Station bidding

[fyrmnk]

Hi all,

We are working on pursuing station/unit assignment bidding. I'm on our E-board and looking for input from others on this issue. Few questions for those that have this:

Does the bidding go by time in specific rank or time on dept.? In other words, can a Captain with 20 years on and 10 as a Captain be bumped by a new Captain that had been a FF for 21 years?

Can someone bump someone else at will, or is it that when an opening becomes available, personnel bid for it?

Does seniority also play into shift assignments?

My personal thought is that our system would work like this:

Bidding seniority would be determined by time in rank, not on the department (due to the potential issue as noted above). When an opening comes up, an email is sent to announce it and see who in the proper rank wants it. If several put in, highest seniority gets it. If no one does, low man gets it.

I also feel it should be only as openings come up, not just bumping at will. This way crew integrity can be maintained, knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses instead of constant changes.

Thanks and stay safe.

[Firedawg3313]

The department I just retired from was set up similar to what you talked about. We are a larger department (40 stations). We had 2 transfer lists (one every 6 months). When someone was promoted, they filled the opening with a newly promoted individual (Lt. Makes Capt, newly promoted Captain moves into open Captains position, newly promoted Lt. moves into the old Lt's position) until the next transfer list. All openings are then posted and the individual with the most in rank seniority would be granted the transfer and the newly promoted individual would be sent where the individual who was granted the position came from. Once those transfers are made, the new Capt, Lt's (ect) spot would be open on the next transfer list. This is done for all ranks from Bat. Chief to Firefighter. All the transfers are granted by in grade seniority. You can get bumped around alot for the first 1 to 2 years in grade though.

Bat. Chief
Capt.
Lt.
Sgt.
FEO (Fire Engine Operator)
FFD (Fire Fighter Driver, drives and operates Ladder Trucks and Rescue Squads)
FF

[FFFRED]

Hi all,

We are working on pursuing station/unit assignment bidding. I'm on our E-board and looking for input from others on this issue. Few questions for those that have this:

Does the bidding go by time in specific rank or time on dept.? In other words, can a Captain with 20 years on and 10 as a Captain be bumped by a new Captain that had been a FF for 21 years?

Can someone bump someone else at will, or is it that when an opening becomes available, personnel bid for it?

Does seniority also play into shift assignments?

My personal thought is that our system would work like this:

Bidding seniority would be determined by time in rank, not on the department (due to the potential issue as noted above). When an opening comes up, an email is sent to announce it and see who in the proper rank wants it. If several put in, highest seniority gets it. If no one does, low man gets it.

I also feel it should be only as openings come up, not just bumping at will. This way crew integrity can be maintained, knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses instead of constant changes.

Thanks and stay safe.

Good question...while we have a point system that is based on a number of issues it really isn't followed as it was created by a traitor in Management who wanted men to work injured and sick. Although the point system does take into account time on the job and medals and such.

The Company commander (In our case the Captain) has alot of say who gets into his company. Obviously a guy with a lot of time but one that is a complete bag of Sh*t who is always out for himself isn't one that guys want as a member of their company. The Captain of a good company would have such a transfer squashed for obvious reasons. No one wants more problem children than they already have.

Obviously the companies with more fires or better reputations have longer lists of guys wanting to get into their unit can pick and choose more than an officer would from lets say a slower or less desirable company.

There is some politics at play but there are many things more than just time on the job.

Either way...time on the job is a fair method if nothing else is to be considered.

Best of Luck

FTM-PTB

[CpaceEng1]

We use a bid system.It works by seniorty in your position,when you promote you go to the bottom of that list. When a position comes open in your rank you can bid it and the person with the most seniorty in that rank gets it.

Bids stay open for three weeks. If know one puts a bid in for that spot it stays open and is filled by a rover in that rank. We have rovers for every rank and it is also a bid spot.

[fdronald]

Station Bidding

We have a request for transfer policy that any member can use anytime during the year. The transfer is based on seniority in rank not time in service. There does not have to be a vacancy at the station the member is requesting to be transfered to, however, the member requesting the transfer can not use the specified request to move someone out of that house that does not want to move. The transfer must be relayed through the chain of command - Captain (if below the rank of Captain), Battalion Chief, and Deputy Chief of Operations. Each individual in the chain of command approves or disapproves the request but the ultimate decision belongs to the Deputy Chief. The Deputy Chief can concur with the other members in the chain of command or he can make his own decision regardless of whether the request was approved or diapproved in the ranks below him. This enables the member requesting the transfer from having his request stop at the Battalion Level, which very well could be why the member is requesting the transfer in the first place. If the request is granted then that member must remain at the requested house for a minimum of two years or unless the said member gets promoted or the Deputy Chief of Operations makes an administrative move to change the members house.
The only other stipulation, as related from the Chief of Department, is that a request not be granted if Specialty Team standings are jepordized. We have four Specialty Teams, Techinical Rescue, Haz-Mat, Water Rescue, and Public Education. Every member must belong to one of the four teams. For example, if the member is on the Haz-Mat Team and is certified at the Haz-Mat Tech. Level, but has no real qualifications or certifications in Tech. Rescue then the request will be probably be denied to transfer to one of the houses that is part of the Tech. Rescue Team.

Hopes this helps some.

[fyrmnk]

Thanks for all the input. We too have special operations units and they will likely be exempted from the normal bid system if we do get one implemented dept. wide. Thanks again.

[MemphisE34a]

We have transfer openings and senority bids spots. Senority is applied as time in rank for assignment requests. Total senority is used when picking vacations.

If an opening is created because someone quits, gets fired, retires, or dies - it is a senority bid opening. The opening will be posted for 10 days and whoever requests the assignment with the greatest amount of time in rank gets it. If no one requests it, it becomes a transfer opening.

Transfer openings are not posted, you just have to know about it. You may submit a transfer request form, but the position if filled by mangement as they see fit. You may get it, you may not.

[Eng3ineer]

For station openings and vacations we go off senority only... But i've seen a few of the old timers (30 plus years) pull both to get a station they wanted... The retirement home station...lol

Were small dept. only 5 stations and 54 front-line personnal...