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Home My WebLink About#04 Fire Department Staffing STAFF REPORT DATE: January 9, 2018 ITEM #: 4 TO: City Council FROM: Greg Malmquist, Fire Chief AGENDA ITEM: Disscussion on utilizing Paid on Call Firefighters to fill shifts REVIEWED BY: Kristina Handt, City Administrator BACKGROUND: Since the start of of our shift coverage by part time personnel, our most consistent hurdle has been scheduling to fill all shifts. Initially we struggled with properly pairing staff to allow for our new hires to get trained to our operations and become familiar with equipment, while maintain a balance between staffs availability and the required 18 – 24 hours of work per week. Almost from the beginning we experienced “availability” issues, primarily due to conflicts with their other jobs. Moving forward as our new employees met our minimum competency levels, we had more options for scheduling. One of our newly hired part time employees from our Paid On Call ranks experienced a significant job change, between the interview/hiring process and beginning of shifts. He began working out of state, thus preventing us from consistently scheduling him. He is now back and being scheduled. Contributing factors to scheduling difficulties, varying work schedules with additional jobs, vacations, sick leave, appointments, etc. I have attached the schedules to date for your review. To help illustrate the struggles of availability. The proposal before was developed and discussed at great length by the Officers of the dept. The Officers support this plan and believe that in addition to providing shift, back up coverage, it will also help with retention of current Paid On Calls by allowing them alternative ways to “earn” Relief Credit and schedule their time to meet the requirements of the dept. ISSUE BEFORE COUNCIL: Whether or not to support utilizing personnel from the Paid On Call (non part time staff) to fill open shifts. PROPOSAL DETAILS/ANALYSIS: The proposal for discussion is to allow our current Paid On Call personnel to be allowed to work shifts on an occasional, as needed basis. This would ONLY be for the Paid On Call personnel that currently are not hired as part time employees working shifts. To avoid confusion, provide clear separation and avoid “double dipping”, the following guidelines would pertain to these Paid On Call employees. They would not be allowed to exceed the minimum requirement of 18/hrs. of shift work per week on a regularly scheduled basis, (this may occur occasionally). By staying under the 18 hour required minimum, on a regular basis, they would not be entitled to the benefits received by the part time employees such as PTO. To encourage participation by Paid On call employees, the Officers developed and support the following options to be offered when they work a shift. Option A - $17.00/hr. (Earn PERA. No Relief credit. ALL CALLS during shift would count against) Option B - $13.07/hr. (Earn no PERA) Credit for ALL CALLS and earn 1 additional CALL CREDIT per six hour shift worked). We believe this wil help with the retention of our current Paid On Call employees. We are also hopeful that this will allow us to fill all shifts and prevent us from having to go outside to hire again. Staff has contacted the League of MN Cities about the viability of these options. If firefighters are not allowed to choose for them selves, staff would recommend using POCs as needed and providing compensation as outlined under Option A above. FISCAL IMPACT: I believe this will have no additional financial impact. We have already budgeted for the shift coverage. They are already trained and have all necessary equipment and gear. In fact, by guaranteeing 100% shift coverage, we will be able to reduce the need for ALL CALL paging and potentially reduce staff costs. OPTIONS: 1) Support the recommendation. 2) Support using POCs to fill shifts but determine compensation to be at Option A 3) Do not support the recommendation with the possibility of needing to go outside the dept. again and hire to cover shifts. RECOMMENDATION: Recommendaton to move proposal forward for Council approval. ATTACHMENTS: • Shift schedules to date. 10/16 - 10/22/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 10/23 - 10/29/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 - NOON 8 - NOON Y Y Y 10/30 - 11/5/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 - NOON 8 - NOON Y Y 8 - NOON Y Y Y 11/6 - 11/12/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 - NOON Y 8 - NOON Y Y Revised 10/31/17 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 11/6 - 11/12/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 - NOON 8 - NOON Y 8 - NOON Y Y Y 11/13 - 11/19/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 - NOON 8 - NOON Y 8 - NOON Y Y Y 11/20 - 11/26/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 - NOON Y Y 8 - NOON Y Y Y 11/27 - 12/3/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 8 - NOON 8 - NOON 8 - NOON Y Y Y Y Y Y Revised 11/6/17 FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY (Timesheet) MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY UNAVAILABLE HOLIDAY - ALL CALLSPAY PERIODPAY PERIODWEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY (Timesheet) MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY 12/4 - 12/10/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 12/11 - 12/17/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 12/18 - 12/24/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 12/25 - 12/31/17 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Revised 12/4/17PAY PERIODMONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY UNAVAILABLE HOLIDAY - ALL CALLS MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY (Timesheet)SATURDAY SUNDAY SATURDAY SUNDAYPAY PERIODMONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY, (Nick out)SATURDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY (Timesheet)MONDAY SATURDAYTUESDAYWEDNESDAYTHURSDAYFRIDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY 12/30-1/5/18 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 1/6 - 1/12/18 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 1/13 - 1/19/18 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y 1/20 - 1/26/18 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm 6am-Noon Noon-6pm Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Revised 12/22/17 FRIDAYPAY PERIODSATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY (Timesheet)SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY THURSDAY UNAVAILABLE HOLIDAY - ALL CALLS 1 or the other/not both SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY (Timesheet) SHORT WEEKPAY PERIODSATURDAY