until the time in which they are relieved. g. Failure to respond to the mandatory call back call will result in applicable disciplinary action. h. Personnel who are called in to work must report in a reasonable time frame based on travel distance. i. Personnel may work overtime on his or her pre-scheduled call back date at the discretion of the Deputy Chief of Operations, or his/her designee, based on manpower projections for the given date in question. If personnel are released from his or her mandatory call back duty, and a position becomes available, the first person contacted will be the employee who was on the schedule for mandatory call back; however, response to the open position is optional. Captain Positions Captain vacancies will be filled as follows: 1. Offer open shifts to available Full-time, and Part-time Captains. 2. Personnel shall act in the position and roll the overtime down to the firefighter rank 3. Mandatory call back as defined above in “Open positions on the 2nd day of a tour of duty/Mandatory call back ”. Page 4 of 5 Manual Name: Spring Fire Department Policies & Procedures Document Title: Minimum Staffing & Mandatory Call Back Chief’s Signature: Document Number: SFD.063 Date: Revision Number: 01 District Chief Positions District Chief vacancies will be filled as follows: 1. Offer open shifts to available Full-Time District Chiefs. 2. A Senior Captain or Captain shall act in the position and roll the overtime down to the firefighter rank 3. If no personnel are available to act as District Chief or fill the vacancy, the personnel are considered held over. Deployments Employees, hourly and salaried who are deployed for TIFMAS, or Task Force will receive their hourly rate plus overtime after 40 hours, utilizing standard FLSA calculation. Back filling will be a 1 to 1 ratio regardless of staffing levels, those backfilling will receive overtime pay in accordance with Harris County ESD # 7’s 207k exemption practices. Page 5 of 5