Personal Visits & Phone Calls

Section 1 - ADMINISTRATIVE

PURPOSE:

To set a policy to regulate and limit personal business and personal visitors in the work place which may interfere with city business or performance of duties.

PROCEDURE:

• Personal visits and business shall be conducted in a manner that does not interfere with the conduct of city business or performance of duties.
• Members working on a 24-hour work shift will be allowed visitors and conduct personal business during lunch-time and after normal business hours and/or after standard daily duties and training have been completed. Personal visits in times other than those listed above will be kept to an absolute minimum and are at the discretion of the Lieutenant or Battalion Chief. Visitors, including students, are not permitted to be on department premises after 10 p.m. unless approved by the Battalion Chief.
• For members working an 8-hour work-day, personal business and visits will be kept to an absolute minimum. Members will make every effort to conduct personal business during the breaks and lunch hour provided by city policy. Personal business and visits will not be permitted to interfere with city business.
• Personal visitors will not be permitted to roam throughout the work place, and are excluded from entering bunk rooms. This includes visitors from other city departments who are not conducting city business.
• Personal phone calls on city/station telephones will be kept to a minimum and are not to interfere with city business. Receipt of personal phone calls on city/station phones will not be permitted after 10:00 P.M., except in rare cases.
• City cell phones shall not be used for personal phone calls unless deemed emergency and approved by the Lieutenant or Battalion Chief.
• Personal cell phones may be used when necessary as long as they do not interfere with city business, training or perceived as interfering with job performance and are not to be used in direct view of the public.
• Personal cell phones shall be kept in the “silent” mode. The City bears no responsibility for personal phones.