DFRS

POLICES & PROCEDURES
Department Of Fire & Rescue Services
Montgomery County, MD

CALLBACK PROCEDURE
FOR ECC PERSONNEL


 
 
No. 901
Dec. 21, 1989

PURPOSE
1.0 To provide a system for calling back to duty qualified full time and cross-trained personnel to cover vacant positions in the Emergency Communications Center (ECC).

APPLICABILITY
2.0 All full time and cross-trained personnel qualified to operate in the ECC.

DEFINITIONS
3.0 Minimum Staffing - The minimum number of qualified personnel on-duty during a given shift in the ECC. The minimum staffing level must be established by the Chief, Bureau of Field Support Services. A qualified ECC shift supervisor must be included in the minimum staffing complement.
3.1 Cross-Trained Personnel - Personnel from other bureaus who have completed the necessary training to operate in the ECC as qualified dispatchers and call-takers.
3.2 Holdover - The extension of a shift beyond the normal assigned work hours.
3.3 ECC Detail - The temporary reassignment of qualified cross-trained personnel form their regular duty assignment to the ECC.

POLICY
4.0 It is the policy of the Department of Fire and Rescue Service to maintain adequate staffing levels in the Emergency Communications Centers at all times.
4.1 An employee unable to report for duty in the ECC must notify the on-duty ECC shift supervisor one hour prior to his/her scheduled reporting time.

RESPONSIBILITY
5.0 Scheduled personnel are responsible for informing the on-duty ECC Shift Supervisor when they are unable to report for duty.
5.1 The on-duty ECC Shift Supervisor is responsible for determining if a replacement is needed.
5.2 The Communications Officer is responsible for oversight of this policy.

PROCEDURE
6.0 An employee who is unable to report for duty as scheduled must call the on-duty ECC Shift Supervisor at lease one hour prior to his/her scheduled reporting time.
6.1 The on-duty ECC Shift Supervisor must check the posted work schedule. If the staffing is less than the minimum required, the vacancy must be filled.
6.2 If last minute overtime is required to fill a vacancy, the Shift Supervisor will contact the Shift Operations Chief to see if any cross-trained personnel are available for detail from the Bureau of Operations.
6.3 If a day work detail is required, the Shift Operations Chief will make an appropriate detail of an on-duty, cross-trained Bureau of Operations employee.
6.4 If a night work detail is required, the Shift Operations Chief is authorized to split a shift with an on-coming Bureau of Operations employee. In this manner, the employee would be detailed to the ECC for 12 hours, night side, then be given 12 hours day side off, then report to their assigned duty station for the 12 hours night side to complete the 24-hour shift requirement.
6.5 If no detail is available, the on-duty ECC Shift Supervisor must contact off-duty, qualified, full-time ECC personnel for overtime. The Shift Supervisor's position must be filled by a qualified ECC Supervisor.
6.6 If qualified full-time ECC personnel are not available, the on-duty ECC Supervisor will contact qualified ECC cross-trained personnel who have previously indicated their availability to work on a monthly basis.
6.7 When necessary, personnel on-duty in the ECC may be held over until qualified relief is obtained. The hold over period will not normally exceed two hours.
6.8 No employee will normally work more than fourteen consecutive hours in the ECC without the approval of the Shift Operations Chief.