Time Trades

Section 1 - ADMINISTRATIVE

PURPOSE:

To present and explain the Department's voluntary shift trade policy for personnel assigned to shift duty.

PROCEDURE:

• Responsibility and liability for voluntary shift trades, paybacks and initiations, shall be solely that of the individuals involved in the actual work time exchange. When the member who has agreed to work for another member fails to report for duty. In the event this is not an option other arrangements will be made and they may forfeit pay for the time equivalent to the time he/she was absent.
• All time trades must be paid back within the same calendar year that the initial exchange took place.
• When the member agreeing to work for another member is unable to report for duty due to illness, he/she shall notify the normally scheduled member's Battalion Chief of the situation and shall attempt to locate the member normally scheduled to work and notify him/her of the situation. In the event that the member normally scheduled to work cannot be located, the member agreeing to work shall attempt to locate another member to fulfill the shift trade obligation. If the member agreeing to work has made every effort to locate another member to fulfill the shift trade obligation but is unsuccessful, then the person who initiated the time trade will be required to forfeit pay for the time equivalent to the time he/she was absent.
• In the event the member agreeing to work for another member becomes ill during a time trade, then he/she will be relieved from duty and the member normally scheduled to work will be required to report to work or if unable to return will forfeit pay for the remainder of the time left in that particular shift. (If the individual is available and in town, they must return to work).
• The privilege of trading time may be revoked at any time for abuse of the privilege.
• Requests for all time trades shall be made by e-mailing the individuals assigned Battalion Chief.
• All time trades shall be limited to individuals working in the same capacity. (Lieutenant for Lieutenant, Engineer for Engineer, Paramedic for Paramedic, Relief Driver for Relief Driver, etc.) In rare circumstances this may be flexible, but the Battalion Chief shall consider the entire situation (i.e. If someone calls in sick and OT is required when it wouldn’t have been if the assigned member was present – for example – Engineer trades with Relief Driver – but is now needed to be OIC). This situation must be avoided.
• Minimum staffing must be considered by the Battalion Chief when considering time trade requests. (A maximum of 2 shift members may be on vacation & 2 persons on either time trade or school time off at the same time). The Battalion Chief must be cautious when approving maximum time off. Vacation time must take priority. If someone calls in sick and OT is required – the number of eligible members to fill the OT has been reduced by the time trades. The Battalion Chief could be placed in a situation of requiring a member on vacation or time-trade to return to duty as a result. (Mandatory OT is to be avoided if at all possible by requiring members assigned to the shift in question to return to duty).
• The maximum number of consecutive 24-hour shifts that may be traded by an individual is (2).
• In order to extend vacation periods, members shall be allowed to trade a maximum of 2-24 hour shifts.
• New Hires cannot take time trades the first three (3) month, except in a situation approved by the Fire Chief or their designee.
• Battalion Chiefs shall insure that Departmental or individual efficiency is not impaired by trading of time. The Battalion Chief and/or Deputy Fire Chief may deny time trades if the time trade interferes with training, or reduces company or member efficiency.