TROY FIRE FIGHTERS

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIREFIGHTERS LOCAL 1638 P.O. Box 621 Troy, OH 45373

To the President of the Troy City Council RE: Conclusion of Fire Staffing This is a response to Chief Boehringer's comments in the conclusion of his report to Mayor Beamish regarding Fire Staffing dated April 22, 2014. Chief Boehringer stated in his conclusion that " ... TFD administrative team ... " members " ... Firefighter/Paramedics Aaron Simmons and Eric Krites" contributed significantly to the report, and that leads the reader to believe they agreed with the proposal. In fact, Firefighter/Paramedics Aaron Simmons and Eric Krites were only providing pieces of information that they were ordered to supply. They were not asked to contribute their own thoughts or any additional input regarding the proposed staffing recommendation. In fact, Firefighter/Paramedics Aaron Simmons and Eric Krites were never part of a "team" that developed this . This report is not the recommendation nor the view of neither Firefighter/Paramedic Aaron Simmons nor Firefighter/ParamedicEric Krites.

Thank You.

Brett Harshbarger President Local1638.

IIARDIN, LAzARus & LEWis, LLC

ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS AT LAW

DONALD E. HARDIN

STEPHENS. LAZARUS*
DAVID E. HARDIN GARY R. LEWIS
KIMBERLY A. RUTOWSKI

915 CINCINNATI CLUB BUILDING 30 GARFIELD PLACE CINCINNATI, OHIO 45202-4322 TELEPHONE: (513) 7217300 FACSIMILE: (513) 721-7008
*ALSO ADMITTED IN KENTUCKY

R. JESSUP GAGE

ANDREW J. CLEVES

IAFF LOCAL 1638 PRESENTATION TO TROY CITY COUNCIL APRIL 29,2014

Presented by:

Stephen S. Lazarus, Esq. Hardin, Lazarus & Lewis, LLC

( \

Part-Time Firefighters Are A Bad Deal For The Citizens Of Troy

Prepared by IAFF, Local 163 8
Q: How will the wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment of part-time firefighters be established? All wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment must follow the current Labor Agreement by and between the City of Troy and IAFF, Local1638. Per Section 1.1 of the Labor Agreement, "The City recognizes the Union as the sole and exclusive bargaining representative for uniformed employees below the rank of Assistant Chief in the Fire Department, but excluding: all other employees." Any part-time employees will be covered under the applicable provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. By way of example: o Section 32.1 of the Labor Agreement requires that all employees shall maintain certification as a Firefighter and Fire Inspector and Paramedic. Part-time firefighters must adhere to these required standards. o Section 3 5.1 requires all bargaining unit employees to be provided with an annual $700.00 clothing allowance. Every part-time firefighter must receive a $700.00 clothing allowance. o Section 36.1 sets forth the wages to be paid to bargaining unit members. Parttime firefighters must receive the same hourly rate of pay as other members of the bargaining unit. o Section 37.1 requires longevity pay of 2% of the base wage for each five (5) years of continuous service with the City of Troy, commencing on the employee's anniversary date. Part-time employees are entitled to longevity pay. The above list is meant only to illustrate SOME of the Labor Agreement costs for parttime firefighters in the City of Troy
Q: What are other economic costs associated with the hiring process for part-time

(
I

firefighters/paramedics outside of those contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreement? Repeated Recruitment Costs
o Classified ads and other recruitment measures 1 Due diligence costs including background checks and physicals2 Pre-employment testing including physical exams3

Repeated Hiring Costs

o o

Deerfield p.24 Deerfield p.24 3 Deerfield p.24

2

o Human Resource expenses 4 o Jurisdictions may make these steps less rigorous for a part-time employee 5 but this has both economic and quality costs

Incentives Necessary to Retain Part-Time Employees

o Incentives may have to be offered to get qualified part-time employees 6 o One survey showed the most common incentives were a flexible work schedule, clothing allowances, and payments for certification/training 7

Clothing and Equipment Costs:

o City of Piqua, which lacks a stock pile of equipment, estimated their costs of equipment at $3000 FOR EVERY part-time employee8 o City of Fairfield, while noting some equipment can be reused or reassigned, estimated the cost of gear that needs to be replaced for every part-time employee at $21199 o Additional radios and pagers 10

Training Costs 11
o High costs of training reported by departments who employ part-time members 12 o Example from City of Fairfield: "By having one Lieutenant assigned to the 40hour recruit class, it would cost the department over $1000 in regular wages in addition to benefits, etc ... it would cost the department $530.40 per new recruit

to put them through the 40 hour recruit class" 13 Loss of Productivity Due to Turnover/"Revolving Door" 14 o Piqua report stated it takes 6 months to fill vacancies 15 Additional Employees
o One study found 4.8 part-time firefighters must be on the department roster to fill

a given shift 16
o Other studies and interviews show a need for SIX part-time employees to replace a SINGLE full-time position 17
4

Fairfield p. 2 Piqua p. 15 6 Piqua p. 50 7 Fairfield p. 29 8 Piqua p. 18,34 9 Fairfield p. 19-20; "Things such as turnout gear, uniforms and SCBA face pieces need to be sized exactly for the individual due to safety reasons"; Uniform cost computed by adding line items for Turnout pants, Turnout coat, Uniform(2 sets) and SBCA face piece 10 Piqua p. 34 11 Deerfield p. 9; Fairfield p. 34; Piqua p. 9 12 Deerfield p. 9 13 Fairfield p. 25 14 Piqua p. 9; Deerfield p. 29; Fairfield p. 2 15 Piqua p.l 0 16 Deerfield p.12
5

Overtime 18 o Overtime may be necessary when vacant positions create a need for full-time employees to cover shifts 19 o Overtime can occur when part-time employees are held over at other localities20 o Overtime may be necessary to schedule training of part-time employees21

Q: What are the costs associated with a less rigorous hiring process? Service o Certification reductions can negatively impact quality of service22 Training o Part-time firefighters hired without certifications will have a training requirement to compensate o One study showed 92.3% of Ohio municipalities surveyed required all newly hired part-time employees to complete a training program23 o More advanced trainings may have to be altered for less experienced members thereby taking the opportunity away from full-time employees to add to their skillsets24 Q: How will hiring part-time firefighters/paramedics affect the quality of personnel? Reliability o Reliability of career firefighters is higher than part-time employees25 o Part-time employees may call off if they are needed at another department26 o City of Delaware reported instances of criminal activity and discipline among part-time employees27

Competency o The level of training is higher for full-time firefighters 28 o As turnover increases, departments are forced to hire more inexperienced parttime firefighters 29

Piqua p.8-9 Piqua p.1 0 19 Deerfield p.25 20 Piqua p.10 21 Piqua p.18 22 Piqua p.35 23 Fairfield p.35 24 Fairfield p. 27 25 Deerfield p. 21 26 Piqua p. 10 27 Piqua p. 23 28 Deerfield p. 21 29 Fairfield p. 6
18

17

o Part-time employees have shown a knowledge gap compared to full-time employees with respect to both knowledge of their community and their equipment30 Fatigue o Part-time firefighters often work 24 hours at one district and work another 12-24 for a total of 36-48 hours straight3 1 Lack of Loyalty o Loyalty is lower among part-time employees unless they believe there is a chance of full-time work32 o Part-time employees will leave for better pay or incentives33 o Loyalty is also lower where the call volume is high 34 o One part-time employee in Ohio was found to have five memberships in two counties simultaneously35 Limited Availability of Qualified Part-Time Employees o More positions available than qualified candidates36 o Departments have difficulty filling spots for shifts with available pool of employees37

Q: How will hiring part-time firefighters/paramedics affect the department's quality of care? Reduction in ALS Runs o The plan to hire EMT-Basics combined with a high volume of calls can result in a reduction of Advanced Life Support(ALS) runs 38 impacting both finances and quality of service o The City of Piqua report noted that its reimbursement rate for ALS runs is double the rate for Basic Life Support (BLS) runs 39 Continuity Problems o Part-time firefighters/paramedics will create a lack of continuity_between crews and harm work flow, team cohesiveness, and the crew's combined effectiveness40 Policy Unfamiliarity

Piqua p.23 Deerfield p. 9 32 Deerfield p. 22 33 Piqua p.ll 34 Piqua p.13 35 Deerfield p.9 36 Deerfield p.ll 37 Deerfield p.26 38 Piqua p. 9 39 Piqua p. 9 40 Piqua p. 11; Deerfield, p.l 0, 21,22,30
31

30

o Unfamiliarity with policies by part-time members who work in multiple jurisdictions can affect outcomes in emergency situations 41 Q: How significant is the turnover problem associated with hiring part-time firefighters/paramedics? Turnover Rate is High o One survey of Ohio departments showed 42.3% lost between 1-8 part-time firefighters in a 3 year span42 o Fairfield reported losing 38 part-time employees in less than four years 43 o By training part-time employees and losing them, departments are not getting a good return on investment44 Part-time Employees Want Full-time Work o A survey of Ohio combined districts showed employees receiving full-time work elsewhere was the number one reason for turnover45 o Part- time firefighters/paramedics who desire full-time work are less satisfied employees46 Part-Time Turnover is Persistent and Difficult to Reverse 47 Q: How will the hiring of part-time firefighters/paramedics affect the morale of a newly created blended department? Part-time Employees o Part-time employees in many industries feel like they on the "periphery" and face worse compensation, working environments, and often have little opportunity for advancement48 o Part-time employees are likely to resent this differing treatment49 Full-time Employees o Constant turnover of part-timers requires full-time employees to work more including overtime 50 o Team disruption affects morale as does unavailability of supervisors who must constantly train new employees 51 Division Between Part-time and Full-Time Employees is Likely52
Deerfield p. 10 Fairfield p. 27 43 Fairfield p.S 44 Fairfield p. 6, Piqua p. 8 45 Fairfield p. 28 46 Fairfield p.32 47 Fairfield p. 11-12 48 Fairfield p.9 49 Piqua p.11 5 Fairfield p. 11 51 Fairfield p. 11
42

41

..

Q: What have other departments concluded about the use of part-time employees? Piqua o Fire Chief stated, "After looking at the information I feel that there is, in fact, a greater chance that part-time staff replacing some full-time staff could result in an actual rise in the financial liability of the fire department ... " 53

52 53

Piqua p.ll Piqua p. 50

12-MED-09-0814 1660-04 K29630 03/19/2013

AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF TROY, OHIO AND IAFF LOCAL 1638

JANUARY 1, 2013- DECEMBER 31,2015

257006v1

TABLE OF CONTENTS PREAMBLE .....................................................................................................................1 ARTICLE 1 UNION RECOGNITION/COOPERATION ..................................................... 1 ARTICLE 2 SEVERABILITY ............................................................................................2 ARTICLE 3 WAIVER OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE AND RELATED LAWS ..................... 2 ARTICLE 4 WAIVER IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ..........................................................2 ARTICLE 5 NON-DISCRIMINATION ...............................................................................3 ARTICLE 6 MANAGEMENT RIGHTS ..............................................................................3 ARTICLE 7 WORK RULES ..............................................................................................4 ARTICLE 8 NO STRIKE/NO LOCKOUT ..........................................................................4 ARTICLE 9 PROBATIONARY PERIOD ...........................................................................5 ARTICLE 10 SENIORITY ................................................................................................5 ARTICLE 11 LAYOFF AND RECALL ..............................................................................6 ARTICLE 12 POSTING/PROMOTIONS .......................................................................... 7 ARTICLE 13 INFORMATION POSTING ..........................................................................8 ARTICLE 14 POSITION DESCRIPTIONS .......................................................................8 ARTICLE 15 PERSONNEL FILES ...................................................................................9 ARTICLE 16 PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS ..............................................................9 ARTICLE 17 HEALTH AND SAFETY ..............................................................................9 ARTICLE 18 LABOR/MANAGEMENT MEETINGS ....................................................... 10 ARTICLE 19 UNION BUSINESS ................................................................................... 11 ARTICLE 20 UNION DUES CHECKOFF ....................................................................... 12 ARTICLE 21 HOURS OF WORK/OVERTIME ............................................................... 12 ARTICLE 22 CALL-IN PAY ............................................................................................ 13

257006v1

ARTICLE 23 SICK LEAVE ............................................................................................. 14 ARTICLE 24 SICK LEAVE CONVERSION UPON SEPARATION ................................ 16 ARTICLE 25 HOLIDAYS ................................................................................................17 ARTICLE 26 VACATION ...............................................................................................18 ARTICLE 27 MILITARY LEAVE .....................................................................................20 ARTICLE 28 COURT LEAVE ......................................................................... ................. 20 ARTICLE 29 FUNERAL LEAVE ....................................................................................21 ARTICLE 30 DUTY INJURY LEAVE ..............................................................................22 ARTICLE 31 LEAVE WITHOUT PAY ............................................................................23 ARTICLE 32 DISCIPLINE ..............................................................................................24 ARTICLE 33 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE .....................................................................25 ARTICLE 34 MEDICAL AND LIFE INSURANCE COVERAGE ..................................... 28 ARTICLE 35 UNIFORM/EQUIPMENT ALLOWANCE ...................................................30 ARTICLE 36 WAGES ....................................................................................................30 ARTICLE 37 LONGEVITY ............................................................. .'............................... 31 ARTICLE 38 DRUG POLICY .........................................................................................31 ARTICLE 39 ANNUAL PHYSICAL ................................................................................32 ARTICLE 40 EDUCATION INCENTIVE .........................................................................32 ARTICLE 41 RESIDENCY .............................................................................................34 ARTICLE 42 DURATION ...............................................................................................34

-ii-

257006v1

PREAMBLE

This Agreement, entered into by the City of Troy, referred to as the "City" and Local 1638, International Association of Firefighters, referred to as the "Union", has as its purpose the following: To comply with the requirements of Chapter 4117 of the Ohio Revised Code; and to set forth the full and complete understandings and agreements between the parties governing the wages, hours, terms and other conditions of employment for those employees included in the bargaining unit as defined. All references to employees in this Agreement designate both sexes, and wherever the male gender is used, it includes male and female employees.
ARTICLE 1 UNION RECOGNITION/COOPERATION

Section 1.1. The City recognizes the Union as the sole and exclusive bargaining representative for uniformed employees below the rank of Assistant Chief in the Fire Department, but excluding: All other employees. Jurisdictional disputes between employees covered by this Agreement and employees outside the coverage of this Agreement or Unions claiming to represent employees outside this Agreement shall not be subject to arbitration in spite of any language in this Agreement. This is not intended to deprive any court of jurisdiction, in a proper case, over such jurisdictional disputes where it is claimed that this Agreement has been violated . This Section is solely for the purpose of granting exclusive recognition and defining the coverage of this Agreement, and nothing else is intended or is to be inferred from this Section. Section 1.2. The City, the Union and each employee covered by this Agreement will cooperate to achieve better understanding, friendly adjustment of differences, to provide uninterrupted service to those served by the City and to do so with the highest quality and efficiency. It is intended that this Agreement benefit those served by the City. The City, the Union and the employees will give their best efforts to serve the citizens of the City and the public in general, to assure the proper and uninterrupted providing of services of the City and to do so with efficiency, courtesy and mutual respect.

1
257006v1

ARTICLE 2 SEVERABILITY
Section 2.1 . This Agreement supersedes and replaces all pertinent statutes, ordinances, resolutions, rules and regulations over which it has authority to supersede and replace. Where this Agreement is silent, the provisions of applicable law shall prevail. If a court of competent jurisdiction finds any provision of this Agreement to be contrary to any statute, such provision shall be of no further force and effect, but the remainder of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect. Section 2.2. The parties agree that should any provision of this Agreement be found to be invalid, that they will schedule a meeting within 30 days at a mutually agreeable time to discuss alternative language on the same subject matter.

ARTICLE 3 WAIVER OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE AND RELATED LAWS

Section 3.1. Any Civil Service Law, Ordinance, or regulation, state or local, which conflicts with this Agreement is void as it affects this bargaining unit. Section 3.2. The grievance and arbitration procedures of this Agreement displace all Civil Service procedures, state and local, and those Civil Service procedures are void as they affect this bargaining unit. Section 3.3. All other rights created by Civil Service laws, Ordinances, or regulations, state and local, as they may be amended from time to time, which are neither covered by this Agreement nor in conflict with this Agreement will be in effect for this bargaining unit.

ARTICLE 4 WAIVER IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

Section 4.1. In cases of emergency declared by the President of the United States, the Governor of the State of Ohio, Mayor of the City of Troy, or the Federal or State Legislature, as an act of God or civil disorder, the following conditions of the Agreement may automatically be suspended by the City. A. B. Time limits for the City's or the Union's replies on grievances. Work rules and/or agreements and practices relating to the assignment of employees.

Section 4.2. Upon the termination of the emergency, should valid grievances exist, they shall be processed, in accordance with the provisions outlined in the grievance procedure and shall proceed from the point in the grievance procedure to which they had properly progressed.

2
257006v1

ARTICLE 5 NON-DISCRIMINATION Section 5.1. The City will not restrain or coerce any employee because of union membership or because of any legal employee activity in an official capacity on behalf of the Union. Section 5.2. The Union will not interfere with the rights of employees not to become members of the Union, and there shall be no discriminatory treatment or restraint or coercion by the Union or its representatives against any employee exercising the right to abstain from membership in the Union or involvement in Union activities. Section 5.3. The City, the Union, and each employee will cooperate fully to abide by, and will abide by, all applicable laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, unionization, age, disability, or for filing a Workers' Compensation claim. Section 5.4. The City may take appropriate action, including changing position duties and equipment, where necessary to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act or to remove doubts about compliance with that Act. The Union and each employee will cooperate with the City in carrying this out. ARTICLE 6 MANAGEMENT RIGHTS Section 6.1. The management and direction of the affairs of the City, including the control of its buildings, plants and equipment are retained by the City. This includes, but is by no means limited to, the selection, transfer, assignment, promotion, demotion, discipline, layoff and termination of employees; securing of the revenues of the City; the exercise of all functions of government granted to the City by the Constitution and statutes of the State of Ohio and any City Charter; the determination from time to time as to what services the City shall perform; and to determine the size and composition of the work force and the tools, equipment, machinery and methods to be used. All management rights are retained by the City except to the extent this Agreement specifically provides to the contrary. Section 6.2. This Article and any other provision in this Agreement relating to management rights are solely intended to supplement the rights set forth in Sec. 4117.08 of the Ohio Revised Code. This Article does not constitute bargaining about any of the rights set forth in 4117.08 and is not a waiver of the City's right to refuse to bargain about any and all of the rights contained in that section.

3
257006v1

ARTICLE 7 WORK RULES

Section 7.1. The City, in order to carry out its statutory mandates and goals, has the right to promulgate reasonable work rules, policies and regulations consistent with the City's authority to regulate the conduct of employees, and the conduct of the City's services and programs. Section 7.2. No existing work rules, policies, or regulations nor those to be established in the future shall violate any expressed terms of this Agreement or Ohio Revised Code Section 4117. Section 7.3. Employees or the Union shall have the right to grieve work rules, policies or regulations which violate the expressed terms of this Agreement. Section 7.4. Any additions or amendments to the work rules, policies or regulations shall be reduced to writing and posted on the department bulletin board for a period of five (5) working days. Such posting shall constitute notification to all employees and the Union. A copy of any new or amended work rule, policy or regulation will be provided to the Local Union President. Section 7 .5. Employees shall comply with all work rules, regulations, and policies.
ARTICLE 8 NO STRIKE/NO LOCKOUT

Section 8.1. There will be no strikes of any kind, including sympathetic strikes, during this Agreement, whether for foreseeable or unforeseeable reasons. "Strikes" include any work stoppage, slowdown, picketing, or any other concerted activity, or attempted concerted activity, which would interrupt or limit the performance of service. Informational picketing is allowed as long as it does not attempt to or does not create a work stoppage or slowdown. Neither the Union nor any employee will encourage, authorize, participate in, or condone any strike. Section 8.2. The Union will use its best efforts to prevent any violation of this Article and to terminate any violation, should one occur. If a violation of this Article occurs, the Union will publicly denounce the strike, and will provide the City with written notice that the strike is not authorized, is in violation of this Agreement, and is not to be honored. If the Union carries out its obligations under this Article, it shall have no financial liability for any such violation. Section 8.3. The City shall have the right to discharge, demote, suspend, or in place of suspension to cause the forfeiture of a like number of hours of paid vacation or holidays, or otherwise discipline employees for violation of this Article. Employees so disciplined shall have recourse to the grievance procedure, but the discipline imposed shall not be overturned unless the employee is found innocent of any violation.

4
257006v1

Section 8.4. In the event of a claim by the City of a violation of this Article, written or electronic notice shall be given to the Union. The City may seek appropriate court relief or may at its option request the American Arbitration Association to appoint an arbitrator to hear and decide the claim on an emergency basis. The hearing shall be held within 48 hours of the request to that Association, or as soon after that as possible. The parties may not file and arbitrator shall not receive post-hearing briefs with respect to the issuance of an immediate restraining order. The arbitrator shall rule from the bench and, if he finds that this Article has been violated, he shall immediately issue an award prohibiting continuation or resumption of the strike. The arbitrator shall have the authority to continue the hearing and to request posthearing briefs with respect to the issue of damages. Section 8.5. The City agrees that it will not lock out or prevent employees from performing their regularly scheduled duties.

ARTICLE 9

PROBATIONARY PERIOD
Section 9.1. Every newly hired employee will be required to successfully complete a probationary period. The probationary period for new employees shall begin on the first day for which the employee receives compensation from the City and shall continue for a period of one (1) year. If a probationary employee is on leave for more than two calendar weeks at one time, the employee's probation period will be extended for the same amount of time that the leave exceeds two calendar weeks. A newly hired employee may be terminated any time during his probationary period and shall have no right of appeal through the grievance procedure. Section 9.2. Any newly promoted employee shall be subject to a one (1) year probationary period. Such employee shall be returned to his former position, or a similar position, when in the judgment of the City, the employee's fitness (medical or psychological) and/or quality of work is not such to merit continuation in the higher level position. If the same or similar position is not available, then the probationary reduced employee shall be treated as if his former position has been abolished. Such action shall not be considered disciplinary nor shall it eliminate the employee from consideration for later advancement. No additional probationary period is required following such a demotion.

ARTICLE 10 SENIORITY
Section 10.1. Except as otherwise provided herein, seniority shall be an employee's uninterrupted length of continuous full-time service with the Troy Fire Department commencing with the employee's last date of hire. An employee shall have no seniority for the initial probationary period, but, upon completion of the probationary period, seniority shall be retroactive to the date of hire.

5
257006v1

Section 10.2. No seniority shall accrue during periods of unpaid leave with the exception of absence due to duty related injury. Section 10.3. Seniority shall be terminated when an employee: A. B. C. D. Resigns or retires; Is discharged for just cause; Is laid off or is absent for a period equal to his bargaining unit seniority at the time of layoff or thirty six (36) months, whichever is less; Fails to report to work within fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of notice of recall from layoff, said notice to be provided by certified mail addressed to the employee's last known address as shown on the City's record; Fails to return to work after the expiration of leave of absence.

E.

Section 10.4. When transfers are needed to balance shift seniority, the City shall offer the transfer to the most senior member of the department and move down the seniority list, as long as it fits the needs of the department, as determined by the Chief after consultation with the appropriate command officers.
ARTICLE 11 LAYOFF AND RECALL

Section 11.1. When the employer determines that layoff is necessary, because of lack of work, lack of funds, or job abolishment, the City shall notify the affected employees twenty-one (21) days in advance of the effective date of the layoff. The City, upon request from the Union, agrees to discuss the impact of the layoff on bargaining unit employees with representatives of the Union. In the case of a short-term layoff (72 hours or less), the City will notify the employee as soon as possible. Section 11.2. The City shall determine in which classifications layoffs will occur and layoffs of bargaining unit employees will be by classification. Employees shall be laid off within each classification in order of seniority in the classification (time in grade), beginning with the least senior and progressing to the most senior up to the number of employees that are to be laid off, provided that the employee returned or recalled must have the needed skills and performance to do the job that must be done, and further provided that the City need not retain or recall a lesser skilled employee. Section 11.3. Employees who are laid off shall be placed on a recall list for a period of thirty six (36) months or a period equal to his departmental seniority, whichever is less. If there is a recall, employees who are still on the recall list shall be recalled, in the inverse order of their layoff, provided they are presently qualified to perform the work in the job classification to which they are recalled without further training.

6
257006v1

Section 11.4. Notice of recall from a long-term layoff shall be sent to the employee by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the last mailing address provided by the employee. A copy shall also be sent to the local Union president. The employee shall have seven (7) days from the date of receipt to notify the City of his intent and shall have fourteen (14) calendar days to report to work following receipt of City's notice. Section 11.5. A laid-off employee due to a reduction in the work-force, or whose position is being abolished and who possesses the immediate skills, abilities and certifications or licenses required to perform and hold a position in another firefighter classification and such employee is in a higher classification, may bump a less senior employee in the lower classification.
ARTICLE 12 POSTING/PROMOTIONS

Section 12.1. The City will post all job announcements for positions within the Department 45 days before the written test. Section 12.2. In making promotions within the bargaining unit, the City shall use an assessment center to evaluate the applicants and to determine the rank order for promotion. Any statutes and Civil Service regulations inconsistent with this are amended to the extent necessary to carry this out. This overall score (prior to the addition of seniority points) will be made up of the following components: The written examination will be 60/o and the assessment center will be 40/o. Minimum passing score on the written examination shall be 70/o. Seniority points will be added in accordance with ORC 124.45, to each candidate's score under the rules of the Troy Civil Service Commission. Section 12.3. The assessment center shall be conducted as a part of the procedures used by the Troy Civil Service Commission. The Commission shall also conduct a written examination. The Civil Service Commission shall use its rules and regulations in all respects not governed by this Agreement, and the appeal procedures shall be used as prescribed by law. All of the assessors shall be fire professionals, shall have no prior relationship with the applicant, shall not be a past or present member of the department, and shall be at least 35 air miles from the City. No one other than an assessor who satisfies these requirements shall have any input or influence in the assessment procedure. The standards for assessment center operations shall be analogous to those used by fire assessment centers, to the extent applicable and practical. Each candidate shall have the opportunity to review with the assessors their evaluation of the candidate. The management of the City and of the Fire Department shall have no role in assessing individual candidates for assessment center purposes, but shall be consulted in establishing the substance to be covered in the assessment center. The City will not disclose a candidate's written examination score to the assessors. Section 12.4. A candidate for promotion must have at least four (4) complete years experience as a firefighter for the City at the time of the test.

7
257006v1

ARTICLE 13 INFORMATION POSTING Section 13.1. The City shall provide space for this Union to post information within each station. This space shall be used for the purpose of posting proper Union notices. Union notices relating to the following matters may be posted without the necessity of receiving the City's prior approval: A. B. C. D. E. F. G. Union recreational and social affairs; Notice of Union meetings; Union appointments; Notice of Union elections; Results of Union elections; Reports of non-political standing committees and independent arms of the Union; and Non-political publications, rulings or policies of the Union.

Section 13.2. All other notices of any kind not covered by A through G above must receive prior approval of the Chief or his designated representative. Section 13.3. No Union related materials of any kind may be posted anywhere in the City's facilities or on the City's equipment except on the bulletin board designated for use by the Union. Section 13.4. At no time shall any material be placed upon the bulletin boards that is derogatory to the City. Section 13.5. Upon request of the Chief or his designee, the Union shall cause the immediate removal of any material posted in violation of this Article. Refusal to remove said material will subject the employee to disciplinary action by the City. ARTICLE 14 POSITION DESCRIPTIONS Section 14.1. The City maintains the right to modify or determine changes and to create new position descriptions as required for the department. Section 14.2. If a new intermediate position is created within this bargaining unit, the City will negotiate pay rates with the Union within a range of 5/o to 9o/o above the top firefighter base pay rate. If no agreement is reached within 30 calendar days, the pay rates last proposed by the City will remain in effect for the duration of this Agreement.

8
257006v1

ARTICLE 15 PERSONNEL FILES Section 15.1. Each employee may inspect his personnel or medical file maintained by the City at any reasonable time during regular business hours upon written request by the employee with the approval from the Fire Chief. Such approval will not be unreasonably withheld. The employee shall, upon written request, receive a copy of any documents contained therein at a cost of five cents ($.05) per copy. An employee shall be entitled to have a representative of his choice accompany him during such review. A City representative shall also be present during such reviews. Section 15.2. If an unfavorable statement or notation is in the file, the employee shall be given the right to place a statement of rebuttal or explanation in his file. No anonymous material of any type shall be included in the employee's personnel file. Section 15.3. Medical files shall be maintained in accordance with federal and state law by the Director of Personnel. Section 15.4. All actions of record including disciplinary actions shall be maintained by the City. Materials placed in the employee's disciplinary file which are written reprimands more than 2 years old, and disciplinary actions with more severe penalties more than 5 years old, will not be considered for purposes of disciplinary actions, except as to those disciplinary actions which may show a pattern of similar misconduct. ARTICLE 16 PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS Section 16.1. Employees of the City shall have their performance evaluated, in accordance with Troy Civil Service and Departmental rules. Section 16.2. When an employee is evaluated on his performance, the employee shall be given an opportunity to examine the performance evaluation and to discuss it with his supervisor. The employee shall sign the evaluation form, and attach any relevant documents to the form. The signature does not indicate agreement with the evaluation. The employee shall be given a copy of the performance evaluation. A copy, with any relevant attachment, shall be placed in the employee's official personnel file. Violations of the procedures contained herein are subject to the grievance procedure; however, the rating determined by the employer is not a proper subject for the grievance procedure, except where a step increase is withheld due to a performance rating. ARTICLE 17 HEALTH AND SAFETY Section 17.1. The City will maintain provisions for the health and safety of its employees as required by applicable law and policy. The Union and all employees will cooperate with the City on all matters pertaining to health and safety.

9
257006v1

Section 17.2. It is the duty of all employees to use appropriate safety equipment and to follow all safety rules and safe working standards. Failure to do so will be subject to disciplinary action. Section 17.3. The Chief or his designee shall remove apparatus from service pending inspection if the mechanical condition of the apparatus makes it unsafe to operate. Section 17 .4. The City may require an employee to undergo an examination by, and to receive the approval of, a physician or other examiner (medical or psychological) selected by the City before being permitted to return to work or to remain on leave. If such examination is required, it shall be paid for by the City. The employee will not lose any regular straight time pay he would otherwise have received as a result of time reasonably spent in attending the examination. Section 17.5. In the interest of health, safety, or job performance, the City may at any time require an examination of an employee by a physician or other examiner (medical or psychological) selected by the City. If the examination determines that the employee's condition jeopardizes his health or safety or that of other employees, or his job performance, the City may relieve the employee from active employment. If such examination is required, it shall be paid by the City. The employee will not lose any regular straight time pay he would have otherwise received as a result of the time reasonably spent in attending the examination. Section 17.6. The City may require an employee to provide it authorization for release of his records and information about his status as part of an examination under this Article or in connection with any claim against the City. Section 17.7. In any dispute as to an employee's condition, mental or physical, the following procedure will apply, exclusively. The findings of the doctor or other examiner ("doctor") selected by the City will be accepted, unless the employee timely chooses to consult his own doctor. If the doctors disagree, and the employee wishes to contest the findings of the City doctor, he may have the question referred to a third doctor mutually agreed upon by the City doctor and the employee's doctor. The City and the employee will make all relevant materials available to the third doctor, including all medical records. The finding of the third doctor will be final and binding. The cost of the third exam will be submitted through the employee's group health insurance, and the City will pay any cost not allowed by the insurance. Section 17.8. The City will maintain its current well ness fitness program or an alternative program using comparable standards.
ARTICLE 18 LABOR/MANAGEMENT MEETINGS

Section 18.1. In the interest of sound employee relations, a joint committee not to exceed eight (8), half of whom shall represent the City and half of whom shall represent Local1638, IAFF, will convene from time to time for the purpose of discussing subjects of mutual concern, not subject to the grievance procedure set forth in this Agreement.

10
257006v1

Either the City or the Union may request a labor/management meeting. Such request shall be in writing and include time, date, place, and subject. Section 18.2. The notice to meet will be furnished by the party requesting the meeting at least five (5) working days in advance of the scheduled meeting with a list of matters to be taken up in the meeting. Each party shall inform the other of the names of that party's representatives who will be attending. The purpose of such meeting shall be to, but not limited to: A. B. Discuss the administration of this Agreement; Notify the Union of changes made by the City which affect bargaining unit employees; Discuss grievances which have not been processed beyond the final step of the Grievance Procedure when such discussions are mutually agreed to in advance by the parties; Disseminate general information of interest to the parties; Discuss ways to increase productivity and to improve efficiency; and Consider and discuss safety matters relating to employees, including accidents and potential hazards, and ways to prevent accidents and improve conditions.

C.

D. E. F.

Section 18.3. Union representatives attending Labor/Management meetings shall not suffer loss in their regular pay while attending any meetings provided for under this Article which are held during the employee's regular working hours. Section 18.4. Labor/Management meetings are not intended to be negotiation sessions to alter or amend the basic Agreement.

ARTICLE 19 UNION BUSINESS

Section 19.1. The writing, investigating, and processing of grievances shall normally be on non-work time. An exception may be granted by the Chief or his designee (in writing) if the activities do not impact on the operation of the Department. If a grievance or disciplinary hearing is held during the employee's working hours neither the employee nor the union representative shall suffer any loss in pay while attending such hearing.

11
257006v1

Section 19.2. The Union shall provide the City an official roster of the members of its Executive Committee, which is to be kept current at all times by the Union and shall include the following: 1. 2. 3. Name Work unit Union position held

The City need not recognize any Union representative until the Union has presented the City with proper written notice of that person's selection. If a non-employee is to act as a representative, the Union's written notice must include the representative's work address and phone number. Section 19.3. No representative of the Union, either employee or non-employee, shall interfere with, interrupt or disrupt the normal work duties of employees.
ARTICLE 20 UNION DUES CHECKOFF

Section 20.1. The City will checkoff from the wages of employees for the payment of uniform dues to the Union, upon presentation of a written authorization individually and voluntarily completed and executed by any Union member, revocable upon written notice to the City. Section 20.2. The City will not honor any checkoff authorization executed by any employee in the bargaining unit covered by this Agreement in favor of any labor organization or quasi-labor organization other than the Union. Section 20.3. The City shall transmit such dues to the Union no later than 10 days after they are deducted from the employee's pay, unless there are extraordinary circumstances. Section 20.4. The Union will indemnify and save the City harmless against any and all claims that shall arise out of or by reason or action taken by the City in reliance upon any "Payroll Deduction Authorization" cards submitted by the Union to the City, or otherwise attempting in good faith to carry out the terms of this Article.
ARTICLE 21 HOURS OF WORK/OVERTIME

Section 21.1. This Article is intended to define the normal hours of work per week in effect at the time of execution of the Agreement. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as preventing the City from restructuring the normal workday or workweek for the purpose of promoting efficiency or improving services, from establishing the work schedules of employees, or establishing part-time positions. This Article is intended to

12
257006v1

be used as the basis for computing overtime and shall not be construed as a guarantee of work per day or per week. Section 21.2. When a forty (40) hour employee is required to work in excess of forty (40) hours during the work week, he shall be paid overtime pay for such time over forty (40) hours in a workweek at the rate of one and one-half (1-1/2) times his regular hourly rate of pay. Hours of work for the purpose of this Article shall mean only actual hours of work. Compensation shall not be paid more than once for the same hours under any provision of this Article or Agreement. The standard workweek for forty (40) hour employees is five 8 hour days. Forty (40) hour employees may work four (4) ten (10) hour days by mutual agreement of the Chief and the employee. Section 21.3. For 24-48 employees (that is, all shift employees), all hours worked outside scheduled time (that is, the normal schedule of 24 hours on duty and 48 hours off duty exclusive of scheduled days off) will be paid at 1-1/2 times the 40 hour rate. The 40 hour rate is regular pay for a bi-weekly pay period divided by 80. Section 21.4. Exchanges of working time must be submitted in writing, signed by both employees, at least one duty day in advance of the exchange for approval by management, except in cases where less than one day of notice is not possible. Approval of the exchange by management shall not be unreasonably denied. Exchanges of working time shall not create any added overtime pay. Responsibility for repayment of such time rests with the employees involved, and not with the City. Section 21.5. In Charge Pay. Where there is no command officer in charge, the employee assigned (by rule or otherwise) to be in charge of the shift shall be paid an additional $2.00 an hour for all hours so worked. This shall apply to a maximum of 2 people per shift.

ARTICLE 22 CALL-IN PAY

Section 22.1. An employee required by the City to work at a time outside of his regularly scheduled shift and such time is not contiguous to his normally scheduled shift shall be guaranteed a minimum of two (2) hours work. For call-in on the holidays listed in Article 25, excluding birthday, the employee shall be guaranteed a minimum of three (3} hours work, under this section. Section 22.2. Such work as in Section 22.1 shall be compensated at one and one-half (1-1/2) times the employee's regular rate of pay. Section 22.3. If such time is contiguous to an employee's regularly scheduled shift such time shall be calculated as hours of work only and be subject to overtime as provided for in Article 21 - Hours of Work and Overtime.

13
257006v1

ARTICLE 23 SICK LEAVE Section 23.1. An employee may be granted sick leave for absences resulting from illness as described below, provided he complies with the other provisions of this Article. Section 23.2. Sick leave may be granted for the following reasons: 1. Illness, injury or pregnancy-related condition of the employee or a member of his immediate family. Exposure of employee or a member of his immediate family to a contagious disease which would have the potential of jeopardizing the health of the employee or the health of others. Required medical examinations or treatment of employee or a member of his immediate family which cannot be scheduled during the employee's non-working hours. Employees are expected to schedule routine examinations during non-work time.

2.

3.

For purposes of this policy, the .. immediate family.. is defined as a child under 18, a child 18 or older and incapable of self-care because of a mental or physical disability, relatives residing in the employee's household as family members and the employee's parents and/or step parents. Section 23.3. The City shall, at its discretion, investigate any employee's absence. If an employee requests sick leave and then is seen engaging in activities that appear inconsistent with the request for sick leave, the City will request that the employee submit verification from a physician that the employee was too ill or injured to work but was able to engage in the activities the City believes to be inconsistent with the request for sick leave. Failure to produce such verification will result in the leave being charged to vacation or personal day, instead of sick leave, or to leave without pay if the employee does not have vacation or personal day pay available. If such verification is produced, and the City does not accept the verification, the City will seek the opinion of a doctor of its own choosing. If the two doctors disagree, the third doctor provisions of Article 17.6 shall apply. Nothing in this section shall exempt an employee from possible disciplinary action for abuse of sick leave, or prevents the Union from filing a grievance with respect to any action taken by the City. Section 23.4. The City may require satisfactory medical evidence for the allowance of leave due to sickness or injury in any of the following cases: 1. Absence of more than three days (40 hr. employee) or two duty tours (24/48 employee). Three or more employees have requested sick leave on the same date.

2.

14
257006v1

3.

There is evidence of abuse of sick leave such as frequently recurring one or two day absences or conduct during the sick leave which seems inconsistent with the sickness claimed.

The City may also request satisfactory medical evidence before an employee returns to work after an illness of more than two weeks, an injury, or following exposure to a contagious disease. The City may also require an employee to be examined by a physician selected by the City, at the City's expense. Section23.5. Sick leave shall be charged in minimum increments of one (1) hour. Section 23.6. Employees absent on sick leave shall be paid at their regular rate of pay, to the extent the employee has sick leave accrued. Section 23.7. An employee requesting sick leave shall be required to report off in accordance with the provisions of this Article, unless emergency conditions make it impossible. Failure to do so may result in denial of sick leave for the period of absence. Section 23.8. When sick leave is exhausted, vacation leave may be used upon request of the employee and approval of the City. Employees who have exhausted all sick leave and vacation leave credits may, at the discretion of the City, be granted a personal leave of absence without pay for a period not to exceed six months. Illnesses exceeding six months will qualify for a Disability Separation. Section 23.9. An employee fraudulently obtaining sick leave, or anyone found falsifying sick leave records, shall be subject to disciplinary action. Section 23.1 0. Altering a physician's certificate, knowingly obtaining or submitting fraudulent certificates, or falsification of a written, signed statement shall be grounds for immediate dismissal. Section 23.11. An employee requesting sick leave for the purpose of medical examinations shall provide written notification to the City as far in advance as possible but not less than twenty four hours prior to the appointment. The Chief, in his sole discretion, may waive the 24 hour minimum notice requirement if he concludes that all the surrounding circumstances permit him to do so. An employee requesting sick leave approval for the other purposes shall inform the supervisor as soon as possible before his scheduled starting time. Section 23.12. The City may deny a sick leave application if the investigation discloses facts inconsistent with the proper use of sick leave. Section 23.13. If an employee fails or refuses to file a required physician's certificate or fails to comply with any other provisions of this Article, he shall not be paid for sick leave. Disciplinary action may also result for any refusal or failure to file a required physician's certificate. If sick leave is disapproved, then the employee shall be informed of the reasons and notified that the day of absence will be considered absence without leave or pay. 15
257006v1

Section 23.14. All full-time 24-48 employees accrue a maximum of 6.92 hours and 40 hour employees accrue a maximum of 4.6 hours of sick leave for each bi-weekly pay period where the employee is on active pay. For the purposes of the Article, active pay status is defined as hours worked and all hours of paid leave. Section 23.15. Employees of the City shall be entitled to donate sick leave to a terminally ill employee who has exhausted all paid leave in accordance with the provisions of the Codified Ordinances. Section 23.16. An employee may convert three days (24 hours) sick leave for one bonus vacation day (8 hours) provided that accrued sick leave of over 960 hours is maintained and no more than five days bonus vacation may be converted in one year. (24-48 hour employee's time will be proportionate.) Section 23.17. The City will comply with the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the City of Troy FMLA Policy. The Union and each employee will cooperate and see that high standards of attendance are maintained and that FMLA leave is not abused through falsification or otherwise. The City will require an employee to use available paid leave, including sick leave while on FMLA leave. If the employee accepts employment elsewhere without consent of the City while on FMLA leave, he will be subject to discipline, up to and including discharge. The City shall require certification as permitted by FMLA. A position is restored when an employee returns from leave. ARTICLE 24 SICK LEAVE CONVERSION UPON SEPARATION Section 24.1. In the event of separation due to death, retirement under the applicable State pension law with an immediate pension, job abolishment or at least twenty five (25) years of service credited under the state pension plan and at least attained the age of forty six (46), the firefighter shall receive severance pay equal to his accrued unused sick leave up to a maximum of one thousand and forty (1040) hours, at his then current rate of pay. Section 24.2. For accumulated sick leave hours over 1,040 to 2,080 accumulated sick leave hours (a second 1040 hours), such hours will be paid at $2.75 per hour. Section 24.3. All 24/48 hour shift employees shall have their sick leave converted by multiplying their accrued sick leave balance by a factor of .7143, then paid at the 40 hour rate. Section 24.4. "Job abolishment", as used in this Article, means termination of employment by the City due to a position abolishment coupled with a failure of the City to offer such terminated employee a new position with the City, which new position has a base wage equal to or greater than the base wage of the abolished position.

16
257006v1

ARTICLE 25 HOLIDAYS

Section 25.1. All full-time employees shall receive eight (8) hours holiday pay for each of the following scheduled holidays: New Years Day Martin Luther King Day President's Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving Day Day after Thanksgiving Christmas Eve Christmas Day Employee's Birthday Personal Day (January 1) (3rd Monday in January) (3rd Monday in February) (Last Monday in May) (July 4) (1st Monday in September) (4th Thursday in November) (December 24th) (December 25th) (a floating holiday) (a floating 24-hour shift for shift employees, or two floating days for 40 hour employees)

For 40 hour employees when a holiday falls on a Saturday, the holiday will be granted on the preceding Friday; when the holiday falls on a Sunday, the holiday will be granted on the next Monday. December 26 may be scheduled as a holiday in place of Christmas Eve, in years when Christmas falls on a Thursday. The Personal Day shall be used during each calendar year and scheduled only as a full shift in the same manner as vacation. However, no 40 hour employee who takes a Personal Day shall be entitled to any additional Personal Day time during that year upon becoming a 24/48 hour employee, and no 24/48 hour employee, who uses a 24-hour Personal Day shall be entitled to any additional Personal Day time during that year upon becoming a 40 hour employee. Section 25.2. Bargaining unit members, who work 24/48 shifts, shall receive holiday pay for each of the above holidays. Such pay shall be for eight (8) hours per holiday, computed upon an hourly rate equal in amount to the annual pay, excluding overtime, divided by 2080 hours. Such pay shall be payable on or about December 15 of each year of this Agreement. The Personal Day is excluded from this provision. Section 25.3. To be eligible for holiday pay, an employee must, unless excused in advance, work his scheduled workday immediately preceding the holiday, and his scheduled work day immediately following the holiday. A day in active pay status shall be considered to be a day worked for purposes of determining holiday pay eligibility.

17
257006v1

Section 25.4. The City will give bargaining unit employees on a 40-hour schedule an additional amount of scheduled work which is the equivalent of 8 hours of pay for each non-worked paid holiday. Any applicable premium will be paid. If the employee requests in writing, the City will hold this pay and pay it in a single check on or before December 15. If an employee transfers out of 40 hour status during the year, or is terminated, the City pays only those hours actually worked. The Personal Day is excluded from this provision.

ARTICLE 26 VACATION
Section 26.1. New employees will accrue vacation hours, however new employees are not permitted to use accrued hours until after one year of service, except under section 26.9. Employees with one or more years of service are eligible for paid vacation leave as follows: EMPLOYEE IS ENTITLED TO 2 weeks vacation RATE OF ACCRUAL 3.1 hours per pay period 4.34 hours per pay period* 4.6 hours per pay period 6.46 hours per pay period* 6.2 hours per pay period 8.63 hours per pay period*

YEARS OF SERVICE After 1 year

After 8 years

3 weeks vacation

After 15 years

4 weeks vacation

After 24 years

5 weeks vacation

7. 7 hours per pay period 10. 75 hours per pay period*

*denotes 24/48 hours shift employees Employees hired after 1/1/92 shall be entitled only to credit for previous years of service with the City of Troy, Ohio for purposes of vacation accrual. Section 26.2. Vacation is to be taken in minimum units of one hour. The request must be submitted to the employer at least 24 hours in advance. This may be waived by the employee's immediate supervisor provided that the employee reports for duty and granting the request will leave one employee more than the minimum staffing standard at work. Seniority will govern if there is more than one such request. If an employee is not able to start his partial day vacation due to an emergency run, the employee will have the following options:

18
257006v1

1. 2. 3.

Cancel the vacation, Take the remainder of the approved vacation time upon returning from the run, and only be charged for the vacation time actually used, or Take the entire approved vacation time upon returning from the run, as long as this does not conflict with another scheduled vacation or cause an overtime situation. This option will be used at the discretion of the OIC.

Section 26.3. Prior to March 1 of each year, the City will accept one vacation request from each employee for a contiguous block of time consisting of at least one duty day (24 hours) for 24/48 shift personnel, or at least one work day for 40 hour employees, and will grant vacation on a seniority basis. After March 1, the City will grant vacation leave on a first come, first served basis so long as it fits within the minimum staffing requirements of the Fire Department's policy and procedures. Vacation requests, regardless of their outcome (approved or denied) must have a copy with the decision sent to the employee or placed on the online calendar in no more than 72 hours. Section 26.4. Employees may request to use vacation in minimum units of one hour increments for personal emergencies. Such vacation must be approved by the Chief or his designee. Section 26.5. Employees shall forfeit their right to take or be paid for any vacation leave to their credit, which is in excess of the accrual for three years. Such excess vacation leave shall be eliminated from the employee's vacation leave balance. However, if a bargaining unit employee attempts to schedule vacation before it becomes excess, and is unable to do so because there is no time available, the excess vacation may be carried to the first available open day as determined by the Chief. Section 26.6. Additional vacation leave is not accrued as a result of the accumulation of paid overtime. Section 26.7. Employees with one or more years of service who resign or retire are entitled to compensation at their current forty (40) hour rate of pay for any earned but unused vacation leave. All 24/48 hour shift employees shall have their accrued vacation hours converted by multiplying such accrued time by a factor of .7143, and will be paid at the 40-hour pay rate. Section 26.8. Vacation credits are not earned while on a non-paid status. Section 26.9. Only employees who have prior service with a political entity of the State of Ohio may utilize accrued vacation within the first year of service. Section 26.1 0. Employees may request to return to work before the end of their scheduled vacations. The Chief or his designee may grant or deny such requests based on the best interests of the Department.

19
257006v1

ARTICLE 27 MILITARY LEAVE Section 27.1. The City shall grant a leave of absence, without pay, to an employee who enters active service in the Armed Forces of the United States and subsequent reemployment rights in accordance with existing law. Section 27.2. An employee who is a member of a reserve military unit of the United States or a member of the Ohio National Guard, and who is in the military service for field training, or active duty, will be given necessary time off with pay for such training for a period not to exceed 31 days in any one calendar year. However, the maximum number of hours for which payment can be made in any one calendar year is one hundred seventy-six (176) hours. An employee shall be required to submit a copy of his orders with such requests for leave. The City shall, upon satisfactorily submitted evidence, pay the employee the difference between his military base pay and his normal pay, in accordance with Chapter 141 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Troy. Section 27.3. An employee may at his discretion, use accrued vacation for purposes of Military Leave under Section 27.2. In such cases, all military pay is retained by the employee. ARTICLE 28 COURT LEAVE Section 28.1. Court Leave. An employee called for court jury duty during any portion of his regularly scheduled working day, may choose to be compensated in one of the following ways: 1. 2. The employee may choose to receive his regular salary or wage for such time and turn over to the City all compensation received from the court. The employee may choose to retain all monies received as compensation for court service and waive his regular salary or wage. The employee may elect to take a day of vacation. The City may require satisfactory evidence of service and payment. Section 28.2. An employee must report for work following jury duty, if a reasonable amount of time remains during his scheduled workday. Section 28.3. If an employee is called for court jury duty outside of his regularly scheduled working hours, all compensation for such court service shall be retained by the employee.

20
257006v1

Section 28.4. Employees shall not be entitled to paid court leave when appearing in court for criminal or civil cases in connection with personal matters. Such absences shall be considered as vacation leave and must be scheduled in advance, with the approval of the Director or designee. Section 28.5. Employees called for court jury duty or to testify in a court of law shall complete a Request for Leave Form and attach a photo-static copy of the subpoena or jury notice. The Request shall be provided the City promptly upon such call for duty. The employee will cooperate fully with the City to work out court appearance arrangements with the subpoenaing lawyer, so to provide the least interruption and cost to the City, the most effective continuance of coverage for the City and its public, and notification to the City of any changes in the expected court appearance. Section 28.6. 24-48 employees required to testify in court as a part of their duties, shall be paid for a minimum of three (3) hours if such time is outside of their regularly scheduled shift.
ARTICLE 29 FUNERAL LEAVE

Section 29.1. Funeral leave of up to one full duty day, for firefighters on a 24 on, 48 off schedule, or 2 work days for firefighters on a 40-hour schedule, shall be granted to firefighters with pay, at the firefighter's regular straight time pay, in the event of a death in the firefighter's immediate family. The time off shall be within a consecutive period of 4 calendar days, one day of which shall include the day of the funeral. In the event of the death of a parent, spouse or child, including a step-child, funeral leave shall be three days instead of two days. This only affects firefighters on a 40-hour schedule. Immediate Family- Immediate family means spouse, parent, step parent, parent-in-law, brother, step-brother, sister, step-sister, child (including foster or step-child), grandchild, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, legal guardian who stands in loco parentis, employee's designated grandparents or designated grandparents of employee's spouse. Each employee may only take funeral leave for a total of four grandparents and a total of four grandparents of employee's spouse during the term of employment. This may be natural or step-grandparents. Effective January 1, 1989, each employee must designate the name and relationship of the grandparents for which funeral leave will be taken in the future. Funeral leave for grandparents or grandparents-in-law previously deceased in past years must be deducted from the total number designated. Changes in designation due to a change in spouse will be accepted but the total number allowed during the term of employment shall in no event be more than eight. Section 29.2. Funeral leave shall only be paid if such time of leave is during regularly scheduled shift.

21
257006v1

Section 29.3. Additional leave for the funeral of such an immediate family member may be granted by the Director of Public Service and Safety from the firefighter's available sick leave, for a normal maximum of a total of two duty days for 24/48 hour employees, or 40 hours for 40-hour employees. However, the time off must be reasonably required and requested in advance, and no extra time off will normally be granted unless significant travel time is required, or other specific circumstances require it. On the other hand, the normal maximum time may be exceeded by the Director when unusual circumstances require it. The Director will not arbitrarily withhold approval of a request for additional time off. Section 29.4. To attend the funeral of family members not listed by this provision, employees may apply for vacation leave.

ARTICLE 30 DUTY INJURY LEAVE

Section 30.1. All employees shall be entitled to Duty Injury Leave, with full pay for a period of up to ninety (90) calendar days following the date of injury. Only occupational injuries or illnesses that occur in the line of duty as a City employee that result in an inability to perform assigned duties will be eligible. An extension of thirty (30) additional days may be granted by council resolution. Once an employee has been cleared by a physician (including the City's physician, if required by the City) to return to full duty, an aggravation or re-injury which occurs while the employee is on duty, and acting nonnegligently in the line of duty, shall constitute a separate injury for the purpose of this Article. Section 30.2. Duty Injury Leave shall only be granted following the proper filing of application for such, with all supporting documentation from a licensed physician. This documentation shall describe the nature of the injury, the estimated time to return to duty and the extent of the disability. Section 30.3. Before approving an application, the City may require a separate medical examination by a licensed physician selected by the City and at the City's expense. Section 30.4. Any employee making application for Duty Injury Leave, shall concurrently file a claim for Worker's Compensation. If the claim is finally rejected by the Bureau of Workers' Compensation, Industrial Commission or court, any duty injury time shall revert to sick leave or leave without pay. Section 30.5. A partially disabled employee may, at the City's option, if the physician's prognosis allows, perform limited duty. If such duty is available, the employee may be assigned such duty and Duty Injury Leave will be denied. Section 30.6. When an employee is approved for Duty injury Leave, he shall receive his regular full pay for the first two (2) weeks. Upon receipt of benefits from Workers' Compensation the employee shall sign over said benefit check for these two (2) weeks to the City Auditor. Following the first two (2) weeks the employee shall select one (1) of the following methods. 22
257006v1

A.

The eligible employee shall receive only the amount estimated to be the difference between his full pay based upon his regular work week and his anticipated benefits under the Worker's Compensation Law and upon final determination of such benefits, the City shall pay the eligible employee any amount due him for an underpayment of injury leave pay, and the eligible employee shall reimburse the City in an amount equal to any overpayment of injury leave pay. (It is the intention of this method to assure that the amount received by an employee from the City for injury leave pay and under Worker's Compensation Law, when considered in the aggregate, is not more than or less than the regular pay of such employee.) Under this method, while on injury leave, an employee shall not be charged with sick leave and shall not be eligible to draw additional pay for such leave. The eligible employee shall be paid his full pay based on sick leave and/or vacation credited to such employee. When benefits are received from Worker's Compensation, the employee shall turn over such funds to the City, at which time, his sick leave and/or vacation records shall be credited for the time so used. The benefit check issued by Worker's Compensation shall be made payable jointly to the employee and the City. If the eligible employee should have his sick leave benefits and/or vacation benefits expire within the ninety-day period, the employee shall then be placed under subsection (A) hereof.

B.

Section 30.7. Recognizing that the issuance of temporary total disability benefits by the Bureau of Workers' Compensation for periods of time covered by Duty Injury Leave serves only to increase the expense to the City without providing any additional benefit to the employee, the parties agree that the City may elect to inform the Bureau of Workers' Compensation that an employee will receive full pay while on Duty Injury Leave, so that temporary total disability benefits will not be issued for that period of time. If the City elects to do this, the provisions of Section 30.6 will not apply and the employee will not be charged with sick leave for the period of the Duty Injury Leave. Any sick leave or vacation leave used by the employee in connection with the injury will be restored to the employee at the time the City elects to proceed under this Section. ARTICLE 31 LEAVE WITHOUT PAY Section 31.1. An employee may be granted a leave of absence without pay for a maximum of six months for personal reasons. The leave may not be renewed or extended beyond six months. During this period the employee shall not receive insurance benefits and will be eligible for benefits only as required by C.O.B.R.A. Section 31.2. The City will decide in each individual case if a leave of absence is to be granted. Advance approval is required. Except for emergencies, employees must request the leave sixty days prior to starting date of the leave. Section 31.3. An employee may return to work before the leave expires if agreed to by the City. 23
257006v1

Section 31.4. If an employee fails to return to work at the end of an approved leave, the Director may take appropriate disciplinary action. Section 31.5. An employee returning from such leave will be returned to his former position, or a similar position if that position no longer exists. Any individual replacing the employee during the leave will be terminated upon the original employee's reinstatement. The terminated employee may be considered for other vacancies. ARTICLE 32 DISCIPLINE Section 32.1. (A) Disciplinary action shall be only for just cause, or violation of work rules. (8) No action shall be taken in violation of state or federal law. State or federal law includes statutory law, common law and applicable governmental rules and regulations, and specifically includes intentional tort law and any other tort law. (C) Employees shall maintain certification as a firefighter and fire inspector and shall maintain certification and privileges as a paramedic. Employees who do not maintain their certification and privileges may be subject to discipline up to and including discharge consistent with the principles of just cause. The City will notify employees in writing when the City learns about any changes in certification requirements. Section 32.2. In determining appropriate discipline, the City shall take into account the nature of the violation, the employee's record of discipline and the employee's record of performance and conduct. The provisions of 737.12 ORC shall apply. Forms of disciplinary action may include, but are not limited to, oral reprimands, written reprimands, working suspensions (i.e. paper suspension), suspensions without pay, forfeiture of accrued paid leave (in place of suspension, by mutual agreement of the City and the employee), reduction in classification (demotion), and discharge from employment. Disciplinary action may begin at any step that is consistent with just cause. Counseling shall not be considered disciplinary action. Section 32.3. Management shall send the Union a copy of any disciplinary action issued to any member covered by this Agreement. Section 32.4. The City shall investigate possible disciplinary offenses as promptly as possible, and shall impose discipline no later than 60 days from the date the Chief has knowledge of the incident. The time limit imposed in this Section may be extended by mutual written consent. Section 32.5. Union members shall be advised of their right to have union representation prior to any predisciplinary investigation or disciplinary action held under this Article. The City shall provide an Authorization for Representation form signed by the employee to the President of Local 1638. Section 32.6. Any appeal of a disciplinary action shall only be through Section 33.2 of the grievance procedure.

24
257006v1

ARTICLE 33 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE Section 33.1. A grievance is a claim that the City or the Union has violated this Agreement. All grievances shall be handled exclusively as set forth in this Article. Section 33.2. Employee Grievances. To be arbitrable a grievance must be put in writing and given to the City within 10 calendar days of the occurrence; however, where the employee did not immediately have knowledge of the event complained of, through no fault of his own, the grievance may be brought up within 10 days of the date he learned of the event, but in no case more than 30 calendar days after the event itself. All grievances must contain the following information to be considered and must be filed using the grievance form mutually agreed upon by both parties. A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. The aggrieved employee's name and signature. The aggrieved employee's position title. Date grievance was filed in writing Date and time grievance occurred. . The location where the grievance occurred. A description of the incident giving rise to the grievance. Specific articles and sections of the Agreement violated. Desired remedy to resolve the grievance.

Section 33.3 Grievance Procedure. STEP 1. Whenever an employee covered by this Agreement has a grievance, such grievance should be presented to the employee's immediate supervisor using the grievance form. The immediate supervisor shall give his answer within 10 calendar days. STEP 2. It is hoped that most grievances can be equitably settled at Step 1. However, if the employee, after discussion and decision on the grievance at Step 1 above, still feels that he has been unfairly treated then he may request a meeting with his Chief. His request shall be made to his immediate superior who shall promptly schedule such meeting with the Chief, within 10 days when possible. The meeting with the Chief shall take place on schedule and in the presence of both the Platoon Commander (or Assistant Chief, as the case may be) and the party having the grievance. Every effort will be made by the Chief to reach a prompt and fair decision regarding the grievance. 25
257006v1

The Chief shall give his answer, in writing, within 10 calendar days after the Step 2 meeting. If, upon receiving the decision of the Chief, the employee feels the matter has not been resolved fairly, then; STEP 3. The employee shall request through the Chief a meeting with the Director of Public Service and Safety. At this point the request for a meeting with the Director of Public Service and Safety shall be to the Chief and shall be made in writing setting forth specifically and clearly the nature of the issue to be discussed and resolved. The appeal to Step 3 must be made in writing within 10 calendar days after the Step 2 answer. If the written request to the Director of Public Service and Safety is not clear, it will be returned for written clarification before any meeting is scheduled, with any appropriate explanation of what is not clear. Upon the scheduling of a meeting with the Director of Public Service and Safety, the Chief shall inform the parties involved in the dispute of the time and place and shall appear with them at the scheduled meeting. The meeting will be scheduled within 15 calendar days when possible. Every effort will be made at this meeting, or following it promptly, to reach a fair and equitable decision on the grievance. The Director of Public Service and Safety shall give his answer in writing no later than 15 calendar days after the Step 3 meeting. All time limits may be extended by written mutual agreement. The Director may designate a representative to take his place in Step 3. Any grievance that would be subject to the Civil Service Commission shall instead be subject exclusively to arbitration under this Section. If an arbitrable grievance has not been settled during the prescribed grievance procedure, the Union may appeal the matter to final and binding arbitration by giving the City written notice within 30 calendar days of the City's answer at the last step of the prescribed grievance procedure. General. The employee may have Union representation at all steps of the grievance procedure. At all steps in the Grievance procedure, the Union representative shall disclose to the City a full and detailed statement of facts relied upon, the remedy sought and the provisions of this Agreement relied upon. In the same manner, the City shall do likewise. Section 33.4. Class Grievances. Where a group of bargaining unit employees desires to file a grievance involving an incident affecting several employees in the same manner, one (1) employee shall be selected by the group to process the grievance. Each employee who desires to be included in such grievance shall be required to sign the grievance. Such grievances shall be initially filed at Step 2 within 30 calendar days of the occurrence. Section 33.5. Union Grievances. The Union, through its President, may file grievances claiming violations of the recognition clause, the dues deduction clause, or any other contract right which accrues solely to the Union as a labor, organization and not to individual employees. Such grievances shall be initially filed at Step 2 within 30 calendar days of the occurrence.

26
257006v1

Section 33.6. City Grievances. A grievance may be filed by the City on any claim that the Union has violated this Agreement. A City grievance shall be filed in writing with the Union within 30 calendar days of the occurrence, and the Union shall answer within 30 calendar days. If the City is unsatisfied with the Union's answer, it may appeal the matter to arbitration by giving the Union written notice within 30 calendar days of the Union's answer, or after the expiration of the time for the Union's answer. (This does not apply to violations of the no strike clause, which are covered by the special provisions of Article 8.) Section 33.7. Arbitration. Upon notification to the other party of an intent to arbitrate a grievance, either the Union or the City may request the appointment of an arbitrator under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, or the City and the Union may mutually agree on an arbitrator. The arbitrator shall have no power to add to, subtract from, or modify this Agreement in any way, but shall instead be limited to the application of the terms of this Agreement in determining the dispute. The arbitrator shall have no power to determine any jurisdictional disputes between employees covered by this Agreement and employees outside the coverage of this Agreement, or unions claiming to represent employees outside the Agreement. Anything that happens after the termination of this Agreement will not give rise to any rights or liabilities under this Agreement and shall not be subject to arbitration. In all cases properly before an arbitrator, he shall have the right to issue an order making the grievant whole for any claim which is properly upheld. A make-whole remedy may include, where appropriate, back pay, reinstatement, removal of discipline, correction of records, an order that specified conduct in violation of the Agreement or law not to be repeated, or reimbursement for actual expenses presently or in the future incurred. In no case may an arbitrator award attorney's fees, punitive damages, emotional damages (other than as reimbursement for proper treatment for emotional suffering), or any other damages. The costs of the Arbitrator, including the travel expenses, hearing rooms, etc., and a copy of the record of the proceedings shall be borne equally by both parties, as determined by the Arbitrator. Each party shall be responsible for the costs incurred by it in preparing and presenting its case to the Arbitrator, including but not limited to the compensation and expenses of its representatives and the fees and other expenses of its non-employee witnesses. Either party may have a transcribed record made of the arbitration hearing at its own expense provided it makes copies available without charge to the Arbitrator. The Arbitrator shall make his decision in conformity with this Agreement and shall not modify or change this Agreement and shall render a decision in writing within thirty (30) days from the close of the hearing and the decision shall be final and binding on the Union and its members and the City.

27
257006v1

If the Arbitrator's decision awards the payment of back wages covering the period of the bargaining unit member's separation from the payroll, the amount so awarded shall be less any unemployment compensation and shall not include the assumption the bargaining unit member would have worked overtime during the period of separation from the City's payroll. ARTICLE 34 MEDICAL AND LIFE INSURANCE COVERAGE Section 34.1. The current insurance plan and employee contribution rates will continue unchanged through August 31, 2013. For the policy year September 1, 2013- August 31, 2014, the City will maintain comparable coverage. Comparable coverage shall mean that the coverage shall be similar to the extent that the City shall solicit quotes from up to three carriers and request standard products which most closely match the plan design then in effect. Exact match of plan design need not be sought or acquired. Effective September 1, 2013, the City will continue in effect the plan design of the current "Standard Plan" for the policy year September 1, 2013- August 31, 2014 so long as the per-employee premium does not increase more than the percentage increase in the statewide cost of a family insurance plan as reported by SERB in its most recent (as of April1) report on health care costs in Ohio's public sector. If the increase would be more than the percentage increase derived from the SERB report, the City may select a different plan as the City's Standard Plan that will keep the increase from exceeding the percentage increase derived from the SERB report while keeping coverage as comparable as possible. Effective September 1, 2014, the City will provide health care coverage comparable to the coverage provided under the City's September 1, 2013- August 31, 2014 Standard Plan so long as the per-employee premium does not increase more than the percentage increase in the statewide cost of a family insurance plan as reported by SERB in its most recent (as of April 1) report on health care costs in Ohio's public sector. If the increase would be more than the percentage increase derived from the SERB report, the City may select a different plan as the City's Standard Plan that will keep the increase from exceeding the percentage increase derived from the SERB report while keeping coverage as comparable as possible. Effective September 1, 2015, the City will provide health care coverage comparable to the coverage provided under the City's September 1, 2014- August 31, 2015 Standard Plan so long as the per-employee premium does not increase more than the percentage increase in the statewide cost of a family insurance plan as reported by SERB in its most recent (as of April 1) report on health care costs in Ohio's public sector. If the increase would be more than the percentage increase derived from the SERB report, the City may select a different plan as the City's Standard Plan that will keep the increase from exceeding the percentage increase derived from the SERB report while keeping coverage as comparable as possible.

28
257006v1

The plan provided by the City will be no less favorable than the plan provided to the City's non-represented employees. The City reserves all rights as to determination of insurance carriers. Section 34.2. Employees will pay the following percentage of the health insurance premium: effective January 1, 2013- 12o/o; effective September 1, 2014- 6/o; and effective September 1, 2015 - 12o/o. Employee contributions shall be made through payroll deduction as a condition of coverage. The City will pay the balance of the premium. The City will offer a more expensive plan, if available, as an alternative to the standard plan; if the City does so, employees who select that plan will pay an amount equal to their premium contribution for the standard plan plus the difference in cost between the standard plan and the more expensive plan. The City also may offer a less expensive plan as an alternative to the standard plan; if the City does so, employees who select that plan will pay an amount equal to their premium contribution for the standard plan minus the difference in cost between the standard plan and the less expensive plan (but not less than zero). Section 34.3. The City will maintain a dental plan benefit. The City reserves all rights as to the determination of the insurance carrier. The City will pay for 50% of the cost of each employee's dental plan coverage, including dependent coverage if applicable. The employee shall pay the remaining 50% through payroll deduction as a condition of coverage. The City will have no obligation to provide this benefit if the number of employees who elect to participate falls below the carrier's minimum participation requirement, if any. Section 34.4. Eligible full-time employees are provided with group term life insurance in the amount of Fifty Thousand ($50,000) Dollars. Section 34.5. The City will maintain its current Section 125 plan, permitting employees to pay for certain health care costs on a pre-tax basis. Section 34.6. Full time employees who waive family health insurance for a twelve month period during open enrollment will be paid an incentive as explained below, provided that the employee can provide proof of coverage elsewhere. The incentive payment will be pro-rated if coverage is waived for less than an entire plan year because an employee terminates employment, waives coverage mid-plan year or reenrolls for City coverage due to divorce or other event causing loss of the employee's other coverage. A full time employee who waives coverage for an entire twelve months and who is not a dependent on another City of Troy health insurance plan will be paid an incentive of $1 ,500.00. The incentive will be paid out in even installments with each paycheck over a twelve-month period. This incentive plan is being offered for the policy year September 1, 2013- August 31, 2014. This incentive plan will be offered in subsequent plan years, provided that the incentive continues to represent a cost savings to the City.

29
257006v1

Section 34.7. The President of the IAFF (or his/her designee) and up to two members (as selected by the President) will be notified of all Health Insurance Committee meeting and will be present and participate in all City of Troy Health Insurance committee meetings to review and recommend health care insurance in the upcoming years. The Health Insurance Committee will meet as often as necessary to facilitate in a timely fashion all information and cost as needed in an effort to maximize the value to employees and cost effectiveness of health insurance and dental insurance plan designs.

ARTICLE 35 UNIFORM/EQUIPMENT ALLOWANCE

Section 35.1. Bargaining unit employees shall be provided a clothing maintenance allowance of $700.00 each year of the Agreement, while in active pay status. Section 35.2. The City shall prescribe the uniform for each work unit to include acceptable standards of cleanliness and condition. An employee shall be subject to discipline if the aforementioned conditions are violated.

Section 35.3. Purchase shall be made by purchase order only for uniforms and clothing, with the purchase order issued by the City to the vendor and payment made directly to the vendor. The Chief shall determine appropriate vendors. In addition the City will contract for dry cleaning of uniforms and employees who use this service will have such use deducted from their clothing allowance.
Section 35.4. The City shall provide each new employee with an initial issue of three (3) sets of approved uniforms, each set consisting of one pair of pants and one shirt. A one time purchase of one dress uniform, which consists of a dress uniform blouse and trousers, shall be made following satisfactory completion of the probationary period. Section 35.5. An employee shall be entitled to replacement of articles of clothing, equipment and personal property which are necessary for the job and which are destroyed, lost or stolen in the line of duty and not due to employee's negligence. The employee's application shall set forth a description of the article destroyed, lost or stolen and the cause of destruction, loss or theft. Section 35.6. The City shall provide safety glasses and hearing protection for those employees whose work requires the wearing of safety glasses and hearing protection. Section 35.7. An employee shall be entitled to carry over a maximum of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) to the following calendar year.

ARTICLE 36 WAGES
Section 36.1. Wages will be increased 2.25/o effective January 1, 2013, 2.25%) effective January 1, 2014; and 2.25% effective January 1, 2015, as shown on Appendix

A.
30
257006v1

ARTICLE 37 LONGEVITY Section 37.1. Employees shall receive longevity pay of two (2%) percent of the base wage, for each five (5) years of continuous service with the City of Troy, commencing on the employee's anniversary date. ARTICLE 38 DRUG POLICY Section 38.1. The City, the Union, and every employee will cooperate fully to resist and correct any actual or threatened drug problem. "Reasonable suspicion" means circumstances that would cause a belief that an employee may have violated this Agreement. "Drug" includes alcohol, illegal substances, and any other substance, the use, possession, or trading or trafficking of which, causes or threatens to cause either an interference with City operations, a threat to the public welfare, or a violation of the law. Section 38.2. The City has the right to require an appropriate drug test of every applicant for City employment, and any other test or inquiry reasonably directed to this goal. It has the right to require drug tests of any employee where the City reasonably suspects drug possession or usage. "Reasonable suspicion" means believes, based on circumstances that would cause a belief, that an employee may have engaged in such drug possession or usage. This includes the right, where there has been an accident, to require a drug test of any employee whose ability might have been impaired by drugs which could have contributed to the accident or its consequences. The City shall carry out drug tests in a way which does not needlessly impinge upon privacy or reputation, and which as far as practicable produces highly reliable results. Since firefighters must at all times be in the highest condition of alertness and capacity, and since the failure to maintain this condition can result in physical damage, personal injury, or death, either to fellow firefighters or to members of the public, they shall not only take all steps to maintain their own condition, but to report any hazards observed, including inappropriate activities by other bargaining unit members or any other employee. Without changing the meaning or intent, the words "probable cause" can be substituted for "reasonable suspicion", provided the same definition is placed in the drug policy, and the words "has probable cause to suspect" can be substituted for the words "reasonably suspects, provided the same definition is used. Section 38.3. Where the results of a drug test are positive, the City may remove the employee from active duty, and condition the employee's return to active duty upon appropriate medical evidence, including a negative drug retest. An agreed-upon policy between the City and the Union will be developed for the implementation of the drug test. It will then be attached to this Agreement and made a part of it. After returning to duty, an additional positive drug test will result in discharge subject to Civil Service 31
257006v1

procedures. Any dispute about the results of a drug test or any other question of physical condition shall be resolved through a special grievance procedure. Under this procedure, the employee shall first obtain the opinion of a qualified physician or other qualified examiner. If this opinion differs from the opinion of the City's examiner, the dispute shall be resolved by a third examiner agreed upon by the City's and the employee's examiner. The decision of the third examiner shall be final and binding, and both the City and the employee shall cooperate fully to provide the third examiner all available records, history and evidence, including the opportunity to examine the employee. If the employee fails to cooperate with the third examiner promptly, he may be terminated subject to Civil Service procedures. Section 38.4. Appendix 8 "City of Troy Policy for Implementation of Drug Testing", dated 11/8/88, Revised 10/31/97 and 11/05/03, remains in effect.

ARTICLE 39 ANNUAL PHYSICAL

Section 39.1. Each employee shall continue to undergo an annual physical, using guidelines which are substantially similar to those currently used. The City shall select the physician and/or facility and pay for such physical. Section 39.2. Should the annual physical exam disclose the need for further medical evaluation by a specialist, the firefighter shall promptly seek such evaluation. (The costs for his exam are to be submitted to the group health insurance, and the City will pay any costs, including deductible, not allowed by insurance.) The Chief has the option whether to accept or reject the opinion or findings of the second doctor. If he rejects it, the dispute shall be resolved by a third doctor, a specialist agreed upon by the physicians who conducted the first two exams. Section 39.3. The costs of the third exam not covered by group health insurance shall be paid by the City. In all cases, every effort shall be made to utilize advance plan physicians who recognize the UCR costs paid by the group health insurance plan. The decision of the third doctor shall be final and binding, and both the City and the firefighter shall cooperate fully to provide him all available records, history and evidence, including the opportunity to examine the employee. Section 39.4. If an employee is medically determined to be incapable of performing the full duties of his position, the employee may be terminated.

ARTICLE 40 EDUCATION INCENTIVE

Section 40.1. The City shall provide an Educational Incentive Plan (E.I.P.) for employees above the probationary grade. Each full-time fire fighter shall receive, in addition to his authorized pay range classification, in accordance with the following rules, regulations and schedule, an amount as set forth below:

32
257006v1

Degree Associate Degree Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree

Incentive Pay $715 annually $1,100 annually $1,815 annually

A fire fighter shall have completed his probationary period to be eligible for the E.I.P. Section 40.2. All credit hours and degrees shall be earned from an accredited institution of higher learning as approved by the Chief of the Department and the Director of Public Service and Safety. The credit hours or degree must be in fire science, fire technology, fire engineer, public administration, business administration, an associate degree in paramedic, or other similar degree as approved by the Director of Public Service and Safety. Section 40.3. Degree holders shall be eligible for continuing payment of E.I.P. benefits. All credits submitted for approval shall be graded not less than .. C .. or 2.0 on a 4.0 grading scale. The completion of 96 quarter hours or 64 semester credits toward a qualifying bachelor's degree shalf be treated as the equivalent of an associate's degree. Section 40.4. Credits earned by a fire fighter prior to the enactment of the E.I.P. are acceptable to the Plan provided they meet all other requirements herein. Credits acquired after the enactment of the E.I.P. and submitted for approval shall have been earned on the employee's off-duty time; provided, however, that courses may be taken during duty hours with the approval of the Chief. Hours lost under these circumstances shall be made up by the employee, or, by agreement between the employee and the Chief, be deducted from the employee's accrued vacation time. Section 40.5. It is the responsibility of the fire fighter seeking E.I.P. benefits to submit to the Chief a certified transcript of credits from the institution he is attending. A new transcript shall be provided each time the fire fighter seeks a higher level of payment in the program. It is the responsibility of the Chief to review all credits submitted for approval, and to notify the City Auditor in writing in April and October of each year of the standing of each officer in the E.I.P. E.I.P. payments shall be made annually and shall be paid in December of each year and shall be paid on or before December 15. For credits earned after October, but not later than January 31 of the next year, payment shall be made for those credits upon receipt of the proper certification by the City Auditor, so that payment can be made not later than February of the next year. Officers who leave the City's employment shall receive a monthly pro rata payment on or before December 15 for those months during which the officer remains employed by the City before leaving the City's employment.

33
257006v1

Section 40.6. Employees may seek reimbursement of tuition expenses under Section 141.28 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Troy and Administrative Regulation SD4-95, Tuition Reimbursement Policy. The Tuition Reimbursement Policy provides that employees who are eligible for E.I.P. benefits shall not be eligible for benefits under the Tuition Reimbursement Policy. Therefore, employees who apply for tuition reimbursement benefits shall be deemed to have waived all E.I.P. payments under this Article for any year during which the employee attends any course approved for reimbursement under the Tuition Reimbursement Policy. The rules and requirements contained in Administrative Regulation SD-4-95 shall be fully applicable to any employee seeking tuition reimbursement under this section. Section 40.7. The City will pay the registration or enrollment fees for the 48 hour paramedic refresher course for up to 1/3 of the bargaining unit members each year. Employees attending the course shall do so on their own non-working time.

ARTICLE 41 RESIDENCY
Section 41.1. To ensure adequate response times to emergencies and disasters, employees, as a condition of employment, shall reside either in Miami County or in one of the following adjacent counties: Darke, Shelby, Champaign, Clark or Montgomery.

ARTICLE 42 DURATION
Section 42.1. This Agreement shall be in full force and effect from January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2015. The initial wage provisions shall be effective on January 1, 2013. All other provisions shall be effective from the signing date of this Agreement, unless otherwise specified or as soon as the benefit coverage can be obtained in the normal course of business. Section 42.2. The Union's proposals for the new agreement will be given to the City in meeting by the 15th of September 2015 and negotiations will commence within 15 days after receipt of the Union's proposals. Section 42.3. During the negotiations which resulted in this Agreement, each had the unlimited right to make demands and proposals on any subject matter not removed by law from the area of collective bargaining and that the entire understandings and agreements arrived at by the parties after the exercise of this right and opportunity are set forth in this Agreement. Therefore, except as may be specifically agreed to in another clause of this Agreement, the City and the Union, for the life of this Agreement, each voluntarily and unequivocally waive the right, and each agrees that the other shall not be obligated to bargain collectively or individually with respect to any subject or matter not specifically referred to or covered in this Agreement. The provisions of this Agreement constitute the entire agreement between the City and the Union and all prior agreements and practices, oral, written, implied, or assumed, are hereby cancelled.

34
257006v1

Section 42.4. If this contract terminates without a new c_ ontract being signed, Article 3 -Waiver of State Civil Service and Related Laws --will remain in effect for as long as the Union remains the representative of the employees, until the new contract is signed, or until the mutuallY agree to terrrHnate Article. Whichever happens During , the time Artide 3 is in effect, Article 33 -Procedure -- wiU also rernain in effect. In resolving grievances, the applicable provisions shall be the provisions of this contract as though they were still in effect; except where the City has instituted different provisions or where the parties have mutually agreed upon different provisions.

CITY OF TROY, OHIO

IAFF, LOCAL 1638

Date:

__

Date:

0 .- 1 , 13.

35
257006v1

11-8-88 rev. 11 /05/03

CITY OF TROY POLICY FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF DRUG TESTING

PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to provide employees with the City's position regarding alcohol and drug usage situations. The intention of the City is to provide a safer work environment, to improve an employee's health and job performance when affected by the abuse of alcohol or drugs, and to provide guidelines for the consistent handling of alcohol and drug related situations throughout the City. POLICY 1. Use of Alcohol and Drugs a. Employees shall not possess, sell or use alcohol or illegal drugs, nor abuse prescribed controlled substances while on the job or on City property. Employees shall not work or report to work under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs, nor under the influence of controlled substances except as provided in sub-paragraph c below. Employees must report to their supervisors when they are experiencing or may experience a reaction to a prescription or over-the-counter drug which may affect their ability to do their job.

b.

c.

2.

Drug Dependency Treatment Employees are urged to request assistance with any drug or alcohol problem before disciplinary action is necessary. If an employee advises the City of a drug/alcohol problem, the employee will be urged to receive counseling and, if necessary, will be permitted to take a leave of absence to receive the recommended treatment. If so, the leave provisions of Item 4 will apply. However, a drug/alcohol related problem will not excuse any violation of City rules. Alcoholism and chemical dependencies are treatable. Employees covered by City sponsored health insurance have limited coverage for treatment of alcoholism and chemical dependency. Any costs associated with treatment that are not covered by insurance will be the responsibility of the employee.

3.

Testing Procedure: Drug and/or alcohol screens will be conducted in the following instances: a. Pre-employment City physicals, including a drug/alcohol screen, are required of all potential employees. The City does not hire applicants who

36
257006v1

test positive because being under the influence of drugs or alcohol is likely to affect job performance. b. When there is reasonable suspicion that an employee is using or possessing illegal drugs or alcohol or is abusing a controlled substance at work or is working or reporting to work under the influence of illegal drugs, alcohol, or an abused controlled substance, that employee will be required to consent to a drug and/or alcohol test immediately. Reasonable suspicion may be based upon, but is not limited to, unexplained and excessive absence, reports that the employee uses, or is under the influence of alcohol or drugs during work, the odor of alcohol or marijuana on an employee, unusual behavior such as slurred speech or lack of coordination, possession of paraphernalia used in connection with any drug or substance subject to these rules, or involvement in an accident or other incident which resulted or could have resulted in bodily injury or damage to property.

Testing will require that the employee provide a urine and/or blood sample, or some other medically accepted procedure will be used. Anytime an employee is requested to take a drug and/or alcohol test, the employee will be required to sign an authorization form permitting the physician or lab to conduct the test and release the results to the City. Refusal to sign the authorization form or to submit immediately to a requested drug/alcohol test will be considered insubordination and will subject the employee to discharge. All drug screen samples will be given at a licensed medical facility or doctor's office chosen by the City, sealed, and properly identified. Testing will be conducted by a certified laboratory, and test results will be treated confidentially. Results will be distributed only on a need-to-know basis to the extent necessary to protect a legitimate interest of the City. If a blood alcohol test is used, the same steps will be taken. Positive drug screen results will be confirmed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) or another medically accepted testing method. Drugs being screened may include any drugs of abuse or prescription medication that you do not have a valid prescription for. 4. Rehabilitation and Counseling: Any positive test results will result in the employee being relieved from duty. In the case of a positive test result, the employee shall seek professional help for a drug/alcohol related problem. If the treatment requires that the employee not work for a specific period of time, the employee will be considered on sick leave. This leave may be conditional upon receipt of reports that the employee is cooperating and making reasonable progress in the treatment program. In

37
257006v1

addition, this leave is conditioned upon the employee entering an appropriate treatment program as soon as possible. Within 45 days of entering the treatment program the employee must provide satisfactory medical evidence that he has completed the program and is fit to return to work and must pass another drug/alcohol screen. This time limit can be extended only based on medical or scientific evidence that a longer time is justified. However, no period longer than 6 months total from the date of the original positive test result will be permitted. Failure to meet these conditions will result in termination or employment. Accrued sick leave up to a maximum of 60 calendar days and accrued vacation may be used for this leave. Otherwise, this leave will be unpaid. Treatment programs acceptable to the City under this policy are those provided by facilities which are accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals and/or licensed through an appropriate state licensing agency. The City will require written verification that an employee is participating in or has completed a treatment program. Any employee who has returned to work is subject to retesting as otherwise provided in this policy, and if he fails the retest, shall be discharged. 5. Disciplinary Action: Disciplinary action is appropriate in the following instances: a. Any employee who is in the possession of, sells or uses alcohol, or illegal drugs or illegally possesses, sells or uses a controlled substance, while on the job shall be subject to discharge. Any employee who works or reports to work under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances or drugs shall be immediately suspended and shall be subject to discipline up to and including discharge. This includes prescribed and over-the-counter drugs not reported to a supervisor as required by 1c above. The type and severity of discipline will depend on all the circumstances, including nature of substance, employee's explanation, and willingness to enter rehabilitation program if treatment is appropriate. Refusal to sign the authorization form associated with a drug/alcohol test or refusal to take a requested drug/alcohol test immediately is considered insubordination and shall be subject to discharge. Anyone involved in the trafficking of illegal drugs or controlled substances, whether on or off City premises, will be subject to discharge. Trafficking will include the actual sale or distribution of drugs or controlled substances, or possessing a quantity of drugs that is more than would be

b.

c.

d.

38
257006v1

expected for personal use. Trafficking will also include having in possession illegal drugs or controlled substances that are packaged in a way which indicates an intent to distribute. 6. Appeal: The employee will have the opportunity to discuss the positive test results with the City and may, at the employee's own expense, have another test run on a second sample. Any employee may appeal action taken by the City under this policy through the appropriate grievance procedure.

39
257006v1

ORDINANCE Noe_o_-__,.3-_2o_l3_ _

ORDINANCE FIXING SAbARIES AND WAGES OF CERTAIN EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF TROY. OHIO AND DECbARING AN EMERGENCY

BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Troy, Ohio, at least two-thirds of the members concurring as follows: SECTION 1: FIRE DEPARTMENT. Department shall receive the following salaries:
Beginning J11n. 1,2013 Beginning

The following bargaining unit employees of the Fire

Beginning Jan. 1,2015

Jan.1,2D1-4

Platoon Commander 1st Class Firefighter (Step 2-1 yr) 1st Class Firefighter (Step 1) 2nd Class Arefighter (Step 2 - 6 months) 2nd Class Firefighter (Step 1) 3rd Class Firefighter (Step 2- 6 months) 3rd Class Firefighter (Step 1) SECTION II:

$75,041.24 $64,335.80 $61,475.81 $56,478.75 ssz,18S.39 $48,608.59 $46,471.63

$76,729.67 $65.783.36 $62,859,02 $57,749..52 $53,359.56 $49,702.28 $47,517.24

$78,456.09 yr. $67;263.49 yr. $64,273.35 yr. $59,048.88 yr. S54,560.15 yr. $50,820.58 yr. $48,586.38 yr.

That this Ordinance Is declared to be an emergency measure necessary for the

immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety of the City of Troy, Ohio, for the further reason that the 2013 salaries provided for herein are to be retroactive to January 1, 2013, and to facilitate and enable the employment approval by the Mayor.

or the employees

of said City to Insure ccntlnuous operation of the City

functions; NOW, WHEREFORE this Ordinance shall be effective Immediately upon Its adoption and

Adopted:

Januarv 22.2013

Martha A. Baker President of Council

Approved: Januarv 22. 2013 Sue G. Knight Clerk of Council Michael L. Beamish Mayor

Attest:

i i
!
I

I
1

! I

i I
..

-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

---

_)

UNDERSTANDING PART-TIME STAFFING ISSUES IN THE FIRE SERVICE

EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT

BY: Nathan P. Bromen Deerfield Township Fire Rescue Deerfield Township, Ohio

An applied research project submitted to the National Fire Academy as part of the Executive Fire Officer Program December 2000

Appendices Not Included. Please visit the Learning Resource Center on the Web at http://www.lrcjema.gov/ to learn how to obtain this report in its entirety through Interlibrary Loan.

ABSTRACT The problem was that communities underestimated the negative ramifications of choosing part-time employees in lieu of full-time personnel for their fire department staffing. The purpose of this research project was to identify the benefits and drawbacks associated with the utilization of part-time staffing. The evaluative research method was utilized to answer the following questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What benefits can be realized by utilizing part-time staffing? What drawbacks are commonly experienced when utilizing part-time staffing? What are the administrative/management issues related to part-time staffing? What types of costs can be encountered when utilizing part-time personnel? What are the issues related to the part-time employment market?

After learning about the research project in the Executive Development course at the National Fire Academy, the topic of understanding the part-time staffing issues was selected, researched, and evaluated. A literature review, a local and regional survey, and a follow-up interview were helpful in documenting the issues for evaluation. Recommendations were made after the information was analyzed, and then the research report was completed. The results clearly showed the benefits and drawbacks of the part-time system, as well as the common administrative challenges routinely faced by departments using part-time staffing, the types of costs encountered, and the issues related to the part-time employment market. The recommendations made included the balancing of the full-time and part-time staffing levels to the available resources of the community, the continued evaluation and monitoring of the part-time employment pool, and the preparation of a full-time hiring list in case short-notice hiring was needed to deal with manpower shortages.

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ABSTRACT............................................................................................ 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 INTRODUCTION ... ... . . . .. . ... .. . ... ... . .. .. . ... .. . ... .. . ... ... .. . ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... ... ... . . . .. . BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE........................................................ LITERATURE REVIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 4 7

PROCEDURES ... . .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . .. .. . . . . .. . . .. ... ... ... ... . . . .. . .. . . .. ... . .. . .. . .. ... ... .. . 15 RESULTS . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 19 DISCUSSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 28

RECOMMENDATIONS ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ......... ... ... ... ... ...... ... 32 REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 APPENDIX A (FIRE CIDEF SURVEY ON PART-TIME EMPLOYEES) . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 APPENDIX B (SURVEY MAILING LIST) ... ... .. . ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . . . ... 39 APPENDIX C (SURVEY RESULTS) ........................................................... 42 APPENDIX D (PART-TIME STAFFING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS)............... 52

INTRODUCTION The problem is that communities underestimate the negative ramifications of choosing part-time employees in lieu of full-time personnel for their fire department staffing. The purpose of this research project was to identify the benefits and drawbacks associated with the utilization of part-time staffing. The evaluative research method was utilized to answer the following questions: 1. What benefits can be realized by utilizing part-time staffing? 2. What drawbacks are commonly experienced when utilizing part-time staffing? 3. What are the administrative/management issues related to part-time staffing ? 4. What types of costs can be encountered when utilizing part-time personnel? 5. What are the issues related to the part-time employment market? The procedures used to complete this research project included a literature review, a survey of local and regional fire service administrators, and a follow-up interview with a fire chief who wrote a master's degree paper on the subject of part-time staffing. This research project directly impacted the Deerfield Township Fire Rescue Department because it faced the challenge of evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of both part-time and full-time staffing.

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE For the past ten to fifteen years, municipalities have incorporated the use of part-time employees for providing both fire and emergency medical services to their jurisdictions (Bennett, 1995). Problems related to using part-time staffing have arisen, and existing issues have become increasingly more difficult to manage. The question about when it is advantageous to continue utilizing only part-time employees, or when it is advantageous to hire additional full-time staff is being considered in many organizations, including the Deerfield Township Fire Rescue Department (DTFRD). Some organizations may consider a total switch to full-time personnel,

although the fiscal impact is usually cost-prohibitive. The use of part-time staffing has worthwhile benefits, but also has several drawbacks to the organizations that use this type of system. The DTFRD was created in October of 1998, after the split of a joint fire district. As a new department with much to accomplish, priorities had to be set related to the management of the organization, and fiscal limitations played a significant role in how this new organization was structured. A replacement tax levy was approved by the citizens at the same funding level as the previous joint fire district levy. Although eight full-time personnel were hired to manage the organization and operations of the department, all of the remaining front-line staffing positions were filled with part-time employees. The Township Trustees believed that the department could not afford to have additional full time personnel, or be an entirely career department. The part-time staffing impact was initially quite positive, and this newly formed department created a significant draw of qualified and talented personnel. The organization has grown in experience and confidence, and has developed a healthy reputation for quality service to the community. During the time since the organizational startup, however, some common issues associated with part-time organizations began to surface. These challenges continued to escalate, and have caused the fire administration to re-evaluate the current staffing plan, and look toward alternative staffing solutions. The Trustees have agreed to revisit the staffing issue, and the problem of choosing between full-time and part-time staffing is a serious issue for Deerfield Township. The solution may result in a choice between the fiscal impact and the level of quality service, which are both important to the community. This research provides a summary of the many issues involved in the problem, which can result in continued, effective decision making for the community's future. This research project will also be significant to DTFRD because the many related issues

(
have an immediate and direct impact on the daily operation of the department. The primary issue that directly impacts the department is the staffing. Since most employees want a full-time job, DTFRD could face a large reduction in employees if they learn that the community will wait to add, or will likely never add, full-time employees. The probable future impact of these increasingly challenging issues may be a lowered ability of the organization to continue providing quality service to the community. The research is also important to our personnel because it documents the justification for potential hiring of full-time staffing, which is of utmost interest to the employees. Likewise, the Trustees need hard research, pertinent data, and a factual foundation to justify the expenditure of the taxpayer's revenue. This research project is related to the Executive Development course because it involves issues similar to the class topics of managing change, researching solutions, and taking leadership toward continual improvement. A fire executive must use the information from the class topics like effective research, management, and leadership to help solve the issues within their own organization. The process of researching an issue, which was learned in the Executive Development class, was utilized to identify the factors involved in part-time staffing issues that affect our organization. This research project has directly impacted the DTFRD because, as a newly created department, it currently faces the challenge of evaluating the cost-benefit ratio between part-time and full-time staffing. In summary, this research project was invaluable to the DTFRD because, after two years as a new, start-up organization, it faced the decision of choosing between continuing part-time staffing or adding more full-time staffing. The research project helped provide the foundation necessary to make an informed decision on future staffing needs.

LITERATURE REVIEW Research was conducted both at the local and regional level in southwest Ohio, near Cincinnati, and at the National Fire Academy Learning Resource Center (LRC) in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The evaluative research methodology included a review and study of related written work, an interview with an author who completed a master's degree paper on related portions of this research, as well as the use of a survey instrument with regional distribution. The research project is directly related to the Executive Development course, because learning to solve issues with the available resources is part of the class. The relationship is complimentary because not only was the proper process of researching learned by personal involvement, but the topic directly relates to the part-time staffing issues being faced at the DTFRD. Following through with research on a current issue also meets the course objectives of demonstrating executive leadership. Research Question 1-Benefits of Part-time Staffing Several resources related to part-time staffing were available. Although very few sources documented multiple benefits of part-time staffing, all of the benefits that were discussed were significant. The primary benefits noted were lower costs for salaries, fringe benefits, etc. (Ashbrock, 1998). In addition, Ashbrock (1998) elaborated by noting that part-time employees have become the norm in many industries as employers seek to cut costs of health care insurance and other fringe benefits. As local fire service agencies began to review the part-time staffing system, it was noted that communities have experienced no reduction in their need for firefighters (Ashbrock, 1998). Lipe (1990) concluded that part-time staffing is a viable alternative for administrators who are faced with shrinking budgets and limited personnel involvement. In formerly volunteer departments, a quicker response would be achieved by an all career department; however, because of the expense, a totally full-time operation was promptly

and clearly ruled out (Silvati, 1991 ). Positive implications will include on-station response, costefficiency, political leverage, and better operational flexibility (Lipe, 1990). Communication among personnel is easier than ever before with the use of pagers. The personal pager has allowed notification of many persons at many locations simultaneously, and the belt-worn pager has become the standard means of alerting firefighters (Ashbrock, 1998). Another benefit, from a differing perspective, is the use of part-time employees for specific issue resolution, such as managing overtime costs. A system, which integrated part-time employees, called Extra Board firefighters, was detennined to be the best alternative and was officially implemented in 1996. Under the Extra Board system, fully-trained firefighter/paramedics were assigned to a shift, but only worked when the department was faced with paying full-time firefighters overtime to maintain minimum staffing levels (Riemar, 1998). When faced with inadequate manpower challenges, including the need for additional personnel due to community growth and an increased call volume, we have to work on a solution. Part-time staffing may be an alternative choice when the costs of full-time personnel are considered. One thing is for sure, there have been significant changes in the manner in which fire departments in the county are organized and the staffing that goes along with changes in the organization (Ashbrock, 1998).

Research Question 2-Drawbacks to Part-time Staffing

There were many noted part-time staffing drawbacks identified in the research. The disadvantages are more subtle; employees under such a system of staffing are transient and may lack dedication and loyalty to a particular department (Ashbrock, 1998). The disadvantages of the part-time system manifest themselves in scheduling, reliability, competency, and training

(Ludwick, 1996). A bidding war causes nearly constant migration of the part-time member pool, a phenomenon most often observed during summer months and especially on weekends (Ashbrock, 1998). In addition, firefighter fatigue was a noted issue. Moving from one 24-hour shift to a 12 or 24-hour subsequent shift raises concerns about fitness for continued emergency response (Ashbrock, 1998). One firefighter was found with five department memberships in two counties (Ashbrock, 1998). Other drawbacks were identified. Departments employing such members, especially the larger employers, report high costs of maintaining equipment and training for these part-time members (Ashbrock, 1998). Scheduling difficulties, employee competency, and employee inconsistencies are negative implications an organization should expect (Lipe, 1990). Some pay no premium or incentive pay for required EMS continuing education, but require continued certification for employment, deferring to their employee's other departments for funding such obligations (Ashbrock, 1998). Departments using this type employee report the following observations: there is a migration of employees from department to department based on hourly wages, increasing multiple department memberships on the part of their employees, seasonal shortages (summer time is harder to cover), day of the week shortages (weekends are harder to cover), migration to departments with newer facilities or better equipment, or partially funded health insurance plans, etc. Many report increasing difficulty in obtaining and maintaining a roster of qualified employees to fill the number of part-time positions they need to fill on a daily basis (Ashbrock, 1998). At the very least, members with multiple department part-time employment may not be available to your department in an emergency that is area-wide (Ashbrock, 1998). The increasing technical nature of the firefighter's job, reflected in increased state requirements for certification

10

for firefighting and especially EMS, has been included in the explanation for the decreased availability of volunteers (Ashbrock, 1998).

Research Question 3-Administrative and/or Management Issues

Departments with a greater number of emergency medical service runs are more often staffed with paid members (Brudney and Duncombe, 1992). Chiefs that operate under the 1500hour rule report that their need for part-time firefighters has grown faster than the number of qualified and available part-time employees (Ashbrock, 1998). Today we see studies being conducted by departments using 40-60 part-time members to evaluate the benefit of reducing equipment and training costs and administrative overhead by replacing these with 6-9 full-time members (Ashbrock, 1998). Although the part-time system appeared advantageous initially, turnover required high maintenance (Wright, 1998). Other problems seemed to appear. There was limited continuity on shifts (Wright, 1998). Ashbrock (1998) summarized Lipe (1990) by reporting that an overwhelming number of administrators are positive about part-time, despite disadvantages in personnel scheduling, reliability, competency, and training. One consistent theme was noted throughout the literature; the majority of part-time employees want full-time employment in the firefighting profession (Ludwick, 1996). Part-time employees have demonstrated decreasing loyalty, except where they anticipate career employment opportunities in the near future ..... additionally, training is often duplicative but necessary because of operational and equipment differences between departments. Members report, and departments verify, problems with members remembering where they are and what procedures are in place on any given day. When this problem is realized it is frequently during emergency operations (Ashbrock, 1998).

11

Research Question 4-Types of Costs

There appear to be hidden overhead costs associated with using part-time employees. The administrative time and effort required to ensure adequate staffing by part-time members is reported as high and increasing (Ashbrock, 1998). Many departments are researching a threshold of when converting part-time employees to full-time employees makes economic and functional sense (Ashbrock, 1998). Incentive pay is given for additional specialized training such as driver, apparatus operators, and paramedic (Reilage, 1993). Incentives were offered--an annual bonus dollar amount, uniform and clothing allowances were instituted (Ashbrock, 1998). An additional cost was the administrative overhead cost. This maintenance was in the area of training, equipment, and expense of the hiring process (Wright, 1998). Included are concerns about increasing costs of part-time employees to a point of equivalency to full-time employee's hourly wages (Ashbrock, 1998). Being examined are reduction in administrative overhead and headache, reduction of equipment and training costs, creation of an employee with department loyalty, and employees that are more likely to be able to be recalled in a disaster (Ashbrock, 1998).

Research Question 5-Adeguate Employment Pool

As the number of departments using part-time employees increases, the pool of competent and willing part-time employees to cover the area demand for such employees is reported to have decreased (Ashbrock, 1998). It has become a reality that there are far more part-time positions, than qualified applicants (Bennett, 1995). Many report increasing difficulty in obtaining and maintaining a roster of qualified employees to fill the number of part-time positions they need to fill on a daily basis (Ash brock, 1998). The recruitment of viable candidates will be accomplished through a classified newspaper ad placed in the local newspaper ... the department would also evaluate entry-level testing procedures (Ludwick, 1996).

12

Departments are employing as many as 82 part-time members to fill ten, 12-hour positions per day (Ash brock, 1998). The largest employers of part-time firefighters had multiple department membership percentages ranging from 12% to as high as 66%, with an average multiple department membership for the 12 such departments of 36% (Ashbrock, 1998). An average for the departments that employ over 25 part-time members is 4.8 firefighters on the roster for every shift to be filled (Ashbrock, 1998). Scheduling for these positions has become a nightmare and departments report frequent short-notice vacancies -- particularly on weekends in the summer (Ashbrock, 1998). Fire chiefs express concern about the extent of reliance on part-time members --there seem to be too few to meet staffing demands (Ashbrock, 1998). Ability to call back offduty employees in a reasonable time could be a challenge in those departments (Ashbrock, 1998). Some types of part-time systems had specialized problems. This daytime nonavailability (of on-call-paid personnel) has severely hampered the departments capability to make timely, safe responses to citizens for help (Ludwick, 1996).

Interview Information
The interview was a follow-up to a 1998 master's paper on the part-time system in the region. The interview was conducted to document any continuation or changes in the part-time staffing issue, and to assure current information for the research project. Chief Steve Ashbrock was interviewed on November 2, 2000, at the Madeira-Indian Hill Fire Headquarters. The interview questions in Appendix D were asked to provide an up-to-date picture of the current status of the part-time system in southwest Ohio. This interview influenced the project by giving a current synopsis of the part-time system, as well as any additional thoughts not included in the paper. Chief Ashbrock was asked about the benefits of part-time staffing. He said that another often unmentioned benefit of utilizing part-time staff was to have personnel available to choose

13

from if the department did wish to upgrade to full-time staff (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). In addition, he mentioned that there are also secondary benefits to utilizing part-time employees. He reported that many good ideas are transported with personnel who have multiple fire department memberships (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). When asked in the follow-up interview about any part-time trends since researching the master's paper, Chief Ash brock reported a continued difficulty in filling shifts with qualified employees (personal communication, November 2, 2000). He also noted that an additional issue not included in the research might be the higher apparatus wear and tear costs from multiple drivers with differing driving habits (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). He also mentioned that if departments use part-time personnel only for overtime fill-in, they may see associated problems because of infrequent or inconsistent use of those personnel (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Further, discussion regarding the impact of the part-time employees who work at multiple departments for up to 120 hours per week led to concern about the family impact from lack of balance (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Furthermore, there seems to be an increased number of married part-time personnel, many with children (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). When asked in the follow-up interview about any additional drawbacks of using part-time personnel, Chief Ashbrock noted that making discipline effective with a parttime employee is very difficult when they can simply leave due to high employment demand (personal communication, November 2, 2000). We also discussed that situational ethics and ethics of convenience often come into play. Besides the reduced loyalty, there is a reduced level of responsibility (S. Ash brock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Chief Ashbrock stated that employees seem to have no

14

integrity (personal communication, November 2, 2000). We have to let them go to their fulltime jobs when they are offered overtime, instead of holding them accountable for their obligations (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). He stated that the two predominant occasions when part-time employees are actually very productive are during times of promotion or prospective full-time hiring (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). We want these employees to stay, and many administrators string them along with promises of full-time jobs (S. Ash brock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Later, we are upset when they move on (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). When asked in the follow-up interview about any additional costs relating to using parttime personnel, Chief Ashbrock noted that there was a narrowing savings associated with the use of part-time employees (personal communication, November 2, 2000). The interview with Chief Ashbrock confirmed that, with regard to the 1500-hour rule, the challenge of using part-time employees was the furlough of personnel in the late months of the year (personal communication, November 2, 2000). Filling these shifts normally covered by the furloughed employee caused overtime, or the need for additional part-time employees (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). He stated there were other part-time challenges such as having routine shift call-offs, pay disparities, disjoined loyalties, administrative overhead, training inconsistencies, and a market of qualified candidates from which to

select (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000).

Summary
In summary, the literature review, survey data, and interview results indicate the benefits and many challenging facets of utilizing part-time staffing. The findings and observations of the authors in the literature review influenced the project by providing a broad base of findings that showed the quantity and magnitude of challenges. They are an accurate, trustworthy

15

representation of the problems faced by communities that use part-time staffing. The information from these authors will be very helpful in providing community leaders an understanding of the scope of the problems faced by fire departments that use part-time staffing.

PROCEDURES
The procedure used in preparing this research paper began with learning about research projects by participating in the Executive Development course at the National Fire Academy
(NF A). A topic related to an on-going issue within the researcher's department was selected.

The most prominent issue being faced in the DTFRD involved the challenges related to utilizing part-time staffing. The problem is that communities are underestimating the negative ramifications of choosing part-time employees in lieu of full-time personnel for fire department staffing. After the process of selecting and defining the specific problem was completed, the purpose of the project was defined. The purpose of the project was to identify the benefits and drawbacks associated with the utilization of part-time staffing, so that informed decisions about the best staffing choices could be made by community leaders. An extensive review of the related literature was then started after the evaluative research methodology was selected for the project. The literature review was completed by reviewing related articles, books, and Executive Fire Officer Program research papers at the LRC. In addition, a 1998 master's degree paper on the same issue was secured and reviewed. This extensive documentation was followed up by an interview in November of2000 with the author of the master's paper, Chief Steve Ashbrock of the Madeira-Indian Hill Fire Department. Finally, a written survey was circulated to 56 local and regional fire chiefs in southwest Ohio to document the impact of the issue in our region. This survey information was critical, because it allowed the evaluation of current data with previous data secured by other researchers with the same or similar issue. Responses were

16

received from 31 of the 56 departments. The results from these surveys were tabulated in a spreadsheet format by documenting the responses from the administrators that replied to the survey. The results were then easily analyzed. The results of the analysis were then evaluated with regard to how they compared to others' findings. Recommendations were then compiled, and the report was finalized. Interview Procedures Chief Steve Ashbrock of the Madeira-Indian Hill Fire Department was contacted prior to the survey distribution. A request was made to include interview data with the research literature to provide up-to-date information on the status of the part-time staffing issue. The interview was scheduled, and was completed after the surveys were distributed. A listing of the questions in Appendix D was faxed two days in advance, with a follow-up confirmation of the interview appointment. The interview lasted about one hour, and was quite beneficial to the research. Limitations The research was limited to surveys from 31 responding departments, the written sources from the master's degree paper and LRC resources, the effects of the part-time system in our own organization, as well as the personal follow-up interview with the fire chief who authored the master's paper on part-time personnel. Of the 31 responding departments, several were able to provide only limited data, because they had already converted to only full-time staffing. In fact, only 17 of the 31 responding agencies used part-time employees. Definitions balance- the status of equilibrium among family, fire service work, daily priorities, rest, and recreation call-offs.- a situation where a scheduled employee cancels an obligation to work for a pending shift, often on short notice

17

combination department - a fire department organization that is comprised of a ratio or mix of part-time and full-time personnel employee migration - a phenomenon where employees will call off, call in sick, or refuse to work for an employer that they have previously scheduled to work with, for the purpose of working at another employer for a higher wage employment pool -the available, qualified candidates or prospects for fire service employment in a specified region or area extra-board firefighter- a type of part-time employee that is substituted in lieu of full-time personnel only for overtime shifts to reduce excessive overtime costs; this may be the sole type of part-time employee used by a department fatigue - the decreased mental and physical alertness, and increased physical tiredness from excessive work (at other fire service employment) fringe benefits - employment benefits, such as pension contributions, health insurance, etc. that usually accompany full-time employment full time - an employment status where the employee is paid a salary and benefits for working a designated number of hours annually furlough - a temporary discontinuation of workable hours or layoff from fire service hours for the purpose of controlling the maximum number of annually worked hours; employees are typically reinstated after the first of the year joint fire district- a combined fire service organization representing two or more government bodies, usually for the purpose of shared resources and efficiencies on-call-paid personnel- personnel who standby for emergency calls, and are paid by the number of calls to which they respond, as opposed to an hourly rate

18

overhead -the fixed costs, hard costs, labor costs, and/or administrative costs involved in running an organization or business pager- a one-way, alpha-numeric communication device capable of receiving messages and dispatches to individuals or groups of personnel part time -an employment status where the employee is paid an hourly rate with no or few benefits shift- grouped number of hours that employees work at one time, usually in 12 or 24-hour continuously-worked periods of time staffing- personnel assigned at a fire station to cover emergency responses and daily duties in a fire department the 1500-hour Rule- A state law, found in the Ohio Revised Code and possibly other state statutes, requiring paid benefits to any employee hired with the expectation to work beyond 1500 hours in a calendar year Trustees- elected public officials responsible for the Township form of local community government turnover- the seemingly continual hiring and replacement of personnel who leave employment for other jobs, or other selected reasons Summary In summary, the evaluative research process included the examination of the historical findings of other researchers, the tabulation of responses to survey questions to administrators in the local area and region, the analysis of the items researched, and the follow-up interview comments that provided current information on this staffing issue. The evaluation of the information ensued, and recommendations were then compiled and documented.

19

RESULTS

Research Question 1- Benefits of Part-time Staffing

The literature research showed that the primary benefits noted were lower costs for salaries, fringe benefits, etc. (Ashbrock, 1998). Part-time employment is the normal means to cut the costs of health care insurance and other fringe benefits (Ashbrock, 1998). Keeping these costs down was the primary factor in the utilization of part-time personnel. Another noted benefit associated with part-time staffing was to have personnel available to choose from if the department did wish to upgrade to full-time staff (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Hiring costs can be significant, and reduction in these costs may be offset if you have knowledge of the firefighter's background and character (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Communication for scheduling and response purposes is easier than before with alpha-numeric pagers (Ashbrock, 1998). Volunteers are no longer available or are less frequently available due to training requirements and job obligations (Ashbrock, 1998). When departments wanted to improve their results by using part-time personnel to reduce their full-time employee overtime, those results clearly indicated that the system was effective in controlling overtime expenditures (Riemar, 1998). Part-time employment is an alternative solution to volunteer or full-time staffing. Ashbrock (1998) summarized Lipe ( 1990) by stating chiefs are positive about part-time, despite the disadvantages in personnel scheduling, reliability, competency, and training. In addition, the survey results indicated a value in using personnel from their community, even if it meant hiring less qualified personnel. The survey also confirmed, in some cases, that full time personnel were not always the only desirable option, and that part-time personnel were still a viable alternative for staffing. Some chiefs preferred a combination department because a balanced mix allows local people to remain involved. One chief said part-time employees are

20

more cost-effective and often can be highly professional. One response was that having parttime personnel would always be important to have a pool of personnel from which to select fulltime personnel. One chief noted that part-time personnel have a lot to offer. Some were specific, noting that a 50-50% mix would be the preferred balance. Again, some said there is a place for part-timers. The interview results revealed that there was a benefit in being able to monitor the progress and performance of a part-time employee for future full-time hiring (S. Ash brock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). In addition, the interview showed that part-time employees that do migrate from department to department tend to bring new ideas from other departments, which may result in improved operations (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Another comment made by Chief Ashbrock in the interview, which could be deemed as a benefit, was that part-time employees tend not to be involved in labor unionization (personal communication, November 2, 2000). Caution was made, however, that as the reliance on the part-time system increases, the possibility of unionized part-time personnel increases as well (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Research Question 2-Drawbacks to Part-time Staffing The literature research showed that the disadvantages of the part-time system include scheduling reliability, competency, and training concerns, including scheduling challenges, employee retention, and high hiring process costs (Wright, 1998). Commitment was low because most employees work at more than one department (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Working at more than one department means they may not be available in the other community for a crisis because they may already be working somewhere else (Ashbrock, 1998). Additional issues included poor employee dedication and loyalty, and fatigue from working multiple hours on multiple departments (Ashbrock, 1998).

21

The 1500-hour rule limits the maximum workable hours, so more employees are needed (Ashbrock, 1998). The high costs of maintaining equipment and providing continual training are ongoing (Ashbrock, 1998). On some occasions, training costs are diverted from other departments who won't pay for classes, causing an unfair burden on the departments that do pay for courses (Ashbrock, 1998). There is low productivity reported from supervisors, migration of employees to whichever department pays more, bidding wars over pay, seasonal shortages, short-notice vacancies, and day of the week shortages (Ashbrock, 1998). Departments have to employ large numbers of personnel to have an adequate pool of workers to cover daily shifts (Ashbrock, 1998). Incentives are often required to attract and keep quality employees, such as an annual bonus, uniform allowances, and in some cases limited insurance coverage (Ashbrock, 1998). There has been limited continuity on shifts reported (Wright, 1998). Finally, employees are not sure of procedures because they work at so many places (Ash brock, 1998). The survey revealed that there were many challenges with the part-time system of staffing, and many chiefs preferred full-time staffing. Turnover of personnel is a major problem, which affects crew performance and reliable staffing. One of the primary issues identified was dependability. Several chiefs noted that using full time would be more efficient on cost, dependability, and operating as a team. They commented that full time is the only dependable way to staff. The level of experience, training, and reliability of career employees exceeds that of part-timers. Most chiefs noted that full-time staffing is more reliable. They noted that there were less personnel issues with full-time staffing. One chief agreed that full-time staffing would make the department more stable and more respondable. One comment stated that with full-time staffing, there was better control over personnel. With full-time personnel, scheduling issues would be greatly reduced, and the professional standards would enhance the service we provide. One chief claimed that full-time staffing resulted in less cost, and more efficiency.

22

The interview information showed a continued pattern of difficulty in filling shifts with qualified personnel (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Employees either work too much, often with required overtime premiums, or too little to fill the needed shifts (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). The interview results also indicated that families are impacted when employees work too much, sometimes over 120 hours per week (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Chief Ashbrock reported seeing more part-time personnel who were married with children (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). The training inconsistencies noted by other authors were confirmed. Also, the reduced loyalty discussed among other authors was tied to the reduction in responsibility taken by the individuals who work in the part-time system (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Research Question 3-Administrative and/or Management Issues The literature research showed that departments with more EMS runs tend to have more full-time staff (Ashbrock, 1998). There is a reported decrease in the number of volunteers that are available for staffing (Ashbrock, 1998). The 1500-hour rule affects the operations (Ashbrock, 1998). Many studies are being conducted involving moving from part-time to fulltime (Ashbrock, 1998). Although it appeared advantageous initially, the turnover required high maintenance (Wright, 1998). There is a concern about limited continuity on shifts (Wright, 1998). An overwhelming number of administrators are positive about part-time, despite disadvantages in personnel scheduling, reliability, competency, and training (Lipe, 1990). The majority of part-time employees want full-time jobs in the fire service (Ludwick, 1996). Loyalty to a department is decreased, except when there is a possibility of a full-time job (Ash brock, 1998). Training is often duplicative, but necessary, because of different operational procedures in the many departments these employees work (Ashbrock, 1998). Employees are often not sure

23

of the right procedures on a given day because of working at multiple departments; this usually shows up on the scene of an emergency, when it matters most (Ashbrock, 1998). The survey results indicated multiple reasons for employee turnover. The individual responses to the question about why their employees left are noted in Appendix C, and include: four resigned due to lack of time; four were terminated; they want to work part-time at another department; they left for career positions; probationary release; time; full-time employment; 10 left for full-time jobs for local departments or full-time promotion; some left for full-time jobs that were out of our region; family commitments/time; time commitment; our pay is too low; schedule incompatibility; one unhappy with his loss of rank in organization; schedule conflicts; unhappy because unable to get a full-time job; more money; better chance to move toward full- . time; some released for attendance problems and not maintaining in-service training; to get better paying jobs is the main reason; virtually all to take full-time positions; to other full-time jobs; one left because of not being hired full-time; higher wages; full-time employment. There were, however, a few reasons the employees moved on that may not have been related to the part-time staffing issue. One left for medical reasons. One left for military service. Two employees retired, one went into medical school, and some secured full-time employment outside of the fire service. A noted item from the interview was the realization of situational ethics. Part-time employees are placed in dilemmas that test their ethical foundations. If they are offered parttime hours at an agency that pays more, they often choose the higher paying job despite their obligation to work at the department they first promised their time (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Another significant issue identified by the interview was that discipline is difficult to impose because employees have so many options that the penalties won't really impact them because they can work as many hours as they want for other

24

departments time (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). The interview also confirmed the often unrealized administrative overhead required with the part-time system of staffing time (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000).

Research Question 4-Types of Costs

The literature research showed that recruitment costs from newspaper ads, hiring costs like pre-employment testing (Ludwick, 1996), background checks, hiring or pay incentives (Reilage, 1993), partial health insurance, training, turnout gear, and increasing wages were among the costs often not considered when weighing the difference between full-time and parttime employment options (Ashbrock, 1998). Overhead cost in administrative time is high and increasing with time (Ashbrock, 1998). Competition among employers over wages often times causes employees to cancel work with one employer, only to work for the department paying more, especially during summer time and weekends (Ashbrock, 1998). There is an awareness that many departments are researching a threshold of when the conversion to full-time from parttime makes economical and functional sense (Ashbrock, 1998). Continual hiring requires continual time and resources for background checks. Wage differentials are commonly offered as an incentive for cross-trained personnel, drivers, apparatus operators, and paramedics (Reilage, 1993). Training costs, equipment costs, and the expense of the hiring process are not usually factored into the overall cost comparison between full-time and part-time options. Chiefs are worried about recall availability and the inability to create employee loyalty (Ashbrock, 1998). The survey revealed several types of hidden costs with the use of part-time staffing. One type included hiring costs, such as interview time, background checks, polygraphs, medical physicals, physical ability testing, processing forms, etc. Another type was administrative overhead, such as supervisory time covering open shifts on the sch.edule. There were some

25

direct costs, such as more regularly authorized overtime from vacancies related to high turnover. One chief reported that his overtime expenses from having to use full-time personnel to directly cover part-time vacancies and to answer recalls because of part-time shortages amounted to $124,000 this year. Training costs were also noted. Additional costs were for providing more uniforms, alpha-numeric communication pagers, alerting pagers, turnout gear, SCBA facepieces, extra gloves, hoods, helmets, accountability tags, and station supplies. There were also reported costs from insurnace-related issues like increased vehicle damage from more accidents, higher insurance policy premiums, an accidental death and disability policy for employees, and more on-duty injury claims with the Bureau of Worker's Compensation. During the interview, Chief Ash brock did provide an updating comment that three local departments had made a move toward a higher percentage of career personnel (personal communication, November 2, 2000). The Forest Park, Sycamore, and Miami Township fire departments in the region all chose to increase their full-time staff (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). Finally, Chief Ashbrock reported in the interview that the savings from using part-time staffing was narrowing (personal communication, November 2, 2000). Research Question 5-Adeguate Employment Pool The literature research showed that the number of fire departments using part-time personnel is increasing (Ashbrock, 1998). Several departments who are switching to full-time personnel are hiring from the same personnel pool, causing the number of available personnel in the pool to decrease and the competition for personnel to increase (Ashbrock, 1998). If one parttime employee has three department memberships and stops working any part-time hours after being hired full-time, the shortage occurs more quickly. This results in increasing difficulty in covering shifts. Employee fatigue is a serious concern among chiefs, since so many employees

26

work at more than one department. They cannot usually work more than 1500 hours for any one employer, so they work for multiple employers to earn enough money to pay for their health insurance. Chiefs also report a migration of employees based on hourly wages, increasing department memberships, seasonal shortages, day of the week shortages, migration to departments with newer facilities or better equipment, and to those with partial health insurance (Ashbrock, 1998). Many departments can't fill their daily roster with the pool of available workers (Ashbrock, 1998). Some departments employ high numbers to allow for enough coverage to fill ten 12-hour positions per day (Ashbrock, 1998). Scheduling can be a nightmare with short-notice vacancies, particularly on nights and weekends when part-time employees want to exercise their social time (Ashbrock, 1998). Chiefs in the area are concerned about the reliance on part-time members because there are too few to meet staffing demands (Ashbrock, 1998). The amount of the overhead administrative time is high and increasing (Ashbrock, 1998).

It is hard to find high productivity among employees because many employees are eager to work
hard only when there is a chance or likelihood of becoming full-time (Reilage, 1993). Another issue related to the employment pool involves on-call-paid personnel. The daytime nonavailability of personnel has severely hampered their departments capability to make timely, safe responses to citizens for help (Ludwick, 1996). 4.8 firefighters are on the roster for every shift to be filled (Ashbrock, 1998). Several departments are examining proposals to go totally full-time (Ashbrock, 1998). Callback availability is also limited because the resource that is being relied upon is already deployed somewhere else (Ashbrock, 1998). The survey results supported the literature findings. Of those that responded to the question, 17 of 18 administrators thought there was a shortage of part-time personnel. The survey results documented that through the previous 12 months, 124 personnel had left these departments for various reasons, as noted in Appendix C. A total of 17 departments answered

27

the question about multiple department memberships. The results indicated that 304 personnel work at a minimum of one other fire department, and of those 304, over 119 work at more than one other fire department besides their reporting department (or three or more total department memberships). 16 of 18 departments, or 88.8%, were concerned about firefighter fatigue. Nine departments had hired employees that were less than qualified, while 9 did not. In total, the 17 departments had tried to hire 274 personnel, and were only able to hire 177 personnel. This was despite having 516 candidate applications, of which about 229 were qualified. During the interview, Chief Ashbrock commented that when part-time employees reach the 1500-hour threshold of hours worked in the year, they are furloughed until the next year (S. Ashbrock, personal communication, November 2, 2000). This causes the employee to search for other opportunities, and may result in the employee not returning for shifts at the beginning of the new year. Summary of Results There are many issues, but they involve much more than just cost. There is an apparent concern about quality, scheduling, turnover, employee shortages, fatigue, and loyalty (Ashbrock, 1998). The process of reviewing prior research, initiating a current, regional survey, documenting the survey data, and tallying the survey responses, resulted in a fair and current assessment of the part-time system in this region. The results indicated multiple challenges with the part-time staffing system. Unexpected Findings It was surprising to find that so few departments replied to the survey about an issue that directly relates to them. In those that did respond, it was amazing how overwhelming the issue is to each department and their department operations. It was somewhat surprising that a few departments had to provide raises to their personnel to remain competitive. There was actually a

28

surpisingly small number of resources on part-time staffing challenges, which is quite a current issue in southwestern Ohio; this may suggest that the issue may be more prevalent in this area, where part-time employment is more common. Overall, the magnitude of the situation was bigger than expected. Also, a poorly worded question in the survey about the average number of part-time hours could not be used because accurate responses could not be assured.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the part-time system of staffing has some benefits, but is quite challenging. Many departments use this system because it seems to have some benefits, such as apparent cost savings. These benefits, however, may be overridden by the increasing challenges reported by departments that use the system. Many are looking at converting to more full-time personnel, or a totally full-time system. The literature review, the follow-up interview, and the regional surveys all confirm that serious problems are found when utilizing the part-time system. The surveys indicate that the problem is worsening with the dwindling number of available qualified people in the employment pool.

DISCUSSION

The literature review and research have shown some clear advantages and disadvantages with the part-time system. Many departments that previously had only volunteer firefighters see part-time staffing as an acceptable alternative (Lipe, 1990). Since volunteers are often no longer available due to training requirements and job obligations (Ashbrock, 1998), using part time staffing in this circumstance can be a solution. The true question is how extensively should a combination department utilize part-time personnel for its permanent staffing needs. Initially, it appears obvious that part-time employees are much more cost effective. The research clearly

29

points to the benefits of that aspect of the part-time system. There are, however, competing advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantages, although not directly monetary in nature, eventually have an impact on the quality and adequacy of the service provided. Should the delivery of emergency services be measured by the quality of care and level of service, or in the dollars required to provide a basic level of service? Is the service merely adequate, or truly superb? Is the service being affected by the on-going challenges? The answers come down to the preferred quality, and often the affordability. It is important to know what the issues are, particularly for the community and area that is served. The survey was helpful in identifying the issues that directly impacted the DTFRD, because the surrounding departments share the same issues. Specifically, the survey results are comparatively similar to the findings of the other authors involved in the research project. Some major issues with part-time staffing that were identified in the research include scheduling challenges, short-notice employee call-offs, and high absenteeism (Ashbrock, 1998). Additional major issues found in the surveys include poor employee retention from losing quality employees to departments offering full-time employment, supervisor-reported low productivity, and a decreasing pool of qualified applicants. Seemingly continual difficulties in dealing with the part-time staffing system include the administrative time and cost in constantly replenishing the part-time employees from the proverbial revolving-door syndrome of hiring and resigning employees. These objective issues include costs for recruitment/news ads, pre-employment testing, background checks, incentives, partial health insurance, orientation costs, training costs, extra turnout gear costs, providing wage differentials, keeping up with the cost of increasing wages, and providing for overtime to fill open shifts (Ashbrock, 1998). The survey results validated the findings of previous authors, because the same issues were continually resurfacing.

30

More subjective issues include uncertainty of job functions because the employee works at too many places to remember pertinent department procedures, decreased reliance for callback availability during a disaster or crisis, limited continuity on shifts, having to employ large numbers to have an adequate pool of workers to cover daily shifts, decreased employee loyalty and dedication, and fatigue from working too much on multiple departments (Ashbrock, 1998). One Chief reported in his survey (and it is common practice) that they allow firefighters to rest during the day if they were up all night at the employees other job the previous night. This acceptance of lower performance is questionable, and may be difficult to explain to community leaders or the visiting public. Also many employees are eager or show initiative only when there is a chance of being promoted or becoming full-time. The number and severity of challenges seem to continue escalating. These challenges have been approached in many ways by fire administrators, and yet they still remain. Many fire administrators try to think of new solutions. One such theory is to hire totally green or inexperienced personnel from outside of any fire service affiliation, and mold them to your culture. This drastic approach could be quite dangerous when you consider putting very training-limited or inexperienced personnel, with the sometimes already lowexperience level of part-time employees. Sooner or later, quality of service and/or safety will be jeopardized This researcher's interpretation of the results are that the survey confirms the challenges being faced, and expands on the magnitude of the situation. The research shows that the saga continues, or that it is worsening. As the pool of employees dwindles, the challenges increase in intensity. The results show that although full-time personnel are more desirable, having only full-time personnel is not realistic because of limited resources. Having a correct balance of fulltime and part-time is the best possible answer. This researcher's interpretation of the results is

31

that the part-time system, although cost effective in the area of wages and benefits, leaves a department with excessive challenges that are not worth the decreasing amount of savings. The implications on the organization are significant, and will ultimately end in a choice between living with the part-time challenges or hiring more full-time personnel. The challenges must be dealt with, because we will continue to see a shrinking pool, with increasing problems. The organizational leadership must focus on the proper balance between the quality level of service desired, and the ratio of needed part-time and full-time employees. It is obvious that the challenges faced by these department administrations are real. It was quite surprising to find that departments tolerated the amount of call-offs and scheduling challenges that were reported. The DTFRD now has clearly documented information about the challenges that affect their organization. It confirms many of the same challenges that other organizations experience, within their own organization. However, it is not necessarily in the best interest of DTFRD to convert to only full-time staffing because some part-time members have much to offer. There is a value to using residents of the community who may not want to become full-time employees, and having a small pool of qualified part-time personnel from which to select future full-time employees is a valuable benefit. In summary, providing fire-related services costs money. Keeping these costs down is usually the primary purpose for utilizing part-time personnel. The research does identify, however, that there are hidden costs that cannot be taken for granted. The challenges that are routinely encountered have a cost associated with them. There may not be easy answers to solving the part-time staffing issue, but starting with an understanding of the issue is the responsible thing to do. A total switch to full-time from part-time may not be the best choice, but often a balance between two competing priorities is the best solution.

32

RECOMMENDATIONS The issues discussed in this research project indicate the many complexities in the parttime system of employment. Although cost is often the primary consideration when choosing the employment makeup of an organization, this research clearly indicates that there are many additional factors that can affect productivity, operational efficiency, and quality of service. With these in mind, community leaders should carefully evaluate the choice between utilizing full-time employees and part-time employees. Specific recommendations include increasing the number of full-time personnel in the department. It is obvious that a complete change to a fulltime department, in many cases, may not be feasible, and the total elimination of part-time personnel would limit the organization's ability to have a pool of employees to draw from. A certain percentage of part-time employees may be desirable for this reason alone. Certainly, a move toward more full-time personnel is appropriate. It is true that using only full-time personnel may be too expensive, but community leaders are encouraged to consider the most cost-effective balance of full and part-time employment for their organization. The research clearly supports that chiefs believe fewer challenges result with more fulltime employees. Specifically, issues related to employee loyalty, poor attendance, fatigue, confusion over operating procedures, excessive training costs, etc. will be controlled by hiring more full-time personnel. The community leadership is encouraged to balance the benefits and drawbacks based on the knowledge obtained through this research, their own understanding of the organizational dynamics, and the resources of the community. Continued monitoring of the employment pool in the region will be critical to providing a baseline of part-time employees necessary for community service requirements, as well as securing quality full-time employees in the field. Leaders should continue to follow-up on itemized costs, should continue to monitor the size and changes of the employment pool, and

33

should document those other communities that are converting from part-time. The community leaders may choose to protect their future staffing by having an active hiring list of ranked personnel. In the event the employment pool reaches a drastic potential decrease in qualified personnel, they could quickly convert a number of employees to full time without losing out to other agencies during the hiring of the remainder of the employment pool.

34

REFERENCES

Ash brock, S. M. (1998). Staffing patterns in Hamilton County, Ohio, fire departments

1985-1996. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Cincinnati.

Bennett, D. G. (1995). An analysis of the process utilized for selecting part-time employment in emergency organizations (Tech. Rep. No. 25191 ). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy, Applied Research Project. Brudney, J.L. & Duncombe, W.O. (1992, Sept/Oct). An economic evaluation of paid, volunteer, and mixed staffing options for public services. Public Administration Review, 52(5), 474-481.
..

Lipe, H. (1990, January). Part-time employees: a full-time solution for the emergency services of southwest Ohio (Tech. Rep. No. 14654). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy,

(
Applied Research Project. Ludwick, M. E. (1996, October). Are part-time personnel a viable solution for daytime (Tech. Rep. No. 27166). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy, Applied Research Project. Riemar, T. (1998, March). Extra-board firefighters: part-time employees as an alternative to overtime (Tech. Rep. No. 28234). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy, Applied Research Project. Rielage, R. R. (1993, September). Alternate staffing for combination departments. Voice, 32-33. Silvati, J. J. (1991, August). Innovation in fire department staffing: a case study (Tech. Rep. No. 18261). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy, Applied Research Project.
Wright, L. (1998, April). Review and evaluation ofpart-time firefighters for the Addison Fire Department (Tech. Rep. No. 97974). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy, Applied Research Project.

Part-time Employee Turnover within the City of Fairfield Fire Department

By:

. Thomas M. Wagner Lieutenant City of Fairfield Fire Department 375 Nilles Road Fairfiel<L OH 45014

. A proposed research project submitted to the Ohio Fire Executive Program

. 15 July 2009

(
INTRODUCTION Statement of the Problem The problem this study will address is the rate ofpart-time employee turnover within the City ofFairfield Fire Department (CFFD). The department has been a revolving door of part-time employees. The department employs approximately 45 parttime firefighter/EMTs and the turnover rate in 2005 was 28% (13 employees left), in 2006 it was 20% (9 employees left), in 2007 it was 20% (9 employees left) and already in 2008 the rate is 15% (7 employees left)(Appendix A). Some of the problems that arise from this turnover are fmancial, including the cost to provide background checks, physicals, overtime needed to provide drivers and/or firefighters, training division costs for new recruit training, along with human resources expenses. Additional costs include outfitting each new employee with uniforms, structural frrefighting gear and other equipment. Every new employee is required to attend a one-week (40 hour) fire department orientation class, complete a skills packet pertaining to department equipment and begin a driver's training program all within their first sixty day on the job. The responsibility to ensure that this training is completed rests with three Lieutenants assigned to the department's training division. The constant influx of new employees has affected morale, efficiency and productivity among the Lieutenants who have less time to focus on other aspects of their.jobs, including providing more advanced training to more seasoned firefighters. It has also affected the morale of the other firefighters by impacting the safety, integrity and cohesiveness ofthe unit day crews. It also means that when an employee leaves, it impacts the crew's efficiency and productivity on things such as emergency runs, details, public education events and hydrant inspections because work is 2

divided among fewer people.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this applied research project,is to reduce part-time. employee turnover within the CFFD which Will assist in improving employee morale; efficiency and productivity. Utilizing descriptive research, the project will investigate the hiring process
and identify ways to reduce turnover and improve employee morale . .

Research Questions
The research questions this project will investigate are:
1. What has been the financial non-financial impact of turnover on the

department in the last three years? . 2. How does part-time employee turnover within the CFFD compare with other combination depe;ntments in Ohio and what have they dQne to address similar problems? 3. What strategies, incentives or .programs are used by. organizations outside the fire service to address turnover? 4. What are the reasons current part-time CFFD employees choose to stay or leave?

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE The City of Fairfield Fire Department (CFFD) is a municipal organization providing emergency services (fire rescue, EMS, and so frre

prevention and public education to the City of Fairfield, OH which has approximately 45,000 residerits and encompasses an area ofapproximately20square miles. The department is on pace this year to exceed a total of6,000 fire and :EMS responses The current practice of the CFFD for hiring part-time fire fighters isJo wait until we have a number of part-time shift vacanCies. The department typically doesn't hire one individual at a time unless they have a great deal of previous experience. The human resources (HR) department is then notified and posts a message on the city's website. HR. does not pay to advertise in the newspapers, televisionot tadio; Most applicants are referred to the city 'by word-of-mouth from existing members. Applicants must have their lB Fire Fighter card from the state of Ohio and possess a current EMT-basic certification. Applicat1ts then fill out an application and are then contacted by a representative from the CFFD as to when the physical agility test will be administered. Currently, the department requires 42 part-time firefighters to fill all the part-time positions on the schedule. There are 14 part-time frre fighters on per unit day multiplied by the three unit day's results in a total of 42. The department tries to maintain some extra part-time fire fighters who are considered per-required-need (PRN). These frre fighters are used to fill holes in the part-time schedule. Occasionally, overtime is needed to fill driver positions when not enough qualified part-time drivers are available. To this point, no overtime costs related to part-time turnover or its trickle down effects have been tracked by the department.

Since 2005, the fire department has had 38 part-tinie employees

Eighteen

of these employees or 47% took full-time positions with other fire or police departments (Appendix A). In the same time period, one full-time Fire Lieutenant left to take a Captain's position at another department. To.this pofut, neither the fire department nor HR have identified actual turnover costs incurred by the city for hiring, equipping & training these employees or implemented strategies to help reduce turnover within the part-time ranks. The physical agility testis held on a Saturday and typically there are 30-45 candidates that participate in the .nine station test which measures upper body .strength, speed and stamina. Candidates who successfully pass all nine events are then scheduled for interviews with a group of officers including the Fire Chief, Training Division Captain, Shift Supervisors and the Training Lieutenants. All applicants are given a background check by the Fairfield Police Department. Job offers are then extended to the top scoring candidates relative to the number of job openings available. From here the employees are completely outfitted with uniforms, turnout gearand other necessary them. Newly-hired employees then have 60 calendar days to complete a skills packet that covers departmental policies & procedures, vehicles, tools and equipment. Employees are tested at the end of the 60 days. Those who pass move on and those who don't pass are allowed to retest once. If the employee doesn't pass on the second attempt, they are generally terminated. Those who pass the skills packet then move on to begin much of which is custom-fitted for

(
their driver's orientation. All of the skills & driver's training is managed by the Training Lieutenants, in addition to their many other job responsibilities. As part-time employee turnover increases, the department continues to hire frre fighters with little to no.experience..The department then invests time and money to train these employees to ().level where they can function within the department and become qualified to operate the fire apparatus. As the trend of the last several years have shown, once employees get to this point, twenty percent fmd employment elsewhere. This has affected the morale of the Training Lieutenants responsible for guiding them through this process as well as the morale of the rest of the frre fighters:who want to havea cohesive group of employees on their unit day. This is not a new problemfor the fire service or for the private sector as a researcher pointed out almost 27 years ago: " .. .we are the training ground for. out competitors. We find people withgood potential, develop their skills, and give them needed experience. Then, before we can get a full return on our investment, we lqse them to our competition. What are we doing wrong?" {Roseman, 1981, pNi). Part-time employees with the CFFD are given some extra Currently,

our part-time employees are assigned only to frre suppression equipment such as the engine or quints. Our full-time Firefighter/Paramedics are assigned to our Paramedic Ambulances. Each part.;time fire fighter is permitted to work 1560 hours per year in accordance with the city's charter. Part-time employees are given a $1000 incentive if they reach this yearly maximum amount of hours which is calculated from September 1st to August3l Also, nine part-time employees hired before March 29, 1995 are entitled to accrue sic}(
51

leave each pay period based on the calculation of .0462 multiplied by the number of hours worked. Our City's Civil Service Commission also awards additional points or percentage points for prior years of part-time service when testing for career positions . within the City. Some other perks include timeand-a-half on holidays, free golf on Fridays at either of the City's two golf courses and free cook-outs scheduled throughout the year. The department distributes a total of $2500 each year for part-time personnel who successfully complete paramedic school. Most medics receive up to $500 to help with school payments. Currently the department has 18 full-time Firefighter/Paramedics, 6 full-time Lieutenant/Paramedics and 3 full-time Captain!EMTbasics along with 45 part-time Firefighter/EMT Part-time fire fighters on the CFFD can be divided into two different groups. The first group, which is mainly the night crews that work (12) hours shifts from 1800 to 0600 hours, consists of frre fighters that work another full-time fire service or non-fire service job and work at CFFD for extra income. Most of these fire fighters do not want full-time employment with CFFD. The second group, who predominately workday shifts from 0600 to 1800 hours, consists of fire fighters that are looking for a career job in the frre service. This is the group that works part-time involuntarily at one or more departments because they want a full-time frre job somewhere. Approximately five of these employees are currently in paramedic school and working a part-time job allows them to attend classes. The second group or involuntary parttime group is where we currently see the majority of our turnover occur.

(
Any .openings in the position o f full4ime firefighter/paramedic are filled by the city's civil service commission. Applicants,must pass a Written test, physical agility, polygraph, psychological screening, interview and a complete medical physicaL Part-time employees who have served with the CFFD are given additional points on the written test based on their years of part-time service. At this point in time, the fire department has not announced any plans to hire any additional full-time firefighter/paramedics. Four to five of our part-tinie employees are iti the running for career fire or police jobs with other surrounding departments.
. It would be significant to fmd effective ways to address part-time turnover not

only for the fire department and the city as a cost savings, but also to improve employee morale on all levels. The citizens of the city would also share in the cost savings and benefit from having a stable workforce that is able to moveaway from repeated orientation trainings to more complex trainings and-projects that would make a greater impact on the-health and safety of our employees and our residents. The potential .impact this study could.have .on the City of Fairfield Fire Department is the reduction of part-time turnover, which would have both tangible and intangible benefits for the city and the fire department.

LITERATURE-REVIEW
Sincethere are many types -of part,;.time workers, Feldman (1990) thought it be beneficial to divide them into ,atJeast five different arrangements: 1) permanent or temporary, 2) organization-hired or agency-hired, 3) year-round or seasonal; 4) main job or second job (i.e. moonlighting), and 5) voluntary or involuntary.

Researchers have focused on whether the individual's work status (part-time or full-time) is in-line with his or her desired work status. Many workers who have part-time jobs only desire a part-time job. There are others who work part-time, but want full-time status. Some research has shown that those individuals whose work status matches their preferred work status will have greater satisfaction with their jobs than individuals whose work status does not match their preferred:work status (Burke and Greenglass, 2000; Keil, Armstrong-Stassen, Cameron and Horsburgh, 2000). Other researchers have found a "core-periphery'' division of labor within some organizations. The core (full-time) employees often have higher wages,.good working conditions, employment stability, job security, due process in the administration of work rules and have opportunity for advancement Peripheral (part-time) employees typically have low wages, less favorable working conditions, considerable variability in employment and little opportunity for advancement. The key difference between the two groups is job stability and security. (Mangum, Mayhall and Nelson, 1985; Cappelli and Neumark, 2004). To many Americans, working .part-.time meant being unskilled and undereducated. Now more people from Generation Y to retirees - even highly-skilled professionals - are choosing to work part-time for a variety of reasons. The younger generation is seeking flexible, meaningful part-time employment opportunities while the older generation is looking to supplement retirement and increasing health care costs due to the population aging and as life expectancy increases. Employers are slowly becoming more flexible as Baby Boomers retire and full-time employees become harder to find especially in small to mid-size companies (Aney, 2007).

(
Some of the benefits employers seek when hiring part-time personnel is increased scheduling flexibility, lower labor costs, potential reduction in turnover costs, increaSed employment stability and aid in meeting affirmative action goals (Werther, 1975). A
2007 study of university and college faculty from across the country showed that in the 1987-1988 school year, part-time employees accounted. for 33.8% of all faculty members.

In the 2005-2006 school year, the number of part-time faculty rose to 52.3% due;in part

to unpredictablerevenue and shrinking public funds (Liu and Zhang, 2007). Certainly labor market conditions play a role in the expansion of the use of parttime employment. .Leppel and Clain (1988) concluded that the growth in involuntary part-time employment in the United States relates to the expansion of the service sector, while Blank (1989) suggests that part..time employment may be a stepping stone into fulltime employment for U.S; women. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
1995) relates involuntary part-time employment to

underemployment and labor market slack. The OECD (2001) discusses part.;.time employment as a way m helping parents into paid employment and to family life. These insights suggest that in particular labor supply-is important. Turnover among frre fighters in the city ofFairlield was 28% in 2005, 20% in
2006, 20% in 2007 and is already at 15% in 2008. It is just as prevalent in private

work and

industry and it's becoming more common. According to (Cooper,. 2000; Flaherty, 1999),
20% of all new school teachers and 44% of all new lawyers quit within three years. Many

of the literary sources spoke of high turnover in retail, .insurance, food service and nursing just to name a few. Service providersseem even more hard hit as the average turnover rate among call center employees was 31%, although larger operations (500 or

10

more agents) averaged 61% per year (Karr, 1999). Zuber (200 1), citing declining turnover rates for limited-service restaurant workers, reported that 1999 turnover averaged 123% in this industry. Employee turnover, whether it is full .time or part-time, results in tangible and intangible costs to the organization. Employer's tangible expenses include recruitment, selection, hiring and training of the replacement employee. Until the vacancy is filled, employers also face additional overtime costs, reduced productivity, longer customer queue tiines, lost sales and business opportunities (Herman, 1997; McConnel, 1999; Richardson, 1999). Some of the intangible costs noted by Roseman (1981) are employee morale which is affected when employees leave and more work is shouldered by the remaining employees, who are also very interested in the reasons why theemployee(s) left. Their work demands, including overtime, may increase. Another by-product of turnover is the disruption of work teams not just from the standpoint of the employee leaving, but also because the supervisor needs to train the new employee and isn't available for members who need his guidance and support. Many firms try to take a proactive approach to voluntary turnover and seek to find the reasons why employees leave and what to do about it. McBey and Karakowsky (2000) found that factors such as job satisfaction, pay satisfaction, household income, age, education, marital status and reason for joining the organization all play a part in whether an employee is "pushed" or voluntarily chooses to leave versus an employee who is "pulled" from an organization due to family commitments, wage earner status in the household, etc. Voluntary turnover problems also tend to be persistent and difficult to

11

(
eliminate. Leonard's (1998) survey ofhuman resources professionals found that 55% took measures to improve turnover, but only 10% reported noticeable improvements. Furthermore, many firms report that it takes 75-90 days to fill a vacant position (Fitz;..enz; 1997; followed by weeks or months of training before a newly-hired

employee becomes proficient. This is true not only in private industry, but also within the frre service. Graham (2002) described'the importance of having a system in place to outline the necessary steps to perform.a function. We can't just hire someone off the streets, give them mihlnial training and expect them to succeed. He stated, ''Good: people still have got to be fully trained to perform every aspect of their rightful work" (p.8). Researchers have developed many recommendations when it comes to 'employee turnover. Roseman (1981) attempts to address employee turnover within the private sector by recommending that employers keep close track of turnover costs, implement an early warning system, increase human resources planning, devise a retention strategy:and conduct meaningful exit interviews. These recommendations are in-line with ,those made to address full-time turnover within the Key Biscayne (FL) Fire Rescue Department which suggested screening prospective candidatesfor their suitability into the organization, establishing a recruit school, establishing a formal exit program and continued studying ofthe problem (Romero, 2004). . To address part-time turnover within the Hanover Park (IL) Fire Department recommendations were made to look at work schedules, salaries, benefits and even possibly converting the department to a completely career organization (Haigh, 2005).

12

In a study that addressed the 150% part-time worker turnover rate at United

Parcel Service (UPS),

1997) found that an overwhelming number of

part-time workers who left stated their primary reasons for leaving were a concern with the lack of full-time and promotional opportunities at UPS, an opportunity for a better job with another employer, mistreatment and harassment by supervisors and top management, and; for those who with less than three months of tenure, not being recalled to work despite being promised a permanent long term position. The study also found that the part-time workforce at UPS is extremely young, with an average age of 28 years old. The younger age is attributed to the lifting requirements and work pace for the loader and sorter positions at UPS. They are also a relatively educated workforce with 75% reporting they had some college, while 28% had bachelor's degrees compared to fulltime employees of whom only 62% reported having some college education. The need to protect service delivery systems from turnover and absenteeism is well established. Turnover planning models have been established for numerous industries and professions including banking, engineering, law enforcement and the armed services. Typically, these models anticipate the effects:oftumover on existing staff and estimate the number of new employees that should be recruited into the organization each year at each grade to satisfy projected future staffing needs (Bartholomew, Forbes and McClean, 1991 ). The basic concept here is overstaffing. If overstaffing is not achievable, then other coping mechanisms such as temporary workers, overtime or reassigning cross-trained employees may help. Overall the literature review revealed a wide array of research that has been done concerning the cause and effects of employee turnover. While many of the researchers

13

(
proposed solutions to the problem of turnover, it is first up to the business to admit there is a problem and aggressively address it. When solutions are proposed,.the overriding factor of the business's financial bottom line will drive which solutions may be feasible

and which aren't.

PROCEDURES The desired outcome of this research projeCt is to fi.ild a way to reduce part-time employee turnover and improve morale within the CityofFairfield Fire Department. To accomplish this, research will be gathered pertaining to the financial and non-financial costs associated with turnover and hiring, the reasons behind why our current part-time employees mighvstay or leave, how part-time turnover within the CFFD compares to that of other Ohio:fire departments and how they've dealt with it, along with examples of ways that private industry has dealt with part-time employee turnover. To answer question one; "What has been the fmancialand non-fmancial impact on the department within the last three.years?' requires evaluative research that can be accomplished by researching existing data and interviewing several sources within the fire department' and city in generaL All employee turnover data can be obtained from Ms. Carol Mayhall,-Human Resources Manager for the City of Fairfield. Ms. Mayhall can provide the hire dates and separation dates of all part-time employees from 2005 to present. Human Resources can also provide specific information related to the cost involved in hiring part-time employees such as advertising, background checks, medical physicals and time spent preparing materials and orienting employees. Fire Captain Tracy Donovan is in charge of uniforms, turnout gear and personal equipment. He has provided specific information on what it costs to outfit a new

14

employee. This information can be obtained from purchase authorizations found on the fire department'scomputer database, as well as from records kept within the city's fmance department. In addition_ to these costs, the department also incurs . the cost of overtime when a qualified driver is not available or the shift falls .below the minimum manning level. Overtime records are entered by the shift supervisors and stored on the fire department's computer server. This information is accessible to all full..time employees and to the general public through a freedom of information request. Fire Chief Don Bennett and Finance Director Mary Hopton will provide insight and .information regarding how overtime costs are figured and how the fire department ,budgets for these expenditures. Fire Captain Russ Kammer of the Department's Training Division can relate to. the impact that new recruits have on both the training schedule and the Lieutenants tasked with supervising the training. To answer question two, "How does part-tim:e employee turnover within the CFFD compare with other combination departments in Ohio and what have they done to address similar problems?" descriptive organizational research consisting of a survey will be sent to selected fire departments within Ohio who operate a combination system of staffmg, which means they use both full-time and part-time personnel. The survey will be addressed to those officers whose duties involve recruiting, hiring and training personnel to see what their turnover rate is .and what they have done to address it. The list of these combination fire departments were supplied by the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association upon request. There are over two hundred departments on this list, so the list was narrowed to the following counties who had more than ten combination departments each: Hamilton,

15

(
Montgomery, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Lake and Summit. In total, 89 departments will be sent surveys (Appendix B). Since the list of departments provided by the Ohio Fire Chiefs Association does not contain:e-mail addresses,each department will be contacted by phone for one. This will helptodefraycost and shorten the turnaround time between . the responses being sent out and when they will be due. The surveys will be sent out via e-mail. In addition to quantifying the results, responses will be compared to see what . positivelyor negatively affects the rate of Question three, .

incentives or programs are used by

organizations outsidethe,fire serviceto address turnover?" will also require that a survey be sent to local private employers via e-mail. It will target those companies that utilize a combination of full-time and part-time employees and attempt to find out what strategies, incentives :or programs:they are using to address part-time employee turnover. The City . of Fairfield belongs to the Fairfield Chamber of Commerce which has over four hundred member organizations. Using affiliation withthe chamber, I will attempt to get 20

responses via e-mail (Appendix C). One limitation of the list ofbusinesses received from the Chamber is that it is unclear which companiesemploy full-time only, part-time only or a combination of the two. If there are not sufficient responses among the 20 businesses contacted, additional businesses will be contacted. Again, responses will be quantified and compared to see what incentives positively affect part-time turnover. Question four, "What are the reasons current part..time CFFD employees choose to stay or leave?" will be answered by individually surveying the current 45 part-time employees about the current system and what could be done to improve it. The surveys will be sent out via e-mail. Participants will be given ten days to return the survey. This

16

should allow for people who are on vacation or in training sufficient time to reply to the request.
Defmition of Terms

Part-time. "Involving working or studying less than usual or full-time" (Webster's Desk Dictionary, 1992, page 330). Firefighter/EMT. "The Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is a dual-role member of the department having emergency medical care responsibilities in addition to frre fighter duties. The person has Firefighter Level I certification and EMT certification from the State of Ohio. Depending on the nature of the emergency these personnel provide basic life support, perform extrication and rescue, or act as fire fighters in frre suppression or hazard control activities." (International Association of Fire Fighters, Job Descriptions, 1997, page 9). Structural Firefighting Gear. "Upon employment with the Fairfield Fire Department, individuals shall be issued the following equipment: Turn out coat, bunker pants, boots, helmet, gloves, nomex hood and flashlight." (Fairfield Fire Department Policies and Procedures Manual, 1993,.Section 4.40). Lieutenant. "The Fire Lieutenant-is responsible for the command of a shift including the apparatus, equipment and the personnel involved in the combating, extinguishing and preventing of fires and the saving of lives and property." International Association of Fire Fighters, Job Descriptions, 1997, page 13) Captain. "The position of Fire Captain shall be a career position within the Fairfield Fire Department and shall be the next rank under the position of Deputy Chief. When assigned, the Fire Captain shall assume the responsibilities of the Shift

17

(
Commander and shall supervise the day-to-day operations of the department in accordance with the policies and procedures of this department." (Fairfield Fire Department Policies & Procedures Manual, 1993, Section 4.5). Firefighter/Paramedic. "The Firefighter/Paramedic is a dual-role member of the department having advanced emergency medical care responsibilities in addition to fire fighter duties. Depending on the nature of the emergency these personnel provide basic and advanced life support; perform extrication _ and rescue, or act asfrre fighters in frre suppression or-hazard control activities." (International Association of Fire Fighters, Job Descriptions, 1997, page 10). ., .

Generation Y. ''Sometimes referred to as Millenials or Net Generation, whose birth years range anywhere from the second halfofthe 1970's to around the,year 200, depending on the source, grew up in the 1990s and 2000s." (Wikipedia, 2008)
Limitations ofthe Study

. One limitation of the study involving other fire

is that there are a.

wide variety of departments throughout the State ofOhio. Even by narrowing the list of departments down to those who employ full;..time and part-time personnel, there are still wide differences throughout the state in pay, size, organizational structure, promotional ability (township vs. city}, etc. that may indirectly affect the results of the study.
An additional limitation to the study of private industry was that many businesses

who were contacted about participating in the study were part of larger corporations or chains. Most of the human resources personnel I spoke with were unable to participate because they were denied permission by their superiors within the company.

18

(
Finally, the recent downturn in the economy made it very difficult to find businesses that still employed part-time personnel. Unfortunately, many ofthese people were the first to be laid off when companies began trimming their budgets.

RESULTS
To address the fmancial and non-financial costs of overtime, I began by contacting Human Resources Director Carol Mayhall for information (personal communication, August 4, 2008). When the city has an opening for a part-time frrefighter/EMT, it only advertises it on the city's website.

Table 1
Human Resources cost per part-time employee hired

Advertising Background Check Medical Physical Prep & Orientation TOTAL

$0 $75 $168 $42 $280 per person

Once the firefighter/EMT is hired, they must be sized for gear and given standardissued equipment for their job. The information in Table 2 was provided by Captain Tracy Donovan (personal communication, June 2, 2008). Some of the equipment can be re-assigned or re-used, but other things such as turnout gear, uniforms and SCBA face pieces need to be sized exactly for the individual due to safety reasons.

19

(
Table 2
Fire Department cost per employee for clothing and equipment

Turnout pants* Turnout coat* Suspenders Leather boots* Fire gloves* Nomexhood Webbing Flashlight Fire helmet Uniforms (2 sets)* Badges (2) Uniform coat* SCBA face piece* Fleece pullover* Shorts* . Short sleeve tshirts {2)* Long sleeve t-shirt TOTAL
.
.

$672 $917 $30 $260 $89 $40 $15 $54 $153 . $130 $130 $115 $400 $30 . $9.50 $15.50 $19 $3079 _ per employee

* - requires the employee to be fitted by size

20

One area where part-time employee turnover affected the department financially was when overtime was needed due to the shortage of part-time driver-qualified . . personnel or for firefighters on the engine or quints. The overtime required for coverage, special events, weather emergencies (overstaffmg) or other details was not included in this calculation. Fully staffed, each shift has 8 full-time firefighter/paramedics and 6 part-time firefighters for a total of 15, plus the supervisor. Minimum staffing requires 6 full-time firefighter/paramedics and 6 part-time firefighters for a total of 12, plus the supervisor. Each shift is permitted to have 2 full-time personnel off-duty for reasons such as vacation or personal time. Personnel off due to sickness, injury leave or training do not count against the 2 allowed off. Generally, when openings occur on the schedule for other than frrefighter/paramedics, part-time personnel 'are given the opportunity to fill them first and then they are filled with overtime if manning falls below 12. The overtime data was found in the fire department's overtime records which are located on the computer server under "FT Records". This data is public record and can be accessed by anyone through a Freedom of Information request. Overtime records for the period of 2004 through 2008 were and the

amount of overtime for reasons including minimum staffing and driver-qualified personnel were calculated. The calculation was based on the following formula used by Finance Director Mary Hopton (personal communication, September 2, 2008).

21

(
Table3

Finance calculation for top pay FT firefighter rate of overtime pay Overtime rate of pay: $35.79/hr Medicare:

or rate X 1.45% = .52/hr

Pension: $35.79 X' 24% = $8.59/hr Example: 2 hours of OT would be as follows: OTpay: Medicare: Pension: TOTAL:
$71.58

$1.04

$17.18

$89.90

Each year (2004-2008) was calculated using the hourly wage of a top-:step frrefighter/paramedic for that Fifteen out of 18 firefighter/paramedics are at the top .
'.

'

step for pay. There are also 6 Lieutenants and 3 Captains above that grade of pay who are also for staffing/driver overtime (Table 4). Overtime required for drivers and

frrefighters pales in comparison to that needed for paramedic coverage, paying for employees work their extra day off(EDO), training, the regular two hours of overtliile

every pay period for employees wodcirig over 212 hours in a pay cycle, etc. Finance

22

Director Mary Hopton stated that in 2006, the frre department spent a total $293,579.60 on overtime and $408, 101.48 in 2007 (personal communication, April9, 2009).
Table 4

Overtime calculation for years 2004-2008

Year

Driver

Staffing

Rate of pay

Total for year

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 TOTAL:

15 2 25 20 26 88

7 23 64 115 4 213

$29.31 $31.18 $32.35 $33.57 $35.79 N/A

$9704.64 $11,733.00 $43,328.76 $68,218.20 $16,164.00 $149,148.60

All applicants for a part-time firefighter/EMT position must pass a physical agility test. This test is typically held on a Saturday and consists of the candidates passing all nine of the physical tests, some of which are timed events. The tests are administered by the officers of the department, which requires some to come in off-duty on overtime. Depending on the number of candidates, the testing can last up to eight hours. Captain Kammer stated he does not keep records of what officers were on-duty for their regular shift or if they came in on overtime. Based on information received from Captain 23

(
Kammer, between the years 2004 and 2008 the department tested over 118 candidates and hired 36 (personal communication,. March 11, 2009).
Table 5

Part-time Physical Agility Tests (2004-2008)

Date

#Tested

9/30/04

7/28/05.

20

7
14

7/1/06

40

6/2/07

30

12

5/31/08

25

Those candidates who passed the physical agility have their applications sent to
' .,

...

Captain Russ Kammer of the fire department's training division. Candidates are then scheduled for interviews. Each interview is attended by the candidate, the Fire Chief, Training Captain, Shift Captain and one or more of the Lieutenants. Interviews are held during the week and no officers are brought in off-duty on overtime. .Over the course of the past four years, the fire department has instituted a type of recruit class for new employees due to the increased number being hiredat one time. In the past; if a single new employee was hired, they could easily be mentored by someone
24

on their shift. However, since there were so many shift openings, the new employees Chief decided the best way to would be required to get up-to-speed much faster. The Fire accomplish this was to implement a week-long recruit class for each new group of part:-time employees hired. The recruits are compensated for attending the training and every training session is taught by an on-duty Fire Lieutenant, who is also a certified fire instructor. On average, each Lieutenant spends at least 2 eight-hour days at the training facility with the new recruits. According to theIAFF Local40 10 contract, a Lieutenant/Paramedic in 2008 earned $25.21/hour. By having one Lieutenant assigned to the 40-hour recruit class, it would cost the department over $1000 in regular wages in addition to benefits, etc. In 2008 wages, it would cost the department $530.40 per new recruit to put them through the 40 hour recruit class.
Table 6

Part-time Wage Scale Effective 4/1/07-3/31/2011

Driving Class No certification Class 3 Class 2 Class 1

..

4/1/07 $12.81 $13.46 $14.10 $14.51

4/1/08 $13.26 $13.93 $14.59 $15.03

4/1/09 $13.72 $14.42 $15.10 $15.56

4/1110 $14.20 $14.92 $15.63 $16.10

25

(
Depending on the number of part-time openings available, those candidates who make it through the process are then required to complete a skills packet in 60 calendar days. Captain Kammer (personalcommunication, March 11, 2009) states he spends approximately 12 minutes assembling each packet(including the Class 5 Driver/Operator paperwork) for each employee. Lieutenants and Station Supervisors are then assigned to monitor the progress of new recruits on theii day. This results inthe Lieutenants spending 1-2 hours per shift working on the packet with the new employee. Once the 60-day packet is complete, the Lieutenants and Station Supervisors begin driver training with each of the new employees. Each classification is for a different set of vehicles within the department and progress from easiest to those that require the most knowledge and skills:

(
Table 7 Fairfield FD Driver Classifications Class 5 Class 4 Class 3 Class 2 Class 1 Staff vehicles Medic units Heavy Rescue and Mobile Command unit Engines . QuiJlts (combination ladder/engine)

26

In regards to the impact that hiring and training new recruits has on the Training

Division, Captain Kammer (personfil communication, March 11, 2009) reflected that often times these new hires come with little or no actual experience which requires those responsible for training to direct their efforts primarily to these individuals. During daily scheduled trainings, especially those involving more skilled personnel or training as an assigned crew, often times it is necessary to alter trainings to assure new personnel are familiar with the process. Captain Kaniiner (personal coniiritinicatioil, March 11, 2009) states, "The result oftms is that it diverts from a'training program or training session the ability to advance skills and/or expand on training scenarios, which has an effect on personnel morale." Of the 88 surveys sent out to other selected fire departments within Ohio that utilize full-time and part-time staffing, 52 completed the survey.
1. How does part-time employee turnover within the CFFD compare with other combination departments in Ohio?

Of the 52 departments who responded to the survey, 42.3% or 22 of the departments have lost 1-8 part-time employees over the period of 2005-2007 (Appendix D). The CFFD lost 13 employees in 2005,9 in 2006 and 9 in 2007 (Appendix A). On average, the City of Fairfield Fire _ Department's part-:-time employee turnover over the same time period is three times higher than the majority of other Ohio fire departments surveyed. Fifteen of 52 departments employed 31-50 part-timeemployees, which is on average with the CFFD which employs 42 part-time personnel. The departments surveyed stated they cross-staff their frre suppression apparatus ( 100%) and ALS 27

(
ambulances (92.3%) utilizing both full-time and part-time personnel. The number one reason stated for part-time personnel turnover was people leaving for a full-time fire job (Appendix D).

Table 8

External FD part-time turnover between 2005 and 2007

'

Number of employees lost

Response%

Response count

o%
42.3%

1-8

22

9-16

34.6%

18

17-24

13.5%
.

7
'

25-32

33-40

1.9%

41+

1.9%

2. What have they done to address similar problems?

.As part of the survey question, respondents listed in the survey were offered to

asked to check which incentives etl.lployees (Appendix D).

28

Respondents were also asked to write in any other incentives they use that were not listed in the survey. Over 59.6% or 31 of the respondents use a type of flexible work schedule such as 12 hours every 3rd day, 24 hours every 6th day or open sign up to help recruit and retain employees. Issuing a clothing/boot allowance was practiced by 48.1% or 25 of the respondents, while 42.3% or 22 respondents also offered paid fire certification or paramedic training (Appendix D). Otherwritten.responses included: "Overtime pay on holidays" "Flexible benefit program" "Car washing privileges, workout equipment they can use anytime" "Paid Time Off (PTO) based on hours worked in a 28-day cycle" "Hiring FT from within the PT ranks" "Time-and-a-half on holidays" "Disability/Life Insurance throughVFIS" - $3 5 per year" "Department $18/per hour and double time on holidays"

"Class A uniform paid for after five years of "Paid EMS continuing education" "Co,mbining with neighboring fire departments to share the cost of entry exam, physical ability test, interview and physical exam. Candidates are then hired on different days at different departments so that everyone benefits" 29

(
Asked whether or not they were satisfied with their current part-time system,
82.7% of respondents stated they were satisfied. In addition, 81.6% saidthat their

part-time personnel were meeting the needs of their department and finally,
56.9% or 29 out of 52 respondents felt that part-time turnover was not a problem

within their department (Appendix D). 3. What strategies,.incentives or programs at e used by organizations outside
the frre service to address turnover?

Twenty-nine local businesses were contacted via telephone and contact was made with the person who handled human resources. After explaining the purpose of the research paper and securing an e-mail address for the person, an email was sent to each person with a hyperlink to the survey website. By the end of the deadline, 20 people responded (Appendix E). The majority of respondents or 60% employed fewer than 10 part-time
. . ... .

employees and the majority or 35% reported a turnover rate of 1-8 employees over the past 3 years. Respondents were asked

to identify which strategies,

.

programs or incentives listed in the survey they used to help retain or.recruit part. '

time employees. The overwhelming answer'that 68.4% chose was having a flexible schedule (Appendix E). Some other incentives that respondents gave included: to donate 30 hours of time per year to non-profit of their choice" ''Depending on the employee's scheduled hours, some of our parttime employees are eligible for full benefits"
30

"Ability to go from full-time to part-time with a flexible schedule and reduced hours" .

Table 9

"Paid holidays/fitness reimbursement/higher than average pay"

Strategies/programs/incentives used in private business (all that apply)

Type Bonuses Discounts on merchandise/ products/services Paid sick/vacation Healthcare benefits Additional training Tuition reimbursement Daycare Flexible schedule None

Response% 21.1% . 31.6% 42.1% 26.3% 42.1% 10.5% 5.3% 68.4% 21.1%

Response Count 4 6 8 5 8 2
1

13 4

4. What are the reasons current part-time CFFD employees choose to stay or leave?

Surveys were sent to all44 part-time firefighter/EM.T employees within the department and 30 responded. The majority, or 96.7% of those who responded to the . . survey, felt the Fairfield Fire Department was a good place to work part-time and over

31

half or 57.1% stated they would only leave if they found a full-time fire job somewhere else. Of those surveyed, 72.4% stated they wanted a fulltime fire job (Appendix F). The CFFD part-time staff has a nrixof experience levels. The survey revealed that the average tenure with the CFFD of 43% of those surveyed was 1-3 years, while 23.3% have been here for 12+ years .. (Appendix F). When asked ifp'art;.tiirie ttiirioverwas " considered a problem, 66.7% thought it was a problem. Respondents were asked to rate up to three choices of potential incentives or changes that were listed, and 53.3% of respondents chose "discounted health care benefits" as the number one incentive with to function as a paramedic with

increased pay" at 40.0%, "sick time accrual" and "longevity pay" tied at 36.7% each (Appendix F).
DISCUSSION

The results of the research into part-time employee turnover within the Fairfield Fire Department, other selected fire departments in Ohio and among selected local businesses seem to mirror much of the information uncovered during the literature review. The focus by researchers into workers status (whether they are full-time or parttime) and how much job satisfaction they have seems to have hit the mark within the frre If

an employee is

and is seeking full-time .status, they will be

unsatisfied until they achieve that status (Burke and Greenglass, 2000; Keil, AnD.strongStassen, Cameron and Horsburgh, 2000). Over 72.4% of part-time personnel surveyed within the Fairfield FD stated they planned to pursue a full-time career within the fire service and 53.3% were seeking some form of health care benefits (Appendix F). The

32

majority of part-time employees will remain part-time until they are able to secure full .. time jobs somewhere. The majority of other fire departments surveyed listed "leaving for a full-time fire job" as the main reason for their turnover tate, which reinforces what the % of private businesses literature research revealed. The exception to this was the 56. surveyed that stated their employees did not want full-time employment (Appendix E). One major difference between the frre service and private industry is the qualifications people need to obtain these positions. Over 70% of private businesses surveyed stated their positions were entry level and required only a driver's license {Appendix E). To become a part-time Firefighter/EMT at the CFFD, a.candidate not only needs the required frre & EMS certifications, but also a valid driver's license with no blemishes, a clean background check, a clean bill of health on their medical physical and a clean drug screening before they are even considered for employment. Part-time employees are also seeking stability and job security that they lack in their positions (Mangum,Mayhall and Nelson, 1985; Cappelli and Neumark,

2004). Some of the incentives that part-time Fairfield personnel seek are sick time accrual, longevity and the ability to function as a paramedic with pay (Appendix F). Currently these benefits are only available to full-time employees within the organization. The use of flexible work schedules was discussed in the literature review section, but from the standpoint of small to mid-size companies looking to fill full-time openings due to Baby Boomers retiring. Companies were more apt to allow flexible scheduling to meet the needs of older adults looking to supplement their retirement without working full-time or younger adults looking to find meaningful employment (Aney, 2007). The results of the internal and external frre department surveys, along with the private

33

(
industry survey, showed part-time employees find flexible scheduling beneficial because it allows them to balance work (sometimes several part-time jobs), school and family. Researchers havebeen able to identify both tangible and intangible costs of parttime employee turnover. There are the tangible costs such as selection, .

hiring and training of replacement employees. Furthermore, until the position is filled, there are additional costs such as overtime and reduced productivity 1997;

McConnel, 1999; Richardson, 1999).- This author's research into part-time turnover revealed some ofthe tangible costs within the Fairfield FD. These.included things such as recruitment, gear/uniforms and training costs. However, the department could do a better . job of tracking these casts and determining their economic impact on the organization. Many of the external frre departments surveyed stated that part-time turnover was to be expected. Twenty-nine out of 52 departments surveyed stated that part-time employee turnover was not a problem within their department. Over surveyed said they were satisfied with their current ofthose

system and that part-time

personnel were meeting the needs of their department (Appendix D). This response was surprising, but also somewhat expected.Most suburban and rural departments can't afford to switch from a combination to career department, so many make do with what they have and learn to cope. The majority of part-time firefighters are looking for a career in the fire service and noone can fault them for leaving part-time job to take a full-time job with another department. Leonard (1998) revealed that 55% of human resources professionals surveyed took steps to improve turnover, but only 10% reported noticeable improvements. Seventeen frre departments out of 47 stated they have a strategy for dealing with part-

34

time turnover and only 13 out of 52 have ever calculated the costs of part-time turnover. Only 25 departments out of 52 surveyed stated they conduct exit interviews with departing part-time personnel. This information is tempered by the fact that almost 57% of those departments surveyed felt that part-time employee turnover was not a problem (Appendix D). The private businesses surveyed were similar in that only 4 out of 20 said they calculated the cost of part-time turnover and lJ out of 20 conducted exit interviews (Appendix E). Information obtained from Captain Kanuner of the Fairfield FD Training Division seemed to uphold the research done byFitz-enz (1997) and Matson that it takes on

average 75-90 days to fill avacant position, along with additional weeks to months of training to make the employee proficient at their job. Among other fire departments surveyed, 92.3% stated they required all new part..time employees to complete a mandatory training program (Appendix D). Even in the private sector 15 out of20 surveyed stated there was mandatory:training .that all new part-time employees had to complete (Appendix E). The recommendation ofBartho1omew, Forbes and McClean (1991) was to combat employee.turnover with over-staffing positions so that the business would not feel the effect of the loss. If this could not be achieved, they recommended overtime, temporary workers and re-assigning cross-trained employees. Many of the private businesses surveyed stated they used employees on a "seasonal" or "as-needed" basis (Appendix E). They are different from the fire service since they know when they are typically busier and can staff to accommodate. The frre service can analyze its run statistics to see what days of the week or times of the day are busiest and over staff to

35

(
accommodate this,but generally it would not be practical. When a fire department's run volume outstrips its resources, it generally relies on other ,fire departments to help bridge the gap. In today' s economic climate, local governments are trying to get by without having to lay off workers, thereby making overstaffing or even overtime less attractive solutions. This is especially true in Butler County, where unemployment has skyrocketed to 8.5% C'Unemployment Skyrockets Locally," 2009). The CFFD experimented for several years with hiring people who were defined as "per-required-need" (PRN) fttefighters who did not work a set schedule, but filled in when vacancies occurred on the schedule. This program was similar in idea to overstaffmg. However the program has recently been discontinued due to the majority of these firefighters not picking up enough open shifts.
RECOMMENDATIONS

The problem of part-tinle

within the Fairfield Fire Department

effects the organization both fmancially and .non-firiancially. Financially,:we incur expenses for processing, hiring, training and equipping new recruits, not to mention overtime expenses when manning falls below minimum requirements. In non-fmancial terms, turnover has affected the morale of the rest of the personnel since it leads to a reduction in efficiency, safety, training advancements and crew cohesiveness. To address the problems associated with the turnover of part-tinle personnel
within the Fairfield Fire Department, and as determined by the results of this study, the

following recommendations are made:

36

(
1. The fire department should perform a comprehensive analysis of its needs as they relate to the roles and responsibilities of both full-time and part-time employees, as well as the needs of the community. The department should assess the potential benefits and drawbacks of integrating more part-time personnel into the ;delivery of emergency medical services. The fire department should develop a five year plan to anticipate what employment needs will be in the future in relation to the demands placed on services -:based on anticipated call volume, do we need to increase staff? If so, should additional employees be part-time or full. e. ? tim

The frre department and fmance department need to determine if the current funding levels of the department are sufficient to meet the growing needs of the department and the community into the near future.

Since an entirely career departmentis not feasible at this time, the frre department should evaluate the current part-time program and . determine the motivating factors for long-term employment.

2. The fire department, along with human resources, should develop a strategy to lessen the impact of part-time employee turnover. Some of the issues this strategy should address are: Better pre-employment screenings & active recruitment of experienced personnel already certified as professional firefighters and paramedics.

37

(
The ftre department should establish a policy of conducting exit interviews with voluntarily departing employees to determine why they are leaving and any suggestions they can offer to improving parttinie retention. The fire departmeb.t should begin formally tracking costs associated with hiring and training new employees to measure the return on investment. The fire department should implement some minor changes to allow for better record-keeping of overtime hours to be able to easily track why full-time employeesare being brought in on overtime (driver, paramedic or firefighter needed). 3. The frre department, human resources and the finance department should investigate financial options available to in the recruitment and retention

of part-time employees. Some of these issues would The fire department should conduct a wage/benefit comparison of part-time firefighters with other surrounding fire departments. The fire department should continue to develop relationships with surrounding departments to share the costs associated with recruiting, testing and hiring of new part-time employees. . The fire department and fmance department should explore creating a part-time "Firefighter/Paramedic" position that also offers increased wage compensation

38

The fire department should explore offering additional fmancial assistance to part.,.time employees who express an interest in attending paramedic school. If this is feasible, the department should explore the possibility of having the employee sign an agreement to remain employed with the department for a pre-determined length of time or else have to repay the city a percentage of the cost of the training.

The fire department shouldexplore offering longevity pay for part- . time personnel similar to what used to be offered to full-time.frre personnel

The firedep3rtmetit should investigate the possibility of reinstating sick leave accrual for part-time employees that was eliminated several years ago.

REFERENCES
Aney, Kathy. "More workers choose part-time employment." The East Oregonian 15 July 2007. Part-time Employment. 15 July 2007.6 Aug. 2008 <http://google.com>. Bartholomew, D., A. Forbes, and S. McClean. Statistical techniques for manpower planning. 2nd ed. John Wiley, 1991. R. "The role of part-time work in women's labor market choices over t:iri:le." American Economic Review 79 (1989): 295:..99. Bronfenbrenner, Kate. Worker Turnover and Part-time Employment at UPS. DigitalCommons@ILR. 1997. 6 Aug. 2008 <http://digitalcommons.ilr.comell.edu/reports/4>.

39

(
Burke, R. J., and E. R. Greenglass. 'Work status congruence, work outcomes and psychological '!Stress Medicine 16 (2000): 91-99.

Cappelli, Peter, and David Neumark. "External Churning and Internal Flexibility: Evidence onthe Functional and Core-Peripheral Hypotheses." Industrial Relations 43 (2004): .148-82. . Cooper, K. "Best and brightest leave teaching early, study says." The Washington Post 13 Jan. 2000. 28 May 2008. Feldman, D. C. "Reconceptualizing the nature and Academy of Management Review 15 (1990): 103-112. . . Fitz-enz, J. "It's costly to lose good employees." Workforce 1997: 50-51. Flaherty, J. "14-hour days? They have o$er ideas." New YorkTimes 06 Oct. 1999.28 May 20()8. Graham, G. "Non-punitive close-call reporting: learning from t}le mistakes of others prior to disaster." Firehouse 21 Feb. 20()2.)8 May2008 <http://fireh.ouse.com/traininglnew.s/2002/0221_Jhfrw..html>. Haugh, C. Viability of the part-time firefighter program at Hanover Park Fire Emmitt.sbur,g,.Maryland: National Fire Academy, 2005. Heffuer, J. "Unemployment Skyrockets Locally. " The Journal News :03 March 2009 Herman, R. reducing costly employee turnover." HRFocus 1997: 15-16. of part-time work."

Karr, A. "One in three agents walk." TeleProfessional Oct. 1999: 18. 28 May 2008

<http://vnweb.hwwilsc;mweb.com(hww/results/

40

Keil, J. M., M. Armstrotig-Stassen, S. J. Cameron, and

E. Horsburgh. "Part-time

nurses: the effect of work status congruency on job attitudes." Applied Psychology: An Intemation Review 49 (2000): 227-236. Leonard, B. "Continuing high turnover frustrating employers." HR.Magazine 1998: 22. Leppel, K., and S. Clain. "The growth in involuntary part-time employment of men and women." Applied Economics 20 (1988): 1155-166. Liu, Xiangmin, and Liang Zhang. What determines .employment of part-time faculty in higher education institutions? 18 June 2007. 11 Aug. 2008. Mangum, Garth, Donald Mayall, and Kristin Nelson. "The Temporary Help Industry: A Response to the Dual Internal Labor Market." Industrial and Labor relations Review 38 (1985): 599-611. Matson, E. "Finding--and keeping--IT talent: solution: Outsource non-critical tasks." Insurance & Technology 1999:36. McBey, K., and L. Karakowsky. "Examining sources of influence on employee turnover in the part-time work context." Leadership & Organization Development Journal 21 (2000): 136-144. McConnell, C. "Staff turnover: Occasional friend, frequent foe, and continuing frustration." The Health Care Manager 1999: 1-13. OECD, 1990, 1995, 2001, Employment Outlook, various issues Richardson, R. "Selling and sales management in action: Measuring the impact of turnover on sales." The Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management 19 (1999): 53-66.

41

(
Romero, T. The Key Biscayne, FL plan for firefighter retention. Emmittsburg, Maryland: National Fire Academy, 2004. Roseman, E. Managing employee turnover: a positive approach. New York, New York: A.tnacom, 1981. Werther Jr., W. B. "Part-timers: overlooked and undervalued." Business Horizons 18 (1975): 13-20. Zuber, A. "A career in foodservice -cons: high turnover." Nation's Restaurant News 2001: "147-148"

42

APPENDIX Appendix A:

CFFD Members Who Have Left Between 2005-2008: .

2005
J.Smith D.Horman M.Lutz J.Huhn* D.Mantz* B.Rosko* M.Knollman* P.Crosby A. Villalobos T.Wilson R.Grant* R.Hibbard S.Meucci

2006
J.Garcia S.Stickle* K.Wilson* c .canupp* T;Caldwell P.Clear A. Carr* J.Campbell J.Desmond*

2007
M.Smith* S.Jones J.Phillips* T.Reece W.Cameron . B.Barnes A.Garner .C.Haffey G.Stubleski* ,

2008
. T.Shroyer-. J.Robertson*

M.Gallagher* K.Vadnais* B. Lockaby* .H. Black*

* - denotes person is currently working in a FT capacity as a police officer or firefighter

43

AopendixB:

Ohio Fire Departments surveyed - (88) total- (52) responded: Cuyahoga County: Beachwood FD, Broadview Heights Brooklyn Division of

Fire, Chagrin Falls FD, Highland Heights FD, Independence FD, Mayfield Village FD, Oakwood FD, Olmsted Falls FD, Pepper Pike FD, Richmond Heights Valley View FD Frai:tklin County: Clinton Township FD, Hamilton Town'ship FD, Jackson Township FD, Jefferson Township FD, Madison Township FD, Mifflin Township Division ofFite, Plain Township Pleasant Township FD, Prairie Township

FD, Tniro Township FD, Upper Arlington Fire Division, Washington Township FD, Westerville FD, Worthington FD Hamilton County: Blue Ash FD; Colerain Township FD, Crosby Township FD, Deer Park-Silverton FD, Delhi Township FD, Forest Park FD, Golf Manor FD, Green Township FD, Harrison FD, Little Miami Joint Fire & Rescue, Lockland FD, Loveland-Symmes FD, Mariemont FD, Miami Township FD, Montgomery Fire Division, Mt. Healthy FD, Sharonville FD, Springdale FD, Sycamore FD, Whitewater Township FD, Woodlawn FD Lake County: Concord Township FD, Kirtland'FD, Leroy Township FD, Madison Fire District, Mentor FD, Mentor-on-the-Lake FD, Painesville Township FD, Perry Joint Fire District, Wickliffe FD, Willoughby FD, Willoughby Hills FD, Willowick FD Montgomery County: Brookville FD, Butler Township FD, CentervilleWashington Township FD, Clayton FD, Englewood FD, Farmersville FD,

44

Harrison Township FD, Jefferson Township FD, Miami Township FD, _ oraine FD, Riverside FD, Trotwood FD, West Carrolton FD Summit County: Bath FD, FD, Copley FD, Coventry FD, Fairlawn FD,

Green FD, Lakemore FD, Macedonia FD, Mogadore FD, Munroe Falls FD, New Franklin FD, Norton Fire Division, Springfield Township FD, Twinsburg FD
Appendix C:

Businesses surveyed - (29) total - (20) responded: Cincinnati Financial Corporation, Mercy Hospital Fairfield, Butler Tech Vocational School, Pella Entry Doors, Kroger, Ohio Casualty, Quality Gold, Pepsi Bottlers -Hamilton, Hammacher Schlemmer, American Fan, Ellenbee Leggett, Performance Toyota/Performance Honda, Hem Marine, Color Resolutions, Triple Creek Retirement, Everdry Waterproofing, T.R. Gear Landscaping, Kids-R-Kids Daycare, Heartland of Woodridge, Skyline Chili, Furniture Fair, AFC Industries, Fairfield Pavilion!Tri-County Extended Care, gh Packaging, Symmes Tavern, Custom Distributors, ClarkTheders Insurance, Gordon Food Service, Chaco Credit Union

45

(
ApoendixD:

Survey & Results of Selected Ohio Fire Deoartments

1. How do your part-time personnel functiOn? (Check all that applyl

Retponee

Response

Percent
13

1 :ount

l
Ofih :r

41}

D ,2:V,
FY

'G

E\fT

"i " 'J

:;.
n

....
": VJ

(tnt:-,

Ell S
l:11 'l r;. ::-tc

skipped questton

0 .

Other: 1) "They would function just like full time staff once qualified"

46

2.

m.1ny part-time personnel do you cummtly employ?

Response Response C:.unt

Percent
thJ, 5

31-50

2a.a %

15

5 1-

skipped quest1011

3. Appr:.ximately how many p.an-time personnel have left your department over the past three years (200 '. 2007. 2ooe;.-?
Response Percent

42.3"

22

41-

skJpped

I}

47

4. Do you offer additional cred1 t for part-time years of service wlth the department when hirin g someone full-time? Response
Percent
( )U"t

Yes

53. 0 v
4: .:> :)

28

II:;.

question

52
0

5. Are 'r'OU gt:.v.:rn...,d by Cfv il Ser'lice Commission hiring 1 .1ws? Response ReAponse

Perceru
t
Nc'

j
question skipped question

33
52

48

(
6. Why do you think most part-time pcrs.NlMI choose to leave your depanment? (Se lect only one N desc.ribe below;
Response

Percent
Full-time f ire jcb elsew here

( :>unt
44

89.!.1%

. ob :;:::,- Cf P7" 1 in l=f

[;

answered question siCipped

49

Other: 1) "No FT job advancement potential in house" 2) "Part-tilne and full elsewhere, we take people and train them in ems and fire field giving them that experience. We lose them to other departments." 3) "Part-time that offer higher wages and/or benefits. Most who are hired full-time FF's elsewhere take a leave and return P. T. after probation period." 4) "Combination, medical, life style changes" 5) Training requires a lot of time, and they also have a part-time union contract that mandates 48 hours of station duty a month. Seems to be too much for some." 6) We have had turnover based on clearing our rolls of personnel no longer active with us, but still on the roster." 7) Wife works and kids

49

7. What incentives. if any. are offered to your parttime persCtnnel apply !

assist with recruitment and retention? !Check all that

Response Percent
. .. I }

Response ( )unt

t ) '

25
':

;.

Fle-xible ..,,.;:.n.: schedules !12 hrs

e'lery 3rd day. 24 ttrs every 6th day,

31

cpr:-n sign up I

question skipped quest1 on

52

Other: 1) "Overtime pay on holidays" 2) "Flexible benefits program" 3) "Car washing privileges, workout equipment they can use anytime" 4) "We offer a PTO (paid time off) based on work hours during 28 day cycle, we also hire within our part time
50

ranks, time and half on holidays, 24/48 schedule to a platoon shift"

5) ''No guarantees of full time but we generally do pick from

part-time/volunteer ranks"

6) Since 1107, we have joined together with two other

neighboring FD's in giving one entry test, one physical ability test, one interview session, and a physical exam. With this, selected personnel are assigned a unit shift and the PT FF works that shift every 3rd day but at a different FD, (1 day@ Mifflin, 1 day@ Jefferson and 1 day@ Plain Township FD' s, then repeat the schedule). Outcome is each of us only have to buy 113 of costs for the entire program. Each personnel is paid by the department they worked for. Works out great for all, as each of us hire our FT FF from the PT FF program."
7) "Disability/Life Insurance through VFIS" 8) "Longevity- $35 per year"

9) "Plus 18.00 per hour and double time on holidays. Money

talks"
10) "Longevity pay, Class A with 5 years service, paid EMS

CEUs"

51

(
a. Does the- fire- department or human resOUT<:es dejlartment conduct exit intervi-ews with departing part-time pe-rsonnel"?
Response Perce nt
' 'oSB

Response

Coum

3. 1%

::.
27
52
0

No
enswetoo
Sk.lfJped

. 1.9<\o

9. Are you satisfied Wtth your current part-time system?

Response Percent

Respoo. se
(r) Uf'\t

Y es
tb
17. 3lt,

43
f!

:.2
slapped
I)

(
10. Arr: part-time personnel sufficiently meeting the needs of your department'?

Re$ponse

Response

Perce nt
81._%

Count

4G

13 ..t%
question skipped

49 3

11. Are newly -hire d part-time personnel put through a mandatory training t>rogram'? Response Percent
Yes

Reipi.">Jl se Coum

48

II:
questjon

52

52

12. What apparatus do your part-t!me personnel staff? (Checl( all that apply)
Response

Percent
Fire Engine.)uiot sic ;nf

(
.52

an.sWE>r'E'<i question

5:2

Other: 1) "Grass/Brush truck and water tender 2) "They mix with full time crews on all of the assignments" 3) "Part-timers fill in for full-timers in minimum manning"
13. What is the average length of time a part-time employee stays with your departn)ent?
Response Percent Response Count

. :

' -3yHtfS
4-7yeJT S

31

question
skipped questton

52

53

15. Does your department have a strategy for dealing with part-time turnover?

Response
Percent

Response
Count
'?

No

19

ansVNtl!>d

47

Other: 1) "We are working on one" 2) "We are a combination PTNolunteer Dept. We understand the problems assoc with a PT operation and have built a plan to get the most out of each employee." 3) "Pay scale based on years of service." 4) "Our problem with turnover rate is they find full-time jobs." 5) "By recruitment and maintaining a pool of applicants from which to choose. Once hired, they receive excellent training and have the opportunity to gain experience, however they get hired elsewhere an move on, sometimes out of state. Unfortunately most of the younger candidates today work for several departments part-time and thereby provide no commitment to anyone of the departments. The personnel we hire do a great job and while working comprise 25% of our minimum staffing with the remainder being career." 54

(
6) "We budget with the expectation of having to replace 6 parttime personnel a year although we have only had to do that once in the last four years because of hiring 3 to full time status and losing 3 to other department for full time positions."
7) "We are currently going from FF/Basic to FF/Medic. We are

trying to increase the pay rate to keep people on board longer and to attraci 240 medics to reduce training costs."
8) "I am working to improve the benefit package for PT staff. We

compete with many other local departments for PT staff. I try to attract and keep the best."
9) "This is hard to answer. We try but I am no sure there is a

strategy to keep them. They are looking for a full time job and I do not blame them. Remember that this is what we were looking for as well. We could fix this if we could guarantee them a full time position, but we can't." 10) "If you pay them they want to be here. We have a waiting list to get on here."

55

(
16. Has myone within your fire department >f human resources department calculated the
of part-tinle turncver?

Resp(lnse

Resp,:.11se

Percent

( oum

..,
No

33

qoosticm

51

17. What county aro:; you toc:ated in? Respclli se Percent

Response

Count
13
7

HJmilt..:n
:: JyJI'! : ;;l

25.0%

Fran 'ir.

13 : ' -

'

Et .>l

o
'Cl

1:
SJ
lf'l't

n : ';l
qtteStkm

52 0

skipped (ir.J(>St(on

18. What 1s the population served by your department?

Responie

Count

qoestion

52
I)

56

(
Other: 1) 10,000 3) 16,000 6) 5,000 9) 7,900 12) 17,000 15) 9,600 18) 3,500 2) 14,000 residents - 40,000 + daytime 4) 53,000 7) 13,400 10) 28,000 13) 2,300 16) 10,000 19) 7,950 5) 3500-4000 8) 15,000 (5 communities) 11) 3,600 14) 27,545 17) 38,000+ 20) 52,000

21) 25,000 residents- 60,000 +daytime 22) 8,050 25) 15,000 28) 11,500 31) 47,000 23) 7,100 26) 16,000 29) 3,200 32) 14,600 24) 21,000 27) 13,500 30) 11,000 33) 18,000

34) 28,000 residents- 60,000 +daytime 35) 35,000 38) 39,392 36) 18,000 39) 7,300 37) 62,000 40) 12,000 41) 11,500 42) 62,000 45) 8,000 46) 7,200 49) 7,000

70,000 + daytime 45,000 +daytime 43) 10,500 44) 33,000

20,000 + daytime 47) 20,000 48) 12,235

50) 4800 residents- 9,000 +daytime 51) 3,800 residents- 20,000 +daytime

57

(
52) 9,000

19. What is the

>:"f

your departn1ent? (Vcluntary aoswer} Response

( !) Un t

question

48
4

si<Jpped question

AopendixE:

Survey & Results of Private Businesses

I, Wh "It type ot business are you in?

Response Per-rent Response

C)tmt

.ervu:e
Retail 133%

ProfessictOal servi>;es

33.3%

! .7%
13. 3%

dnsmrfi'd q1estion skipped quest1 on

15

Other: 1) "Credit Union/Banking" 2) "Beverage distribution" 3) "Distributor"

58

(
4) "Education"
5) "Childcare/daycare"

2. How do yo u ut1iiz.e yo:ur part-time- employees?

Response Percent Response ( unt

Yo:>ar round

14

::.

Other: 1) "Start as temp and become fulltime if they work out" 2) "If we have work available" 3) "We have year round and seasonal part-time employees"

3. On average. how mooy paft-tl(l'le pen'l )nnel do you empl-oy ?

Response

Percent
10

( .::;unt
12

answered question

20

sl<ippet'f question

59

(
4. Are your part -time positkns entry level?
Response Response

Percent
Y.::s

( > tmt
14

question
slopped

20
0

5. De part-t ime employees need to

any basic requirements? (Che k all that apply}

Response
Percent

Response
(,:,tmt

13

: ;,
Cr -=':; icense
:: .. '=:Y!)

'0
,.

3.3.:
: J

3 question

18
2

Other: 1) "Permit from Ohio Department of Education" 2) "State Tested Nursing Aid, Nursing License" 3) It's usually a child of an employee working their way through college"

60

(
6. I$ there a

in place for part-time- personnel to

full-time within your organizatiOn?

Response Percent Response

t.: ount 12
8

Yes

60.0%

tb
ansWl!red question
skipped q !le.stlon

20
I}

?.If you answered ''yes" to OuestiID ;1;6, do most of yoor part-time employees try to become full-ti me employees?
Response Percent Response r:ouf'lt

?-

N o

56.3 o

g,
4

ansWf!UKi question sl<1pped quest101t

16
4

a.. On average, how 1nany part-time employees have quit pet year over the last tllree years (2006. 2007. 2008)?
Response Percent Response Courn

1:-8

c
-

... ' 0

question
slcipped questwn

20

61

9. What & trategtes, prJgrams or incentwes do you ltSe t(! recrurt ()r retJitl part-tinle employees? (C heck ..111 that <tpply or des-Cribe belOW )
Rest>ense Res.p:tnse

Perc-ent
2 1. m
i: t)l1 11=r::h::.nd :::e:;: r) :il.. : :.:,:s=r-_:ices
C . I ; ,

C.:unt

;:-.

Flexible sehetiule-

13

(
q!lestion

19

Other: 1) "Paid holidays, fitness reimbursement" 2) "Higher than average pay" 3) "Most of our parttime associates were formally fulltime associates who wanted a flexible schedule and reduced hours. So it works in reverse as described above." 4) "30 hours of time to donate per year to a non-profit of their choice." 5) "Depending on the employee's scheduled hours, some of our part-time employees are eligible for full benefits."

62

10. Does your business h3ve- a methGd of calculating the cost of part-time employee turnover ? Response

Percent
4
No !55.0"b 13 3
question skipped qut-st1on

20
0

11. Does :your business CMduct extt interviews With departing part-tlme employees?
Respoose Percent Reapoose (:,\Jm

fb

answerftd question

skt/-lped quest1on

63

(
12. 1f you answered "yes" tl) Ouestion :Z12, what is the main reason why part-tinre {Select only > ne answer)

Response Percent

Responst: C:.unt

f u:(.time emplc,yment ..:lsewhere

.35.7%

7. 1

question skipped

14
6

Other:
1) "We do exit interviews with all, but we have not lost a part-

(
timer in a long time (10+ years)"

13. Do you ever lose part-tllne emr;J oyees to a competing business?

Response

Percent -=s

( ')unt

.::s.::,.

s
9
E'-

No

answered question

20
I}

.skipped questo'on

64

14.1s there

training that new part-time employees lt3ve to complete?

Response Co'Urt1

Percent

15

Urs.lfe

ansW(>r(>(J question

15. Is there a specific person or group of people assigned to train new employees?
Response

ReSJXttlse

Percent

Yr.-s
tb
IJP" Jf.:O

80.G "c.

16
-1

:!.:)

[
[I

cat;,t;-

amnwre..:J qt1estkm
sktpped

20

rJ

16. Do you ktlcw what your estimated cost for hiring a new part-time employee IS llfliforms, etc.\?

drug screening. tr.aining.

Response Percent

Resp, nse
Co:unt

N o

11}

question

skippoo questiM

65

(
17. If you 3nswefed yes" to Question #16. what ts that cosr? Response Count

4
i6

Other:
1) "$3 '000" 2) "$3,000" 3) "$2,500"

4) "Minimal- cost of drug screen and background check"

1'8. What age range make$ up the majority of your part-time work force?
Response Response

Pe.roont
16-21 year r:lds

Count
6

25.0

qtHMticm
skipped question

20 0

66

f9. Which

makes lil) the

, f your workforce?
Response ReSj)Oflse

Percent

CO\Jnt

Female

35.M.

:skipped

AppendixF: Survey & Results of Part-time CFFD Employees

1. Hflw long have J'(tl been employed w'ith the City of F;mfield f ire Dt panmeot?
Response

(
:8' n Pths tct ' ne- year
1-3 years ye:trs

Percent

Resprlftse Caunt

4'3. l%

13

rmsmrrM question

31}
0

2. Are you paramedic Response Percent Response ( )t.Jnt

Nc
ansWPted question

20
31)

67

3. How old

J'Otl?

Response

Re$pon se
Count

Percent
1':-21 22-25
J

:::
11

36.7.
23Y .

::-2':1

7
'0

answered quMtwn
ski/}pOO question

30
0

4. Do y.:u plan to pursue ,1

career in the fire service? Respon$e Percent

Response
( OUI1t

Yes
No

72.4% '27 Ps

21
'.:'

29
Skip ped QCJeStiOJI

5. Would you be willing to sign an agreement with the city to remain employed with the department for a pre-determined amount of time 1 f some or all of your paramedic training was paid for?
Response Percent Re$j)('lflse

Yes

18

11::>

ttnswe-t'ed question
skipped que-stion

30
0

68

(
13. Do you think th1::- City of Fairfield F1 re Depanment is a got)d place to work
Resr>onse

Percent

Count
29

Y-=s
[j)

96.7o
') 0

answered question

30
0

7. Wh at .:<ne reasc1n could you foresee for leaving part-time employment 'Nith the City ct Fairfield Fir-a Department? Response Response

Percent

Cc-unt

FUil -time Fire Jcb elsewhere

57.

16

Frivate- Sec:::r ._c.b

School

question
sl<1pped quest1on

26

Other: 1) "Also depending on family time because of multiple jobs" 2) "Scheduling: is extremely hard to fmd coverage. Harder to get time off than my full-time job" 3) "If I were to leave Fairfield, it would be for a full-time job that A) wouldn't allow me to hold aPT fire job anywhere else; or

69

(
B) I was not able to fmd the balance I needed to work 2 different jobs and be there for my family."

a. Ou you currently woli( another part -time fire job1

Response

Res.ponse
Count

Percent
:-=s
!No 3-JY')

1}3.3,..

19
31)

quest1on

9.1f you answered yes .. to question 1#3. htlW dOO!l pan-time employment with tile CFFD <:!>tnparc to yoor other department?
Re$ponse Percent R-e9ponse C.t>unt

13
answetl quesrJoa 24

70

10. Do you work .another FT fire job? Response

Response
(O:IUt'tt

Percent
' 6 5.

1-5.

No,
question
skipped questtatr

25
31 )

I}

t 1. Oo you work a

job in the private sector?

Response

Percent

Response Count
6

No

80.Q %

24
30
I)

question
skipped (JU!?S t/011

12. Oc you feel part-time mmo'fe-r

a pr blem at the CFf[)?

Response

Response

Percent

Count

Yes
11:

66.1.

20

c f
questiotl
skipped que.st1011
30
I)

71

(
13. What do you feel 1 s tiW: impact :Jf 1 10rt-time tumovef otl over!l!l operations within the CFFO? (Select onel

Response Percent
..J
;

Response Count
C

eff:ect
Ftl't-:irle turr.:.;er ttas :.O)rlf.!

:
...

;: '!lsi
.) J.2% P,l rt-time tumol/er has some negative effect

(I

20

!:)art<in: :urr )Vf'r li<:'3;

1< v

answeroo question
skipped q.uesr;on

30
0

72

(
14. What or changes within the departnlE:ntwcJU}d factor into your decisiOn to remain employed 'Mth the CFFD"? (Select up to three c hoices or write in an answer) Response Respons.e

Pe1cent

( ount

Jn:reas=:: .-.:- i11'1Ct.rt f:r worl-;in:J n :.. rcus

. .:::.ddltiono :t! or.r.fll0'6 ring cffert}

--1

Discounted h&alth care benefits

H\

sloppf1d qaE>St;on

Other: 1) ''No limit on amount of hours to work" 2) "Attach our raises to cost of living increases, not the base increase of full-time contract. Any time full timers are getting overtime, part-time get over time .. .ie. 12-24 0600-1800." 3) "Unlimited hours"

73

City of Piqua Fire Department Time Staffmg Evaluation

& Elected Official Concerns

Fire Chief Michael G. Rindler Captain Chad Kennedy Administrative Assistant Rhonda Meckstroth December 20, 2010

Table of Contents Evaluation Introduction Reason for the Evaluation Message from the Fire Chief Demographics Overview of the Part-Time Blended System Advantages to the Use of Challenges to the Use of Staff Noted Trends . Overcoming Problems with a Blended Program Examining Blended System Use Site Visits to Fire Departments Utilizing Part-Time Staffing Non-visited Departments Mentioned in Comparison Survey Comparisons of Blended Departments Potential Areas for Evaluation Cost Saving Concerns Related Points of Concern Recommendations References Appendixes Appendix 1: Survey & Comparisons Appendix 2: Full-Time/Part-Time Staffing Schedule Comparisons Appendix 3: Response Times by Census Tract Appen<Ux 4: City of Piqua Financial Records Appendix 5: Budgetary Variables Pg. 3 Pg. 5 Pg. 5 Pg. Pg. Pg. Pg.
6 8

12
14

Pg. 16 Pg.22 Pg. 24 Pg.27 Pg.28 Pg.36 Pg.49 Pg.54 Pg. 56 Pg.62 Pg.64 Pg.66 Pg.69

Reason for Evaluation

The current economic condition' ofthe City possible cost saving Income tax revenue that is created a need to evaluate all responsible for sustainiilg the

General Fund has seen a decrease due to disappearmg industry/business and.a shrinking
.

employment ba.Se. The Public Safety departments

.the City of Piqua receive a large

portion of their budgetary resources froni the General Fund: In an effort to reducethe General Fund budget, the city began discussion of replacing some full-time staff with part-time staff within the Piqua Fire Department. During discussion Willi fire department staff, city manager Fred Enderle, spoke of a pos.sible cost saving measure by four full-titlie members per

shift with part-fune members. This scenario would replilce a total of 12 members; four members from the three different shifts. City Manager Fred Enderle directed several city staff members Visit the

Ohio frre departments utilizing part-time staffing; Loveland Symmes, Oxford, and Vandalia. were selected by City Fred The results of those visiU; literature and

combined with an independent survey of21 Ohio fire

industry recommendations were compiled in an effort to present an unbiased view of the use of part-time staffmg to rep operating costs. The evaluation sought to determine whether replacing some full-time staff with part-time staff was a viable option for the City of Piqua. Some fire departments operate with a blended force of full-time and part-time staff and consider it an optimial method of reduCing budgetary costs while maintaining industry recommended staffing levels needed to perform the job effectively and safely. The evaluation considers how the City of Piqua comnmriity is situated some full-tune staff as.a possible source for reducitig General.FUhd

compared to those who utilize using a

.

....

peJ;"SoOO,el an,d recognizes the benefits and challenges of . ..

'
.' , ,

'

time system. There is discussion of cost savings as well as areas of increased ' . . . . . !: '. . .
i

budgetary expenditures experienced 'Yhen adding :part-time personnel. Current trends and special were also assessed for implementation of part-time staff. The fimtl section in an effort to address issues and questions

entitled Related Points ofConcern

posed by current elected officials regarding staffing, emergency response, services, and financial liability. For the purpose of this report, P1:-time employees are those who work less . l 500 : .. . than
. .

'

'

'

'

hours a year based on Ohio Revised Code. Full-time employees are those who work the
' 1 ; :.

traditional24/48

Piqua Fire Department full-time staff work 2,928 hours annually. .

Paid on-call and volunteers were not considered in the evaluation. Paid 011-call and "pure" volunteers are diminishing nationwide. Research notes the following causes have attributed to '. . . .
.

the decline: unpredi9table availability, difficulty in providing proper training,

in the

number of calls, lack of eJ.llployer support to leave work for calls, lack of benefits an.d incentives, legal and labor issues including recent transition the City of Kettering for uncompensated disability. This is supported by the experienced in replacing volunteer

program, used to supplement their fu1l-time staffing, with paid part-time (Dayton Daily News September 13th' 2010 articles Volunteer decline leads to paid part-time firefighters and Kettering switching volunteer firefighters to hourly pay system). Pure volunteers (receive zero
I

compensation).are near extinction and most in the

service are compensated in some

manner. For example, Covington Fire Department compensates their staff with a monetary amount per fire event. modem.day.fire department responsible for providing EMS services need

has moved beyond the simple social organization it once was due in large part to

for service, increased risk, and standardized training requirements mandated for those who wish to serve. For the purpose of this evaluation, only paid part-time staff is considered.

A Message from the Fire Chief

As Fire Chief for the City of Piqua, I feel it is

iny respbnsibility to investigate and

thoroughly research financial accoUntability to the citizens of Piqua. For this reason, I took it upon myself to coordinate the development ofa written evaluation of replacing some full-time staff with part-time staffmg. It is the intent of my staff to present their fiildings in ari unbiased format,' as members who understand all facets of providing frre based EMS coverage including but not limited to financial consideration. At the conClUsion of om report, provide my professional recommendation. Howcan we staff emergency personnel for our community needs with limited funds? The fire service and local governments lm.plementeda strategy to add part-time paid
.

Fire Chief, I will

members to handle emergency calls for service. It is irriperative to recognize that the use of part.

time staffing in Ohio fire departments is wide spread and allows for budgetary savings in adding .
.
:
'

personnel. The key to success is most departments rely heavily on mutual aid agreements and shared employee pools when using.part-time staffing. Be clear that fire 'departments use parttime staffing for growth. The City of Piqua and this report are not evaluating hiring additional part-time staff verses additional full-time staff for growth; we are evaluating if it is fiscally responsible to replace some full-time staff with part-time staff.

Demographics
The Piqua Fire Depaitment is a career full-time staffed public safe!)' agency operating year round, 24 hours a day, seveil days a week. The department has been in operation since 1876. The EMS/Fire coverage area consists of 10.9 'square miles inside City of Piqua limits

and contracts exist to provide coverage for both Washington and Springcreek Townships. The overall coverage area is 56.9 square miles. Population for the coverage area is 24,367 based on the 2000 Census. The nearest
.

:aig for the City ofPiqua cqnsi&ts of Covington (EMS &

' :
;

Fire) and Fletcher volunteer fire departments (Fire) located 6-8 miles .on the west and east, . . .
. .
; .

Lockington volunteer fire department (Fire) and H,ouston

-.

(EMS) 6 miles north, Saint

-_ . '
.
'

Paris (EMS) 15 miles east, and full-time . staffed depart:rn.ents ofSiP1ley (13 miles) and Troy (10 . - .. .
.;

miles) located to the .north and south. A recent risk assessment of the City of Piqua was . . . .' ' .' . ' ;:. : : ; .; ' r. conducted for the Miami
.
.
'

Management. Association. . . ; .
;.

199 t;(u'gets were . . '

. i .; .

identified as critical
' ;

.- .

or substantial hazard to human life. The City of Piqua has

. . - . ' :' . .

seven facilities for elderly citizens, multiple large businesses, four community college, eleven

centers, a

facilities, and multiple pre-schools. Major modes of

transportation incl11de interstate/state/cqunty r()ads, a railroad, and a municipal airport. The Piqua F:ire Department has 28 full-time staff cer.?fied for b?th I?aramedic and frrefighter level II. Additionally, all NIMS/ICS, Hazardous
. , . . . ' .

staff have Entry and

! : -

for Cardiac Life

.l -. .

Confined
.

Support (both Adult.and Pediatric), and CPR. Many members also hav,e certifications as fire inspectors, frre investigators, fire and EMS instructors. The
. . . , . . . ' . r

atechni<;al
'

rescue team for high angle, rope, and trench rescue, as well as one of the two certified dive teams
in the Miami County. The department responds to an average of over 3,000 EMS calls and 500 .

frre calls annually. The operations are based from one station located in the heart of downtown.

Advantages to the Use of Part-Time Staff

Growing demand for frre/EMS services coupled with a difficult economical climate has paved the way for growth in utilizin.g part-time staffing. fire departments experience need for

additional staffmg they are choosing to grow with the use of part-time members. The main advantage anticipated by government entities who decide to supplement and utilize part-time staff is budgetary savings in salary and Full-tinl,e union salary and

benefits with government staff and are ultimately approved by elected city-officials; but also tie the financial hands of government who are unable to reduce labor costs due to binding contracts. Research indicates that some fire departments are utilizing part-time staffing for the following
.

..

advantages: Lower hourly wage- Average pay range is an hour based on

levels. A paramedic certified as a Firefighter Level . . . II will be paid at a higher pay scale than an EMT Basic and/or Firefighter Level I. Lower benefits costs - Generally speaking part-time staff do not receive health insurance or life insurance. Lower retirement contribution - Full-time receive Ohio Police/Fire Pension at

a rate of 24%. Social Security is typically the only retirement benefit paid on part-time firefighters. Lower costs for minimum staffing coverage (Reduction in overtime costs) - If personnel drops below the daily minimum staffing the vacancy is filled with overtime for full-time staff members and part-time members could fill these vacancies at a reduced rate. Part-time staffs currently ,are not by the International Association of

Firefighters (IAFF) - Uni()n contracts dictate additional employee benefits such as sell of accrued time, overtime compensation, sick/vacationl:funerallpersonalleave, pay rates/step increases. These benefits are typically not offered to part-time staff.

Cross seeding of ideas - Part-time staff typically work for multiple agencies at1d can share learned techniques amongst all.

challenges to the u se of Part-Time Staff

.
;

'

'

It would be a natural assumption during economic instability to simply compare hourly wages and benefit costs of part-time staff verses full-time staff when looking to reduce budgetary
.
.
'

costs. Is replacing full-time staff with part-time staff simply reduction of salary and benefits? What is the cost of experience, training, and commitment to a community? What are the
l

J.

disadvantages, can the disadvantages be overcome, and are there direct and/or indirect monetary costs to replacing full-time staff with part-time staff? When considering utilization of part-time staff the following disadvantages were experienced by some blended departments swVeyed:
.

.: ,

. .

'

' ;'

High turnover rate of part-time employee base

o Loss ofknowledge/skills/fmancial investment once an individual is trained and leaves.

o A

length of service for

time staff is 2-3 years.

Current full-time financial investment typically results in a 25 year coniminnent. o The U.S. Department ofiabor notes on an employee's annual salar}r and it;can cost one and a halftimes to replace that employee. There

both direct and indirect costs. Direct expenses relate to the leaving, replacement, and transitions costs while fudirect expenses relate to the loss of production, reduced performance.levels, Unnecessary overtime, and low morale. Increased hiring costs - This is 'relative to the hiring ratio of part-time to full-time personnel. Research and survey respondents indicate the need for six part-time members

to replace one full-time member. The city may also need to conduct the hiring process more frequently (Civil Service examinations) due to depleting active lists. Overworked employees part-time members work multiple jobs/travel longer

distances that can cause fatigue while on the job. Possibility for lower reimbursement rates for EMS billing - based on certification levels of responding members- Advanced Life Support (ALS) rate at$1,000 per call vs. Basic Life Support rate at $500 per call (BLS). The City of Piqua collects ALS rates for EMS runs because there is always a paramedic on theservice call. Hiring lower paid certification levels(EMT Basic) combined with current run volume (number of multiple calls) could result in some EMT Basic only service calls. Potential for increased Unemployment and-Workers Compensation costs o What are the direct and indirect costs of layoffs? Unemployment costs for twelve firefighters who would be laid off may negatively affect unemployment rates. Substantial fmancial need for stockpile and subsequent maintenance of firefighter equipment/gear/clothing. The department currently does not have an outlay of equipment/clothing/gear; we outfit current staff only. Potential increased training costs: Constant state of training new employe es (due to high turnover rate) referred to as "revolving door" of employees. Reduced levels of competency/training certifications -Examples: Paramedic verses EMT-Basic, Confined Space, and Hazmat Operations. What certifications will we expect part-time staff to have or obtain? Levels of certification and competency affect hourly rate compensation.

'

' '

10

Lost productivity due to vacant positions - 6 month average to replace vacant positions
o Increased overtime for vacant positions

Scheduling issues 1500 hour annual limit: Ohio Revised Code 4113.11 (G) (3) and 505.60 (F) (1). Ohio Revised Code defines the use ofpart.;.time staff as those who work less than 1500 hours annually. o Scheduling Example: EMT Basic verses Paramedic-

Consideration ofParamedicto Basic ratio for squad crew. Part..;tinle staff would be compensated at a higher rate for Paramedic
o

Increased overtime related to using part-time employees above their regular schedule (minimum staffmg shortages)causirig furlough once they reach the 1500 hour limit for the remainder oftheyear. "

. : Lack of reliability -:Call.:.offs and.disciplineproblems. Some part-time staff may have worked a full shift at other agencies prior to reporting for duty and ca.n call-off for their position when need arises;at the other agency. Part-time staff members could harbor resentment for being paid at a lower rate than full-time staff and may have expectations of performing less than full-time staff.: . o . Part-time employees can belate because of being held at their previous employment and it cannot be held against them by law- Ohio Revised Code
4113.41 and 14().01

o Increased overtime

to cover part-time staff held over at other employment

up.til the staff member arrives. Lack of availability- Part-time staff generally works multiple jobs - This is .a major factor for recall of emergency staff due to multiple calls for service. If lower paid part-

(
time staff members are working at other agencies on their days off, they will not be available for emergency call backs for multiple EMS calls or large fires.

11

o Recall of staff for emergency calls is frequent due to current staffing levels verses call volume/simultaneous Limited continuity - The use of part-time staff limits continuity experienced with a group of full-time staff working together every day. Lll.nited continuity can interrupt the work flow, inhibit teamwork, and limit the group's overall o To illustrate the point it is noted the difficulty management would face if every other week the main administrative staff was different. Lack of department/community familiarity- Hiring a large group of new employees at one time will most likely negatively affect emergency response due to staff being unfamiliar with and community streets/business. new employees to the fire

Inexperienced employees -Some ofthe part-time pool

service who have just recently completed training/education. Reduced level of responsibility, and conflict- Management most.likely will have to deal with an atmosphere of conflict between part-tiffi.e and full-time staff.members as well as part-time staff resenting the fact they are doing the same job less pay and none of the

benefits. In an occupation where teamwork is absolutely essential, conflict could result in negativity and dysfunction within the department Lack of dedication and loyalty - Part-time staff will be full-time staff from anotper looking for full-time employment, or offering better pay/incentives. for other part-time positions

'

'

12

Recruiting and retention issues -As noted from the research and surveyed departments it is becoming more difficult to recruit and then retain part-time staff. What training/certifications will we require in our recruits, what hiring process will we utilize, will we require extensive background investigations, how we will compete with other agencies hiring part-time staff?

Noted Trends
In conducting the research regarding the use of part-time staff, several trends were noted that are worth mentioning. First, when departments use part-time staff it is usually the result of an up and out progression. Director of the Fire Service Division of the Legal & Liability Risk Management Institute, retired frre officer, and practicing attorney, Curt Varone, notes that "Fire departments evolve froin fire brigades to professional departments. Combined

departments, mixing full-time and part-time firefighters, are in a transition stage on the road to a full-time department (Eberth, 2oosr.

starrwas unable to locate an example or regression where

full-time staffing was replaced by part-time staff.

the majority of departments utilizing part-

time staff began as voltinteer departments or has added part-time staff in addition to their fulltime.stafftrig. Many have operated blended since their inception. This life-cycle finding is consistent with every knoWn blended .department that was surveyed. Piqua would be unique in resorting to a reduction of full-time staff and replacement with part-time staff to form a blended department. In addition, several attempted the part-time blended system and went away from it because of the issues they experienced. Those departments include Anderson Township and Hamilton Township both near Cincinnati and the City of Delaware north of Columbus. Inquiries revealed that the part-time pool continues to dry up. As it does, recruiting and retention efforts result in competitive hiring, increasing wages and offering incentives. These

(
practices offset savings part-time staff brings to the department. The Miami Valley Fire/EMS Alliance examined the problems member departments were having staffing their part-time positions. They set out to determine how the Alliance could combat issues with attracting and retaining part-time members and found that the main issues .with part-time staff included workload, flexibility, and opportunity for a full-time position, even above pay and benefits. If the opportunity didn't exist for full-time employment, the call volume was high,or the department inflexible, recruiting and retention could be a serious problem. Attempting to resolve these issues could lead to competitive hiring, bid wars, and incentive programs that negate the cost savings part-time staff are supposed to provide. Part-time staff is also growing disgruntled as they come into a profession hoping for the full-time job and realize it is a slow process. While the IAFF will not represent part-time firefighters, other representation is there for these employees. The Service Employees . International Union is a bargaining unit for part-time firefighters. Literature suggests that this change will inevitably come across the fire service. The Ohio Fire Chiefs Association has also recently surveyed members about making a legislative push to allow all part-time firefighters

13

into the Public Employee Retirement System sin.ce they are currently not entitled to Ohio Police and Fire Pensions. Those attending the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program are beginning to perform studies to consider the narrowing savings and question whether the excessive challenges that are part of a part-time program are
it. Studies are also being

conducted to determine what the threshold is for conversion to all full-time and at what point that move makes economical and functional sense.

14

Another area that has experienced recent change is in the area of health care. Health care refmm works to address those in part-time positions who currently are not required to be proVided-health insurance; Both the State of Ohio and the Nation has experienced health care refonn that has impacts on employers and insurance companies. In the near future, organizations that do not provide health insurance to part-time employees will be required to pay a monthly per-employee penalty (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act [PPACA]). Relative to part-time staffing options, the frre service has begun to see another important trend developing relative to frrefighters leaving the fire.service. As government agencies struggle to reduce annual budgets by decreasing salary and benefits, increased job insecurity, coinciding with changes in the frre service for increased training to maintain certifications, combined with personal safety/health ;firefighters with low morale are choosing other

careers. This trend is noted withiil the Piqua -Fire Department. In the last several years there have been three members -leave due to disability, three left for qareer changes, and also multiple staff members -have recently acquired nursing degrees and/or pursuing enlistments in the National Guard or Reserves.

Overcoming Problems with a Blended Program

There are suggestions for overcoming problems with running a blended program and some "outside the box" are discovered from the review. Caution should be taken

when considering these options because every one of them will cost money in one form or another, be it directly or indirectly.. One of the main ideas includes hiring full-time staff exclusively from the part-time pool. This helps motivate part-time employees to do the best they can while they are on the job as parttime employees and encourages some loyalty since they ultimately are striving for the full-time
.
'
'

15

position. Transition to full-time then becomes competitive from within the part-time ranks and only requires an interview process and a look at the part-time employee's service.record. That means, though, that evecy part-time employee needs to go through the same rigorous hiring process as f\111-time staff htcluding civil service testing,
.

agility, interviews, background

checks, polygraph, physical exam, psychological testing, and credit checks. Literature cites some discussion within jurisdictions about reducing the steps used in the hiring process. Given the nature of their responsibilities, it could be costly to eliminate or reduce the stringent hiring procedures of the public safety departments. Exploration noted issues such as theft, drug use, and sexual abuse among public safety employees hired without a thorough screening process. The city could provide incentives to employees including attendance bonuses, incentive pay for weekends/holidays/nights, being offered choices on retirement plans, health insurance options, and offer disability and/or life insurance. Tuition benefits could be provided to parttime staff. Part-time employees could elect representatives to give that employee group a voice in matters like negotiations, policy setting, or discipline matters. These measures will negate the cost savings gap. on the number of part-time staff that would be desired, Piqua Fire

would have to draw from other departments that have been running part-time programs and might already offer various benefits to their staff. In order to stay competitive the department will need to be attractive to potential It should noted that some of these are

benefits not offered to the fire department's current full-time staff and implementing them to attract part-time staff may create animosity or become a bargaining issue for full-time members. Grants could be written to help offset costs of the part-time program and attempt to secure items that will be necessary like fire gear, uniforms, and training. Each person hired receives their own fitted fire gear and that will get vecy expensive. One area blended department

16

accomplished this by writing a grant that paid for 80 sets of gear to be provided to their part-time employees. Of concern is the ci:tY needs to provide matching funds for grants received and grants arecompetitive and not a guarantee of funds.

Site Visits to Fire Departments UtiliZing Part-Time Staffing

Loveland-Symmes Visit
At the direction of City Manager Fred Enderle, ChiefRindler and other city staff .. members took the opportunity to visit with the Loveland-Symmes Fire .Department. The purpos.e of the visit was to review their use of part-time firefighters. Loveland-Symnies is located in a major metropolitan area near Cincimiati .. The Fire Collaborative that Loveland-Symmes Fire Department is associated with consists of 5 separate agencies (Blue Ash, Sycamore Township, Loveland, Symmes Township, and.Sharonville), 11 fire stations, collective staffing of 365 members. . A fire collaborative is a multi. . .
.

jurisdictional group of fire departments operating as a single entity for the purpose of providing fire and EMS services. Upon review of their daily operations, it was noted there are minimal similarities between the two departments in regard to funding, staffmg, training, and equipment. Symmes haS 41 full-time members and ftre certification (Firefighter Loveland-

21 part-time members . .All members have the 240 hour

They do require at least one paramedic on

II) and all full-time staff are paramedics while part-time staff

is a combination ofEMT-basics and

every medic call. The area's population changes dramatically With over 125,000 during the day . . and only 30,000 at night. Due to the population variation, Loveland-Symmes Fire Department utilizes peak staffmg. Minimum manning is 13 members during off peak hours (night) and.17 members during peak hours (day).

17

Loveland-Symmes Fire Chief Otto Huber advised that their initial response for a structure fire is a minimum staffmg of 26 members. The Collaborative agreement allows for mu,tual aid response within 5 minutes . .Chief Huber advised the lwmry of ceasing EMS responses while his staff has a working structure fire; EMS responses are handled by other agencies within the agreement. They never have emergency call back overtime due to the Fire Collaboration mutual aid agreement. It should also be noted that there ar;e designated technical rescue teams within the Collaboration. The funding and resources available in this Fire Collaborative serve the citizens of Loveland in a fashion that is superior to most cities time members to supplement Uieir f.ull-time members. The Loveland-Symmes Fire Department operating budget is $4.2 milli.on with an average of$900,000 per year additional for capital purchases, It is.a private fire department contracted to provide emergency taxes. There is an and the city & townships fund the department through property for their use of part-

5% .increase to their contract annually and employees have received

3% raises every year. The depa,rt:ment has an ISO rating of2. Since it is obvious that we are not comparing apples to apples in regard to the Department (City of Piqua) and the Loveland-Symmes !"ire Department, the following summarizes staffing of part-time and costs learned from Chief Huber: Fire

Turnover of part-time employees is an issue- typically a part-time employee only employs with Loveland-Symmes for 18 months. They do have part-time members that have full-time jobs at other departments and their length of employment is typically 3 years. o Full time firefighter/paramedic positions are typically career so the outlay of costs to hire, outfit, and train are dispersed over 25 years.

18

. Part-time employees must work less than 1500 hours per year or they are considered full time and entitled to benefits. Part-time members are paid on average between $14 to $18 per hour based on their certification level {EMT vs. Paramedic) and length ofservice. This is base pay. no overtime/benefitS. o All members of the Piqua Fire Department are paramedic level. Training is also an issue for part-time employees at Loveland-Symmes. Both firefighter and paramediccertifications require mihimrim hours oftraining to maintain and it is difficult to schedule mandatory training for'part:.time staff due to scheduling. Overtime is often necessary.
o

Piqua Fire Department members aretrained on regular shift duty days for EMS/Fire certifications.. No overtime is paid for certification training.

Due to the high turnover of part-time employees Lovdand-Syninies maintains an extensive outlay of equipment for outfitting their membel'S. The Fire Collaborative has purchasing power to offset the high cost of equipment needed. o Piqua Fire Departmentdoes not have a stock pile ofequipment or purchasing power. Equipping/outfitting a firefighter is very expensive (turnout gear, helmet, boots, duty uniforms, radio, fire gloves, SCBA face mask, etc;).

Since they are a private fire department they can choose to provide retirement benefits to their part-time staff. They provide 5% to a 401 K after 1,000 hours of sel'Vice. o The City of Piqua currently pays 14% retirement toPERS for existing part-time or seasonal employees.

19

Part-time employees are still funded for other benefits (ex. Medicare and Workers Comp).

Loveland-Symmes has a designated staff member to coordinate training and scheduling of staff. Scheduling of staff includes having paramedics on all EMS calls.

Part-time employees receive vacation and holiday pay and have the option to purchase health care benefits and disability pension. o Chief Huber also noted that current proposed health care changes will affect health care costs for part-time members. . .

Full-time staff members have an annual payrange of$59,000 to $77,000 base salary, !!Q overtime or benefits are included in that figure. There is opportunity for .overtime due to minimum manning. This is an hourly range of $20 to o The Piqua Fire Department member's hourly base pay range is from $17 to $26.

Chief Huber noted that it takes six part-time staff members to cover one full-time position. Annual base salary cost for that part-time member coverage is $131,400 at $15.00 an hour. No overtime or benefits are calculated in the salary. o Piqua is outfitting (equipment/Clothing) one member verses 6 members at Loveland-Symmes.

The proximity of surrounding communitiesat Loveland-Symmes is a great asset to their department in regard to part-time staff and mutual aid agreements/responses. o The closest full-time mutual aid department for the City of Piqua is Troy and volunteer departments are Covington, Lockington, and Fletcher. It is important to note that the three volunteer departments struggle to employ candidates with Fletcher recently giving up their EMS function due to lack of staffmg.

20

LovelandSymmes Fire Department appears to have an advantage with being located in a major metropolitan area and being a member of the Fire Collaborative. Their use of firefighters and EMT's/paramedics is utilized to complement their existing full-time staff.

City of Oxford Visit

After visiting with Loveland-Symmes, the city scheduled a trip to the City of Oxford to examine their department. ChiefRindler and other City ofPiquastaffwent to Oxford and met with the City Manager and Fire'ChiefJohn Detherage to discuss the daily operations of the Oxford Fire Department. The City of Oxford .is 6.3 square.miles and has a population of23,000 when Miami University.is in session with over 44% of their population being college age 20..24. Outside of the school year their base residential population is 7,000. The fire department hasone station andtransports to a hospital located in the center of town. The closest mutual aid is the volunteer fire department of Liberty Township. The department made 672 fire runs and 1748 EryiS .runs in 2009. Their annual budget is $1.3 million in 2010 and is fundedJOO%.from the City ofOxford General Fund. Until 2008, the frre department was $212,449.. strictly a volunteer and their annual budget

City of Oxford recently experienced growth in their fire department staffmg

with the addition ofpart..time frrefighters and EMT's/paramedics. They provide around the clock coverage to their citizens by staffing a,maximum of four (4) members on duty at all times. This includes the Fire Chief, wh,o is their only full time member. The Fire Chief responds and is part of the ftrefighting and medic response crews. When asked about structure fire responses, Chief Detherage commented "I get a tones for a fire". The City of Oxford fire feeling in the pit of my stomach time we receive

must often initiate exterior attack for fires

21

until additional resources arrive on the scene. The fire department does not provide any type of technical rescue or hazardous materials teams. Oxford Fire Department has a total of 28 members; all are part time, with blended certification levels and pay on average of$14.00 an hour. They also experience turn over in employees averaging 3-4 a year. Oxford does not offer health insurance and pays Social Security, Workers Comp, and Medicare for members. Training is based on available funds and they do provide custom fit equipment for part-time staff. Oxford Fire Department has a limited amount of equipment stock. Yearly equipment maintenance and testing is outsourced to other city departments or with outside age11cies. sche?u1ing of staff is done a month in

advance and "requires constant supervision". Chief Detherage advised that 100% ofhis parttime staff work for other agencies on their days off and also live too far away to be helpful for call back situations. There is a stark contrast between Loveland-Symmes and Oxford Fire Department. The situation in Oxford is perhaps best described by Chief Detherage; "severely understaffed".

Citv of Vandalia Visit

ChiefRindler met with Chief Chad Follick of the City of Vandalia Fire Department to discuss part-time staffing. Vandalia Fire Department relies on mutual aid and paid-on call to supplement responses. They receive automatic aid from Butler Township through their dispatch system. They also have three fully staffed mutual aid ftre departments within one mile. Their community is approximately 11.9 square miles with a popu1ation of 14,600 people. They respond to approximately 2,300 calls for EMS and 500 calls for ftre. ChiefFollick noted that the advantage to their use of part-time staffing is more bodies for the same amount of money. However, he also noted that the main disadvantage is high tum-over

22

and decreasing availability for part-time recruitment. It is becoming difficult to utilize part-time staffing for call-backs due to the majority of them having multiple fire department jobs. They currently employ 18 part-time members who work 24 hours every six days. Vandalia Fire Department has one full-time staff member on per day and three part-time staff responding out of two stations along with a few 40-hour staff members (Chief/Fire Prevention). Part-time staff receives backgrounds, psychological evaluations, physicals, and drug testing. Vandalia does hire outside agencies to conduct some of their annual testing and maintenance responsibilities for vehicles, equipment, and building.

Non-Visited Departments Mentioned as Comparison

At the time of this report, only the three previously mentioned departments have been visited. However, city administration has mentioned several other locations as potentially being similar to Piqua and may be visited in the near future. Kettering -Kettering is listed as an example for a strong volunteer program in the ICMA textbook Managing Fire Services that supplements their full-time staff. Kettering
'...
.

recently eliminated their volunteer program and added paid part-time personnel to their paid career staffmg. They staff full-time during the day and utilize part-time to supplement full-time staff. They have 52 career firefighters and formally had over 100 volunteers that responded out of seven stations. Volunteer numbers have decreased significantly requiring part-time staff to be paid $12-$18 an hour based on certifications. Kettering also relies on very close mutual aid resources. The community is approximately 18.7 square miles with a population of 57,500 people. Englewood- Englewood uses a combination of seven full-time members and 50 parttime members to staff a minimum of eight per day responding out of two stations. Their

23

call volume is 332 ftre runs and 2648 EMS runs. Their community is 6.2 miles with a population of 12,235 people. Mutual aid for Englewood is within a mile in three directions and they only experience multiple calls about 10% of the time. These communities differ from the City of Piqua in that they operate with multiple stations and most signiftcant of all is the close proximity these communities have to th: eir mutual aid which consists of staffed departments.

City of Delaware Consultation - Failed Part-Time Program

As mentioned previously, we located three departments with failed part-time programs.

A conference call was established between ChiefRindler/staffandDelaware Fire Department Chief John Donahue/staff. The City of Delaware Fire Department (a municipality north of Columbus) implemented part-time staffing from 1998 to 2000. At the time, a second station was being opened and needed staffed.. The city administration and fue chief at the time decided to utilize part-time members in addition to already employed full-time staff verses hiring additional full-time staff. There were attempts to get the union in support of the part-time staffing but negotiations on development of such a program eventually reached an impasse. The part-time staff had a different hiring process than full-time members, different training requirements, and different uniforms and tum-out gear. Chief Donahue states there were issues with discipline, criminal activity, high turnover, knowledge deftcits of the equipment and community, and difftculty in maintaining needed training. The feeling was that there was no "control" over the part-time staff. Animosity amongst members was also an issue. "The quality and commitment" of full-time staff was superior in comparison to his part-time staff. Chief Donahue describes similarities between staffing part-time to military guard and mercenary units. His analogy was that if your full-time staff was regular army, how would you hope to perceive

24

your part-time staff; as guard/reserve members with loyalty, commitment, and professionalism to the nation or mercenaries who are disloyal, indifferent, ,and lack of discipline? The experience in Delaware, according to Chief Donahue, was one where part-time staff members could be compared to mercenaries.

Survey Findings Regardin; gBlended Departments

Members of the Ohio Fire Academy provided a list of 45 Ohio fire departments that operate in a blended manner. They were cofttacted with requests for urlbrtnation using the stirvey in .. . Appendix 1. Over iO frre departments responded to the survey and gave vital insight to the growth of their agencies with the addition of part-time staffing. Many of those contacted
. .

acknowledged that part-time staffmg was utilizedto

their staffing requirements since

department inception, further expand their daily staff, or better compliment their-existing fulltime staff. It is.viewed as an econoniicai system to daily staffmg needs; this is contrary

to the CitY of Piqua's consideration of eiiminating/reducing full-time staff and replacing them with part-time personnel. The departments were then surveyed asking for information on the structure of their department, the demographics of their community, wages, budget information, minimum staffing, call volumes, operations, scheduling, and so on. The information is summarized in Appendix 1. Several things should be pomted out regarding these departments that run in a blended manner. First

is their location.
. .

'

The majority of blended departments operate in areas where within a small geographical area. Second, related to the
-

there are a large number of

frrst, is the distance to mutual aid. Most blended departments have extremely close mutual aid

25

resources to supplement their response to calls. In addition to these resources being close, they are also manned 24 hours a day and run both EMS and fire. The significance of location and mutual aid is a critical element that needs to be examined with the implementation of part-time staffmg. This is a major demographical factor that allows for the success of a blended department enabling them to overcome the disadvantages associated with blended staffing (e.g. lack of availability for call-back, staff reduction caused by late arriving part-time staff, etc.). To illustrate the point of mutual aid and location, a 16 square mile bird's eye view comparison of the area around the City of Piqua and the same area around the City of Dayton (who has several blended departments, some mentioned in comparison to our city) is provided on the next two pages.
Mutual Aid Comparison for the City of Piqua and surrounding communities
(Google map centered on thecityofPiqoa at a scale of2 miles per% inch and extending 8 miles in aU directions from city center)

In adgition to Piqua with one station.

surrounding dej?artments include:
Covington Volunteer Ftte Department

unmanned Covingfun EMS manned 12 hours a day and from 5 am Friday to S am

Sunday

Lockington Volttnteer Ftre Department - unmanned no EMS) Fletcher Fire Department unmanned a EMS) Troy Statim\ 2 Manned with two firefighter/paramedics
Only CQvington provides M in addition to Piqua and roy all departments in out of one st.atiOm When f.be area is doubled in size several Utl1ll8DJlCd vol\Ulteer departments could included and two staffed multistation departments (Sidney and Troy .

26

Mutual Aid Comparison for the City of Dayton and surrounding departments
(Go ogle map centered on the City of Dayton at a scale of 2 miles per% inch and extending 8 miles in aU directions from city center)

All dep

ents cl

27

Most of the blended departments surveyed had lower volume of fire and EMS calls, had multiple stations to cover their jurisdiction, had a smaller response area, and a lower number of multiple calls when compared to the City of Piqua. All the departments experienced a much higher tum-over of part-time staff during th,e same.time that :f1-time staffing levels remained stable supporting findings in research. In examining full-time pay, the City of Piqua wages for firefighters are comparable to surveyed departments (see Appendix 1). One of the main causes for increased annual salaries for Piqua fire staff is the overtime factor. It has been determined by past administrations that it was cheaper to keep daily minimum staffmg at lower levels and pay overtime when additional personnel are needed based on actual emergency responses. An average annual overtime budget for the Piqua Fire Department is $180,000.

Potential Areas for,Evaluation

One area that is not well understood is the impact ofmoving to a blended department and what that means when considering the union contract, civil service rules, mutual aid agreements, and servicecontracts with local businesses. Language in the union contract may need to be examined and adjusted when moving to a blended to account for issues that may arise.

How will overtime be handled between part-time and full-time employees, how will layoffs and cuts be addressed, will certain benefits be provided to part-time :employees as it is to full-time employees regarding paramedic bonuses, time off, different types of leave, uniforms and equipment, annual physical exams and fitness testing, training, promotions and appointment, and so on? Housing and storage (bedding/lockers) for added equipment as well as added personnel will need to be addressed. Currently, civil service rules address hiring and promotions. Will changes need to be made to civil service rules and regulations to account for the change into a

28

blended department? Consideration should be given to entry level applications, testing, eligibility lists; background investigation of applicants, reemployment;, and reinstatement depending on how the conversion to a blended department is to be handled.

Cost Saving Concerns

The primary reason to consider replacing some full-time staff with a blended staff is the possibility that may exist to reduce budgetary expenditures. However, the anticipation of savings should be analyzed thoroughly. Salary and benefit savings of full-time staff verses parttime starf could result in department. costs than is being allocated to operate the existing fire

Staffing
, . i

While literature review and blended departments suggest a hiring ratio of six part-time members to replace one ni.embeh the bate mimmum best case scenario involves hiring

two part-time staff:members to replace every full-time 11?-ember laid off A 2:1 ratio staffing example is outlined in Appendix 2. There are three staffmg options outlined for part-time members (one 24-hour shift every- six days, one 12-hour shift every third day, or one 8-hour shift every other day), this would mean the hiring of 24 part-time employees to replace 12 laid-off full-time firefighters. However, that does nottake into consideration any additional hours of work the part-time members might acquire throughout the year above their regular schedule that could cause a furlough due to the Ohio .Revised Code 1500 hour rule. It is very that more

than the required minimum part-time schedule will be needed to adequately staff the City of Piqua Fire Department due to current staffing needs to perform the critical functions provided to the citizens.

29

Furlough

Overtime due to reliability issues of part-time staff members and vacancies caused by tmn-over of part-time employees has already been discussed, but another aspect of part-time staff use needs to be considered. As addressed in appendix 2, reaching 1500 hours within a year will require furlough of a part-time employee creating overtime to cover the vacancy. If parttime staff members are furloughed, full-time staff will be covering the vacancies at overtime rates. Handling of call-ins, scheduled overtime, and filling vacancies due to employees calling off will impact the 1500 hour limit. The argument cannot be made that there will not be call-ins of off-duty personnel because the department is not increasing staffing levels. It is merely replacing some full-time firefighters. The current level of multiple runs experienced and the related need to call:..in additional personnel will still exist. In addition, there will be times when part-time staff will be held over at the end of a shift due to a late shift fire or EMS call. As you can see in the graph below, there were 88 instances of hold-overs in 2009.

2009 Hold-Over Occurences By Day of Week

.
20
'i

-----11

------ <- . -...... --- -- -- - ----

13
11 Hold-Over

L ... . .:=.---............... ( .... .,.,...............__ __ """"""'- ... .... 0 -

. ....

k- -

.....,......._ ...___. .

,..,....

"'" ;""-.:.."=-=-... ,..... ..

=""' -"'=""' '-

These issues will likely contribute to the furlough issue creating full-time firefighter overtime at the end of the year. The best way to deal with such an issue is to increase minimum staffing and hire even more part-time staff eliminating the need for call-ins. However, hiring even more parttime staff will then increase hiring costs, hourly costs, benefits, gear and equipment, training needs, and so on.

30

Call Distribution Examining our fireand EMS calls by hour of day and day of week (Graphs 1&2/ pg. 32); the City ofPiqua would fmd it to difficult to use alternate staffing levels throughout the day like other blended departments. Calls are:distributed throughout allhours of the day and;all days of the week: The increase fluxin calls during the day accounts for a large part of the frre department's overtime budget in calling back off..duty firefighters which, when graphed, mirror the increase in calls (Graphs 3&4/pg.33). The graphs illustrate'that current minimum staffing of six are able to handle the call volume during non-peak hours, while time periods of increased emergency calls demand a needfor additional call back staffing.To underscore the importance of our staffing levels it is vital to understand the increase in the department's call volume. While staffing has remained virtually stagnant for the;fite department, 'the call volume has grown by a large margin (Graphs 5 & :6Jpg.34). In about 25 years the department has seen an increase in fire calls of 12% while EMS has realized an increase.o(I54%. In the same tfine qaiDe staffing has
. . . . ' . . .... . . ;. :. . , :' .? .

remained relatively unchanged with the exception of lay-offs ofthree members in 1981. These lay-offs reduced daily staffing to eight members and additional members were hired, one annually, in '97, '98, and '99 to bring staffing back to nine members per shift. Beginning in 2010, staffing is once again being reduced to eight members per shift with the non-replacement of retiring members.

31

2009 Call Volume Distribution By Hour of Day

160 140 l . .

.. ..
....-..--.. . . . . . . .._.
' ' ' "T , _ .

151 .

100 \ . . 82 76 80 - - -- -7-1 - --7260 40 .=

....

...

.-

.,

. i-'

100

Fire
-

..... - . ..

II EMS

52""
.... ...

-
--1-

f'-
. -. -

2 :

:_ __

_ 3l : ;

iJ i i J.L
'470 -- - 442 -- -..-----415 --

'2 -

[2:

4 4 .... . ' "-

2009 Call Volume By Day of Week

.. 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 ____ .- .. ... -- . ..4.44. -435- -

Fire
II EMS

2009 Call-Ins for Overtime Due to Multiple Calls

70
60 .; . '
'

63
. .... ... ' 58

} 50 -.: .... - ..---.- --------..

40
_j.
'i

_ _____ .._ _ 48 ....

38..

50

50

..-....

41
32 33

30 ) .----- .. .,...

------

_...7. 9-

30

31

20

24

Call-Ins

..

2009 Call-Ins by Day of Week

120 100
80 .; l
60 94

93
.... . 78 ' "

Call-Ins
40

20
0

..

33

Call Volume Growth from 1986 to 2009

2008 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 1996 1994 1992 1990 1988 1986
0
- --I

'UJ

I
l

J"tV JJ.V "t:'-1,) !"tJ/ ft"tl

i<f
v
7
':I
J,),)

I
!
j

3254 3232! 3083 i 3120 ! ! 2984 l i 3083 1 278!7 l 2551 i 2571 ' 2638 , 2567
OJ EMS

J"'-V
11
J
l:1

! I
j

j"''V..r.

I
"t/"t i "tOJ. j "tV/

..

,.

. 1UO
,, -

i420 13,61

2208 : 23q4 I 2152. l I 2098 t t1946 ! 1740\ i 1749 ! 1690 f M30 ! !

1

...

i .., ..
2000

li

l
." .

---

,...,...
2500

.
3000

500

1000

1500

3500
-
-,

- -------- - ----- - - - -- - --- - - - - - --------------- --- - --------- -- -- - ----- - ---- -----

_ __ _
..

---- - -- - ---- --------- - -- - ----- ------- - - - - ----------- ---- ------- --- ---

---- ----- - --- --- --------- ---

- ---

.. .... ...

-- ')

1986 to 2009 Comparison of Call Volume and Staffing Levels

4000
Cll

3000 2000 1000

0
Fire Runs EMS Runs

11 1986 1111 2009

26-,- 28'- ------..-. .

en

Staffing

34

Equipment and Gear

Each of the part-tiine staff members Will need to be outfitted with fire gear, uniforms, SCBA masks, and. inserts i:fthey bunker gear, helmet, and
-

vision

costs $3000 aset for

..

piece. Each set ofday wea.r uniforms are approximately

.

..

$200 and several sets will need to be provided. Additional radios/paged-will need to be

purchased. Benefits currently provided to full.:.titrle stafif()r n,.Utning shpes 'arid sefV:tce boots also be a factor. Each new part-time employee .will incur these costs.
Hiring Costs

The hiring process for public safety employees with the City of Piqua as outlined in union contracts and Civil Service rules is a
..

to

employment issues by hiring exemplary candidates.

process begins with a written

Civil Service exam; the top thirty candidates (from the Written score) undergo a physical' agility test; the top ten candidates (after the agility test) then receive a polygraph examination and an . extensive background investigation of previous employers, neighbors, review of. . . . .' . . . .. . . . f _(' . : .- , : :: .
?-_ _ -: ,: :

!.'

; .

.:

. . .

_ ,

;'

- . : : ;

history/ records, financial as well as criminal and:,civil violation history. Once a candidate is offered employment it is conditional on the successful completion of a pre-employment physical (includes drug testing) and a psychologicatevaluation. In 2009, the year of our last employment hire at the fire department, the costs outlined above were: Background investigation $250; Polygraph $400; Pre-employment physical $9i5; and Psychological evaluation $350. These costs are per person totaling $1,915 in 2009. There are also costs associated with offering a Civil Service exam and a physical agility test. CU1Tent Civil Service rules require a new exam be conducted every year with a possible one year extension. A need may arise for additional Civil

35

Service testing if active hiring lists are exhauste9 due to the hiring of part-time staff and high tum-over.

Previously
We also

Cost Saving Concerns

ignore other issues that will need to be considered that have already been

mentioned. Health care reform penalties or providing health insurance, shift incentives, retirement, recruitment and retention incentives like tuition, holiday pay, paid time off, hiring process costs, unemployment, and many other cost adding issues will all be a factor. At what point will we exceed our current operating expenses? There are concerns that the savings window is narrowing and attempting to draw enough part-time staff and retain them to fill those vacancies may prove difficult. What certification and training levels are we going to require in our part-time staff? If we require the same certifications as full-time staff that will limit the number of qualified applicants and make filling vacancies more difficult. But if the certification requirements were reduced it could impact the level of service provided to the city. If part-time staff are hired with less than the highest but then are required to obtain

it within a certain period of time, there will be a cost for the courses and pay to attend. Other issues include hidden added costs in payroll and scheduling. Someone has to perform these tasks and that will increase work load in man hours and processing costs. There are also the maintenance roles that are currently do11e the department by current staff.

Many of the blended departments .contract some or all of these functions out to third party vendors. Building maintenance, vehicle maintenance, hose testing, ladder testing, pump testing, and so on may very well add to the cost and they will not be cheap additions. Blended departments may simply lack those experienced in performing these tasks due to the revolving door associated with part-time employees and the constant need to provide entry level training.

36

:Related Points of Concern

In the process of evaluating the use of part-time staffmg for the Piqua Fire
Department it became necessary to assimilate additional areas of concern.. These should be applied in the dedsion process on the use of part-tlme as well as .stclflfug and
.
.

areas
.

operational changes in general. Questions regarding

and concerns posed by current elected offiCials

staffmg, emergency response and service levels are answered.within these

additional related points of concern.

Staffing/Service & Response Time

Many have occurred in the past tWo budget years regarding staffmg and changes when .

of the .Piqua Fire Department. . It is important to remember these considering the .replacement of These changes

full-time staff with part-time staff for budgetarY to six, the

reducing.daily minhnum staffmg from

of two retired members (one in January of2010 and one in January of2011), and reducing the medic crew from ttrr'ee to two on the majority of EMS calls. Will operational changes have

a negative effect on service or response when combined with the hiring of part-time staff to replace some of the current fuli-timestaff? the City benefits from an immediate response from their 'rrre

department. The department response times have been evaluate. d by census tract and are provided in Appendix 3. All involved to the need for an immediate response to a fire or

EMS call and the negative outcomes of a delayed response. However, response times may suffer directly and indirectly when consideringchangesto the City.ofPiqua's fire department structure or organization. The response time could be affected directly with the use of part-time staff on

37

apparatus that are not familiar with the community, vehicles, equipment, or standard operating procedures, and unavailability for call-back due to other jobs or distance they live from Piqua. Emergency staffing is a complicated and erratic juggling act to find balance between public safety, staff safety, and budgetary constraints. Why is the number of personnel and their function important on a fire or EMS call? The following table illustrates the roles/function, based on our current staffing levels, for several basic call types.
C II T M' . !\1 . rs I> 'I IT . I J h '\ . t (EadJ Piqua Hre l>epartmcnt stuff member is 21 tertifild Firejiglller AND Paramedic hotll in rovitliuo scrvic.es. In this tahlc they ure rt-fc.-rnd to as offitcrs ()f tirefiullfc.rs.) .

and

Call Type Basic Structure Fire

Assign ments 1 Offieer = Command 1 Firefighter = Driver/Pwnp Operator 1 Officer and 1 Firefighter= Initial Entry/Attack 2 Firefighters = Hydrant hook-up, Vent/Enter/Search from exterior, Pull a second attack line, and/or relieve first entry/attack crew. [No members leji on station -others called in.] l Firefighter =Driver/IV/Medication Administration 1 Firefighter = Establish airway and provide ventilations. . l Firefighter = Conducting chest compressions. 1 Firefighter = Monitor, record keeping, medication administration, in charge of the code.
[Two members left on station.]

Number on
INITIAL

Response

Code -Person not breathing/no pulse

Vehicle Accident with Entrapment Unstable Patient Stable Patient

1 Firefighter = Driver/Patient Care 1 Firefighter = Command/Patient Triage 2 Firefighters= Rescue Tools

[Two members left on station.]

2 Firefighters = Patient Care l Firefighter = Driver/Patient Care

[Three members left on station.]

1 Firefighter = Patient Care 1 Firefighter = Driver/Patient Care

[Four members left on station.]

It is important to note that the number of personnel (listed above) on initial responses may require further manpower as determined by the officer on the scene; as well as the number of firefighter/paramedics left at the station for the call type. It may be necessary to call in additional manpower for complex situations and to insure that staffrng is at a minimum of four

38

members in the station house for additional calls. This requires personnel being available for call back; part-time staff may not be available or too far away to respond. A very important statistic to consider is the vollime of multiple calls experienced by the city. Multiple calls are instances where we have two or more vehicles/crews/incidents occurring at the same time; multiple calls . occur approximately 50% of the time. .Informational requests from Coinmissioner Wilson regarding staffing prompted the department to begin statistical data tracking of shortages. In August of this year the department began tracking instances when the engine house staffing was below (due to multiple calls); st:atistical data indicates this occurs on a daily basis. There

119 instances in four months. Statistical tracking also indicate that there were four

instances where the department responded to a.fire with less than four members during the same four month period. Lack of staffing due to multiple calls also caused the department to seek mutual aid from Fietcher Fife Depa$Jlent to handle a frre call during the same four month period.
ISO, NFPA, ICMA, Considerations .

Staffing.and response

concerns are underscored throughout much of the written

.

information regarding the fire service. When considering changes to the way our. career department operates, it is prudent to c9nsider the irt;lpact staffing changes could have on the community's Insurance ServjcesO:ffice (ISO) rating and how the dep(Utment meets professional standards. Since the frre/EMS service is reactionary there is no way to anticipate what events any OJ1e department may be called upon to mitigate. Call volume distribution,
;

times,

risk assessments, industrial transportation and process inventories, and call type studies may . . provide a historical or current trends analysis or risk concerns but do not provide a

that those prior trends accurately predict what we might face in the filture.

(
ISO rating is a public protection classification that is derived from a frre suppression

39

rating schedule analysis consisting of three areas each worth a certain amount of points. Utilized are an evaluation of fire alarms and the handling of communications (1 0 points), fire department distribution, training, and staffing (50 points), and water supply (4() points). The total number of points then translates into an ISO class; a class one rating is most optimal. ISO recently completed a field evaluation of the City of Piqua and the results were provided in the City of Piqua Public Protection Summary Report dated February 2010. The City of Piqua currently has a class four ISO rating. The frre department scored 29.02/50 points in their portion of the evaluation. The score noted low levels/distribution of personnel, training, low ladder truck use, and lack of training aids/facilities. Staffing and training scored 11.33 of the 29.02 points towards the total score of65.83 for the city. Any changes to staffing or management of that staffmg and/or training of said staff could impact that score. A loss of 5.84 points would lower the ISO rating from a 4 to a 5. Impact on insurance rates depend on the insurance carrier and how the rates are banded (for example, some band ratings one through four into one rate band and five and six in another). Communities that have researched impact on 1SO ratings indicate a finding of0-2% change in residential insurance premiums between the rating difference of 4 and a 5. Nonresidential properties could experience changes between 2-36% depending on construction type, age, use, contents, and fire protection systems in use in addition to the band in which they fall. In short, the city's ISO rating could be impacted and may result in a change to residential and nonresidential insurance rates for those properties in the City of Piqua. The National Fire Protection Administration (NFPA), using nationwide statistics, line of duty death reports, and expert input establishes standards of operation for fire departments throughout the United States. The most influential standard is NFPA 1710. NFPA 1710 is the

40

standard for Organization and Deployment ofFire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical

Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments. The standard outlines requirements that address functions and objectives offrre department emergency service delivery, response capabilities, and The NFPA is non..;binding; but is recognized as an

ideal by which all jurisdictions should strive to achieve. Current staffmg standards in NFPA 1710 call -for minimum staffing for the first arriving fire response as four (NFPA' s two-in, twoout rule) and 15 firefighters should be on the scene in the first eight minutes of a residential fire. Large commercial settings would require many more. The department currently operates with a minimum staffing level of six.in the City of Piqua. With-the frequency ofour medic calls and each call requiring two personnel and often a-chase vehicle, ohlythree members are left on station. Additional personnel are typically not :re-c..alled in unless a second:medic run is dispatched before the first run isback in service and .then, practice is, tohold calling in

additional personnel if the first squad is very close to or at;the hospital and can make a quickturn around and return to service. During that critical time frame, should a fire call be dispatched, responding crews fall below the minimum staffing of four personnel and cannot make an interior attack; -such was the case recently with the Hopewood Drive fire occurring weeks after minimum manning was reduced to six per day. Fire operationS will be exterior only and a defensive posture taken until further staff arrives on the scene, unless a viable rescue is deemed possible by the Incident Commander at extreme hazard to firefighter safety. With modem construction materials (that are lighter and fail quicker under fire conditions),time is of the essence and when additional assets arrive, the window of opportunity may have dissipated for an interior attack altogether. Life safety and rescue scenarios move frustrating situations of unnecessary loss into dire straits with lethal potential, for-citizens and firefighters alike. NFPA's two-iti, two..,out rule

41

echoes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines and the Ohio Administrative Code.

In the text Managing Fire Services published by the International City Management
Association (ICMA), studies are cited that fire suppression involves three basic functions; (1) rescue; (2) laddering, ventilating, conducting search, making forcible entry; and (3) \Yater application. Conducting these operations, according to the ICMA, requires .at least four and often eight or more firefighters under the supervision of an officer. The text goes on to state additional studies have shown that if aboutJ6 trained firefighters are not operating at the scene of a workirig fire within the critical time then dollar loss and considerable injury are

significantly increased as is the square feet of fire spread Finally, the ICMA text mentions frrefighting tactics being conducted atid judged for effectiveness found that 5-person companieswere 100% effective, 4-person companies were 65% effective and 3-person companies were only 38% effective. These findings are also collaborated in the most recentNational Institute of Standards and Testing (NIST) discussed in detail later. The City of Piqua's current minimum staffing creates a situation where the initial fire response involves a 3 or 4 person crew (ex. Hopewood Drive Fire). _Finally, NIST completed a comprehensive independent study looking at the effects the size of a firefighting crew has on residential fires. The results found that the size of the fire crews and their response times have a substantial impact on firefighter's ability to protect lives and The study involved 60 controlled residential fire experiments and found that 4-

person crews were able to complete 22 essential fire ground tasks 30 percent faster than 2-person crews and 25 percent faster than 3-person crews. The essential tasks involved all major fire ground functions including search and rescue elements, putting water on the fire, laddering and

42

ventilation. Staggering of later arriving crews was also inchided in the study (one minute versus two minutes). The results showed that 2-person crews can face a fire twice the intensity of a fire faced by 5-person crew due to the speed and efficiency with which the attack is deployed. Modeling of the fires also demonstrated that trapped occupants are subjected to more toxic combustion products such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide-if crews of less than three respond. The concern for the City ofPiqua is in:the definitions of the study. Each experiment included three engines, a ladder, a battalion chiefand an aid. When considering two, three, four, tmd:five person crews, that is the number offirefighters in each engine and ladder. The lowest level in the study (2-person crews) resulted in a.total of 10 personnel on the.scene. The City of Piqua operates well below this threshold with J-8 being the initial attack crew.under current operating guidelines. The worst case scenario in this study is better than our typical response capabilities. . ISO, NFPA, ICMA, and NISI. are all professional organizations establishing guidelines, setting industry standards,. and measuring the effectiveness of the recommendations they make; or conducting independent tests.keeping life safety and.property preservation a priority with due regard for the safety of the emergency responder. While the fmdings and recommendations are not currently mandate4 requirements, they are all from reputable entities with regard to community and fire department operations. Going by the above industry standards, the department is operating in a less than ideal capacity even with the career staff we currently employ, the training they receive, their familiarity with the equipment and the community, and their cohesion as a department.

(
Service Reductions One of the strongest assets in the community is the fire prevention pffice. .The recent reduction in staffmg is causing the need to consider eliminating the office of fire prevention. Where do we have a greater need for staff, be no industry, community, or school

43

respcmse or:prevention? The result woulq classes. L. ack of fire prevention will severely

hamper the ability to complete inspections, set-up community displays, investigate complaints, city ID card management, large speciatprojects like county risk assessments, EOP/EOC preparedness, lack of oversight for investigations, incident cost recovery,Jack of community event representation, and result in overtime when department representation is needed on committees or projects at higher levels. Ad,ditiotial changes might elinlfuation of emergency .outside of routine

fire and EMS calls. Nuisance illegal burn or recreational frre calls may be deferred to the police department. Reliance on mutual aid requests to .dlstant departments,should the department's resources be exhausted, will mean a much longer response for aid. As has happened with other communities, we can foresee alienating the good graces of closer departments we woqld be utilizing if this became the rule rather than the exception. Without the needed manpower or proper level of training and or certifications, there will be a need to ev_aluate and reduce services. Budget/Financial Impact City administration, both <;>fficials and City Manager Fred Enderle, have informed and/or increase revenue. In

the public and public safety entities of the need to decrease

2010, we as a city have seen revenues decline in comparison to,budget year 2003. The following evaluates the differences in budget from 2003, 2010, and 2011 for the fire department. The figures used were derived from City of Piqua budgetary financial records (Appendix4).

44

Table 1 below compares the major budgetary components of2003, 2010, and 201l(both expenditures and revenue generated); the table lists our overall budget then breaks down the major categories such as personnel, benefits, operation & maintenance, capital, non-government transfers, revenue, and final cost. Budget comparison in Table 1 reflect that fire department 2010 estimated budget expenditures are $2,890,549 after revenue is deducted; an estimated 3% increase in costs from 2003 actual expenditures & revenue. Table 1 also shows 2011 estimated costs at $2,707,395 after revenue is deducted; an estimated 6.75% decrease in costs from 2010 expenditures and revenue. Table 1
Year

Budget
$2,909,622 $3,698,506

Personnel
$1,931,174 $2,312,888

Benefits
$768,218 $930,882

O&M

Capital

Transfers Revenue
0 $70,707 $103,412 $807,957

Final
Cost
$1,806,210 $2,890,549

2003 2010

$208,895 $384,633

$1,335 $40,000 FEMA $161,677 FEMA

3% Increase from

2011

$3,606,665

$2,077,244

$909,311

$389,398

$69,035

$899,270

2003 6.75%
Decrease from

2010

When comparing the operation and maintenance costs (O&M) note that a collection fee is assessed to the fire department budget (in 2010 & 2011) associated with EMS billing and is just one example of additional charges that were not present in the 2003 O&M. The third party EMS billing company is paid 6.3% of the actual revenue collected; the fire department budget was assessed approximately $47,000 in 2010 to pay these fees from the O&M budget. The 2010 capital expenditure budget ($40,000) is an installment payment for a sprinkler system to be installed at the fire department associated with a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant. FEMA grant awards for purchases require 10% matching funds from the government entity and once items have been received and paid in full, the government entity

45

is reimbursed 90% of the approved purchases. So the $40,000 in 2010 capital will be reimbursed at $36,000 with the FEMA grant award; actual outlay for City of Piqua will be approximately $4,000. The 2011 capital costs ($161,677) are all associated with FEMA grant awards. Non-government transfers assessed in the 2010/2011 budgets include the loan payment for the fire engine that was also assessed in the 2009 budget ($400,000). The department did not have non-government transfers in the 2003 budget. The second table outlines a revenue generated comparison between 2003 and 2010. Successful grant writing by fire department staff, charging for EMS/Fire coverage at special events such as football games, invoicing for hazmat recovery, and EMS billing have resulted in a major increase in revenue for the fire department budget. Revenue in 2011 has been estimated at $899,270. This table does not include revenue from income tax levies.
Table2
!

l010 Estimated -Revenue 1 $36,000 FEMAGrant $l20,035 Township Contracts _ $6,492 EMS Grant -$10,430 Hazmat/ Event/Donation $635,000 EMS Billi}lg Total $807,957

--

2003 Atual Revenue

Township Contracts EMS Grant Donation $96,385 $6,377 $650

Total $103,412

Why is this information relevant? It exemplifies the goals of both increasing revenue and decreasing costs and illustrates the fmancial impact of recent changes, such as EMS billing and reductions in staff, which allow the department to mirror financial liability of2003. Regardless of the financial liability as a department, there is recognition that the City of Piqua is struggling fmancially and must investigate all possible sources to reduce budgetary expenditures as a whole.

46

The main concern is alterations to thecurrent system could result in increased financial liability and a possible lack of anticipated financial savings. One can look at recent financial examples when we as a city made the decision to utilize 2-person squad crews in an attempt to reduce the need for emergency call-back overtime. Subsequently, in the spring of2010, another attempt wasimplemented with a reduction of the daily minimum staffing from seven to six in an effort to reduce scheduled. overtime. Unfortunately, these attempts have not produced the anticipated savings desired. The reduction of daily stafl:ing minimums negated the decrease of call-back overtime that 2-person medic crew reductions were meant to prevent. Another example is the hourly wage analysis of the officer salary structure. The negotiated reduction in the weekly salaried officer rank resulted in the positions becoming overtimeand FLSA eligible. While these officers have a lower weekly (hourly) wage than previously promoted officers; the actual cost savings has not been recognized. The main point is to understand that strategies have been implemented, in theory, designed to reduce budgetary costs but in actuality the anticipatc:l savings have not been realized. Surveyed fire chiefs warned that there would be no realized cost savings from the use of part-time blended operations for 5-10 years after that method of staffing was introduced due to initial costs outlined in this report. Chief Wagner of Trotwood Fire Department stated he conducted a simple salary study to determine the savings from utilizing needed part-time staff to fill the same positions as 12 full-time firefighters and his findings netted a savings of$200,000 a year. Chief Pavlock of Sugarcreek Township conducted a similar salary study for cost savings and it resulted in $280,000 a year. With very different results, one Executive Fire Officer Study found replacing 12 part-time staff with the hiring of six full-time members actually results in a savings of over $700,000 annually. This is due to the actual realized costs attributed to part-time

47

use like tum-over and overtime required utilizing an unreliable prut-time system. The Fire Executive study considered all factors (mentioned in the report) while the two prior studies were a simple wage analyses. None of the studies had considered health care changes and all operate in a manner different than the City of Piqua regarding level of service, contracting third parties for maintenance and testing, and are located in an area where part-time use is prevalent and with close mutual aid.
In an effort to provide a budgetary analysis relative to the Piqua Fire Department and the

current staffing system against proposed staffing changes, graph 1A considers salary, benefits, and variables listed in appendix 5. The costs associated with the staffing changes are depicted on an annual basis. Graphs 1B and 1C also outline additional initial implementation needs of a part-time system and the costs associated with displacing 12 full-time members (leaving five full-time staff per shift, Chief, Fire Prevention Officer, and secretary). All graphs illustrate costs for current staff, a blended staff with 24 part-time members (2: 1 ratio), and a blended staff with 72 part-time members (6:1 ratio).

Personnel Related Budgetary Costs

0 y

t;

-a

a. c::;
<C

... ru
::s
VI

$3,600,000.00 $3,500,000.00 $3,400,000.00 $3,300,000.00 $3,200,000.00 $3,100,000.00 $3,000,000.00

Actual FullTime Anticipated Blended 24 Anticipated Blended 72

CIJ

> "i
<C

CIJ

::s 1::

Type of Staffing System

48

Graph 18
Total Implementation Costs for a Blended Department Laying off 12 Full-time Staff and using 24 Part-Time Staff Total=$ 574,465

Layoff Cost
II Implementation

Cost

for Blended 24

...,.

. ,....

- =

. -

'

_._. ,., .. ,.... -

..r.r - ..- oJr .. , . _ _ . . .. .,,,..._,_ . _.,_._..,.,...., .,

,..,.._.. - - . ,._

. ..
l

Total Implementation Costs for a Blended Department Laying off 12 Full-time Staff and using 72 Part-Time Staff Total= $988,425

i
I

I I$567,54o.oo

$420,885.00

Layoff Cost
II Implementation

(
Cost

for Blended 24

The figures used for the anticipated annual costs are derived from research, a median wage of $15 an hour for part-time staff, contacts with the State of Ohio and third party vendors, blended departments, and math calculations based on current costs of operations. Implementation costs include testing and hiring the needed number of candidates, fire gear and uniforms, and additional pagers. Layoffs include unemployment the city would pay being a reimbursement and not a contributory agency, and the payout of sick and vacation time. All figures were kept conservative. Even with conservative figures both blended systems are anticipated to exceed current operational costs even without considering the one-time

49

implementation and layoff costs. The blended 2:1 :ratio system is considered unrealistic by many who use a blended system and the more realistic approach is a blended 6:1 ratio. Fire department staff and union members realize the financial burdens of the City of Piqua and have made efforts to affect the bottom line in the.areas of operations, overtime costs, restructuring, and salary reductions. It is

an unfortunate aspect of contract negotiations and .

economical downturn that pit city government against union members (vice versa), each side battling their cause and opinion. We are perhaps better charged with working together as a team to recognize and support each other in an effort to resolve financial burdens.

Fire : Chief Recommendations

This evaluation was the result of a lengthy six month process to gather information on the fmancial feasibility of replacing sonie full-tinie staff with part-time staff within the City of Piqua Fire Department. The intent is to provide a comprehensiveand objective piece of information to the city manager, community leaders and citizens, as well as address questions and concerns of elected officials, as we consider alternatives during tough economical times. Part-time staffing is widely utilized and viewed by surveyed frre chiefs as art economical system iri' regard to the addition of personnel; but I reiterate that adding personnel is not the proposal being evaluated. This assessment is not about adding personnel but replacing some of our current full-time staff with part-time staff. They are not the same premise. It needs noted that current consideration of part-time staffing for the Piqua Fire Department is not a new concept. Piqua fire chiefs have been chailenged to evaluate time or volunteer staffing in the

past. When faced With a similar economic crisis, Fire Chief Greg Fashner (1988-1998) responded to suggested reductions instaffmg and services to the fire department saying, "In my opinion, there is another ball game in town, and it is called safety. Who vvartts to live where

50

there is a second class safety service? After all, isn't that one of the main reasons for being in a . city? Let's not take a giant step back, and that is what the alternatives.discussed here amount to. We should try to keep what we have and plan to improve the future." City Manager Fred Enderle recognizes that the Piqua Fire Department provides a.great service to the community; it is a matter of being sustainable financially. It is then my responsibility to review possible cost savings, such as hiring part.;.time staffing to replace some existing full-time staff, but in my opinion this could be a risky financial option that may result in higher costs than the current system. As a team, we needtoContinue researching and think "outside of the box" for cost savings orlevenue generating time firefighters with,part-time staff. It .my that fire staffmg is maintained at current levels apd some full-time staff with part7"time some kind ofsavings by
.

before we replace some full-

therefore, I do not r.ecommend a small possi9ility the city may

. While there is part-time

;

full-time
'

staff, I believe our research those savings not being what the city administration . clearly indicates . . .
.
.. . .

will have hoped for anq

exceed current,9peratip.g expenses. If there is a savings We also have to ask if it will it pe wort)l .

to be realized, it may take yea,rs to come into the problems that are g9ing to arise.witJI .

use of part-time staff. a greater cha11ce th,at

looking at the information I feel that there is, in

staff replacing SOJD.e full ..time staff could result in an actual rise . in the financial liability of the fire department through overtime created in tum-over vacancies, furloughs, and lack of by part-time call backs, the cost of the required hiring process, the. cost of required gear and uniforms, cost ofincentives that may be required to qualifi:ed candidates, the cost of

recent changes regarding health care, the actual number of part-time employees that will be

51

needed, potential for hidden costs like having to contract out many of the inter-department functions we currently do in house to third party vendors, and so Current administration

must understand the costs associated with recruitment, retention, and turnover when considering . fliiancial responsibility. Financial salary savings by replacing some full-time staff with part-time staff comes with a cost. Based on our fmdingg it would be difficult to speculate if the city would ever see actual fmancial gain to replacing some staff.

In addition, it is all too clear that the City of Piqua will face many challenges with the use of a blended system giving the distance to our mutual aid, the type of mutual aid available, the size and population of area, and the number of calls we receive, the number of

those runs that become multiple call situations, and the fact that we do not experience any type of population flux throughout the day or week that allows us to flex how we staff. It is important to recall the struggles of our neighboring volunteer communities in employing/maintaining emergency personnel. Fletcher recently had to disband their EMS operation due to lack of staffing. It is clear in our emergency call graph (graph 5) that increased demand for our services has grossly escalated while staffmg has not. li1fact, budget year 2010/2011 reflects a backward direction with the elimination of two firefighter/paramedic positions; reducing daily minimum staffing to six, for two of the three shifts. In 2011, the department will be evaluating the demands of the recent eliminated positions in the areas of overtime and services offered. The responses from those who actually run blended departments contain words of caution and warnings of failure in replacing some full-time statrwith part-time staff; that is contrary to their use of part-time staff. These are leaders that actually utilize and praise this type of a system. The advice of these experienced fire chiefs accent the needed hiring ratio as being six

52

part-time members to replace each laid-off member, this would mean hiring 72 additional members. Even if we look at a 2: 1 ratio, against recommendations, there would be a need to hire 24 new members at a minimum. Finally, the City ofPiqua Fire Department currently operates with a rninitnal system with one station and less manpower than neighboring full-time departments in similar communities.
In addition, there would likely be a rieed to reduce services we currently provide to the

community. Hiring and training qualifications may also affect how emergencies are handled; the situation may be amatter of containment or :waiting until qualified departments respond to mitigate the situation in areas such as technical rescue. During,these difficUlt economical times we are being challenged with difficult decisions that are often viewed as unfavorable. One has to ask, at what point we will haveteached the limit where we can no longer "do more with Utilizing part-time-staff will require a thorough evaluation of the services we provide and the manner in which we respon<L We as a city will need to accept responsibility for changes to policy and standard operating guidelines regarding all levels of our operations and would have a responsibility to make those changes public. Prior city management 'and fire department leadership has always maintained that our current system of callingbackstafffor emergencies (overtime}was less expensive than adding additional staffmg. In considering part-time 'Staff, the City ofPiqua could evaluate the use of part-time staff in order to eliminate the overtime budget. While this approach would most likely be budget neutral; it would allow for an evaluation ofthe use of part-time staffmg; an opportunity to study the real costs of using part-time staffing while at the same time increasing daily staffing to a number that allows us to prevent overtime. Utilizing part-time staff on top of ..

53

our current staffing levels will also allow us to better meet industry staffing recommendations and allow us to respond with larger crews who have been proven to be more efficient. The Piqua Fire Department is a public entity balancing the safety needs of the community (both private and industry), safety of personnel, with financial accountability based on public expectation. The difficult aspect of this research is noting that as a city we cannot accurately predict the true costs to operate an emergency services department with the implementation of a blended staffmg operation (replacing some full-time staffing with part-time staft).
It then becomes my task as fire chief to offer a professional opinion that will withstand public

scrutiny. This is accomplished by removing personal opinion and referencing fact, while considering public safety as the main objective in conjunction with financial responsibility to the tax payers. Research indicates that change during an economic recession is risky and perhaps the best show of financial restraint is to retain the. best qualified employee. It is. my hope that our findings clearly illustrate the possible risks and potential for decreased levels ofservice.. It is my official recommendation as Fire Chief that there is a financial risk that could result in a higher liability than present full-time staffing with the implementation of a part-time system to replace some full-time members.

Michael G. Rindler Fire Chief

54

References Berger, Anna; Borido, Mark, & Tomes William (2007, January). The impact ofimproved

protection classification ratings on homeowner's insurance rates in Richland County.

University of South Carolina; Institute for PublicService and Policy Research :http://www.ipspr.sc.edu/publication/Final%20Report2.pdf Bromen,Nathan P. (2000, December). Understanding part-time staffing issues in the fire

service. (Executive Fire Officer Research

Academy

Emmitsburg; MD: National Fire

Caudill, Michael D. (2005, March). Investigating part-time firefighter staffing issues with Miami

Valley (Ohio) Fire/EMS Alliance Member Fire Departments. (Executive Fire Officer
Research Project). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy Eberth, J. (2008). Olean Times Herald. Some communities mix full-time, part-time firefighters. Interview with Curt Varone July 20,2008. :olean, NY. Retrieved September9, 2010 from http://www.oleantimesherald.com/ar.ticles/2008/07/20/news/doc Gleason, Sean. (2002, August). The impact of inadequate staffing on initial fire attack at

Pittsfield Township Fire Department. (Executive Fire Officer Research Project).

Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy Haigh, Craig A. (2005, July). Viability of the part-time firefighter program. (Executive Fire Officer Research Project). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire Academy International City/County Management Association (1988). Managing Fire Services, 2nd edition. International City/County Management Association (2002). Managing Fire and Rescue Services. Lehmbeck, April (2010, July). Eastpoint to end mutual aid pact with Harper Woods. CandGNews.com as retrieved September 24,2010 from

55

http://www.candgnews.com/Homepage-Articles/20 10/07-28-1 0/Eastpointe-aid-HarperWoods.asp National Institute of Standards and Technology (2010, April). Report on residential frreground field experiments. Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (May, 2010). As retrieved September 8, 2010 from

http://docs.house.gov/energycommerce/ppacacon. pdf Reeves, Mike (2006, August). The legal and political aspects of staffmg. Fire Engineering. As retrieved May 26, 2010 at http://www.frreengineering.com/index/articles/ 159.issue-8.feafures.the-legal-and-political-aspects-of-sta[:fing.html Silva, Joseph P. (2001, April). Motivation ofvolunteer firefighters in combination fire

departments. (Executive Fire Officer Research Project). Emmitsburg, MD: National Fire
Academy Stacy, ShaWn (2008, December). The failing part-time system- planning for the future. (Executive Fire Officer Research Project). Emmitburg, J\W: National Fire Academy Varone, Curt (2010, September). Liability around staffing issues. Personal communication

56
Anpendix 1 Piqua Fire Department Part-Time I Full-Time Employee Survey & Survey Comparison Denartment

Department Address . IAFF local ny.mber with the department Person Completmg the Srirvey and Title Phone Number Is this the only department you have worked for? If not, please name your prior department and indicate if it was fulltime, volunteer, or blended.
General Information

How many part-time employees do you have? employees do you . . What is your rate in average number'of employees anriually for part-time? What is your turn-over rate in average number of employees annually for full-time? How many stations does yom department have?
Compensation and Benefits

What is your average hourly wage for part-:-tinie staff? What is your average hourly wage for full-time staff? Do you provide health insurance for part-time staff and what is the annual cost for the employee and the employer? If you do not, . are you aware <>f in tile recent health care reform that need to be into consideration by not providing health insurance? Do you provide uniforms .for staff and are they custom fitted to the.individual? Do you proVide fire gear for your part-time staff and are they custom fitted to the individual? Do you provide running shoes and/or duty boots for your part-time staff! Do you provide iridividual.SCBA masks for your part-time staff? Do you provide SCBA inserts for your part-time staft'? Do you provide retirement for your part-time staff and what is the employee/employer contribution and through what retirement system if you do? Do you provide training for your part-time staff and at what levels and in what capacity (fire, hazardous materials, EMS, etc.)? Do you provide liability insurance for your part-time staff? Do you provide life insurance for your part-time staff? Do you provide worker's compensation for your part-time staff?
Hiring and Promotions

Do you provide annual physicals for your already employed part-time staff? Do you require part-time staff to pass a medical physical for hiring? Do you require part-time staff to pass a physical agility test for hiring? What is your process for hiring part-time employees (interview, background checks, polygraph, psychological, etc.)? What is your process for hiring full-time staff(open competitive or from within the part-time pool)?

57 Do you utilize civil service in your hiring and promotions and what is their role? Are your full-time staff and part-time staff held to the same standards (training, hiring requirements, continuing education, etc.)? Do you require minimum certifications for those you hire part-time or do you train them through initial certifications? Do you have instances where full-time staff answers to part-time staff? Is there a clear chain of command in your department (please include a copy of your chain of command)?

DeparhnentFunctions
What is the ratio of full-time to part-time staff on any given shift? How do you staff your fire trucks for response utilizing full-time and part-time staff (number of full-time and part-time and certification levels)? How do you staff your EMS vehicles for response utilizing full-time and part-time staff (number of fulltime and part-time and certification levels)? How do you split station responsibilities between full-time and part-time staff? How is your facility set-up to allow for extra gear and personal belongings and sleeping arrangements of your part-time staff? Who takes care of your yearly testing (regarding hose, ladders, hydrants, pumper, etc.)? Who is responsible for your building maintenance? Who is responsible for your vehicle maintenance? Who is responsible for your daily cleaning around the:engine house?

Scheduling and Coverage

Who is in charge ofyour scheduling your part-time staff and are they 40 hour or a shift employee? How long does it take to produce the part-time schedule? How often does it need to be modified after it is created? How far out does your scheduling go for any scheduling period? How many part-time staff does it take to fill a full-time position and please explain (for example ifyou
are a 24 hour department and utUize a 24148 schedule for full-time staff, and your part-time staffwork a 24 hour shift[covering a.full24 hour period] you might schedule part-timers 1-24 hour shift every 6 days. That would require 6 part-time employees to jill the boots of one fuJl.;.time employee making it a 6:1 ratio)?

How do you handle hold-overs with your part-time staff in the event of a ftre or late call? What happens if part-time staff exceeds their allowable hours in any scheduling period? How often do you have call-offs (sick time, etc.) by part-time staff? How often do you have call-offs (.sick-time, etc.) by full-time staff? How compliant is your part-time staff with call-backs? How compliant are they with filling call-offs by other staff? What percent of your part-time staff have otb:erjobs? Do you pay extra for part-time staff for working holidays? Do you pay extra for ,part-timers working more thflll their scheduled hours (are they overtime eligible)? When you have.a part-time member leave, how is the separation usually handled (2 week notice, immediate separation, etc.)? When there is a part-time vacancy, how long is it usually open before being filled? Is there a probationary period for a part-time member? How long does it take to fully "season" a part-time member where they are trusted to act independently with your department's vehicles, equipment, and in your response area? Do part-time employees accumulate vacation, sick, or personal time? Do you allow part-time employees to cash in accumulated time when they leave?

58

Level of Service

How do you feel your response time is impacted with the use of part-time staff and their knowledge of your jurisdiction? Has the use of part-time staff reduced your level of service or limited the services you provide (responding with basic EMS crews instead of ALS, operating at hazardous materials awareness level instead of having technicians, etc.)? What is your daily minimum manning for full-:-time and part-time staff? What percentage of your calls are part of multiple call runs (one or more dispatches for separate incidents come in while a prior call is still being mitigated)?
Community Demographics

What is the size of your community in square miles and population? Does your community population fluctuate throughout the day? Does staffmg change throughout the 24 ;hotir day? What is your call volume annually for fire/EMS? What is the closest community you rely oli to supplement your staffing issues/call volume (mutual aid)? What is the closest neighboring station in each of the four directionsfroril your jurisdiction's boundary?
Miscellaneous

How often are you dealing with disciplinary action regarding a, pa.rt-time employee? How often are you dealing with disciplinary action regarding a full-time employee? How would you judge the working relationship between your full-time and part-time staff? How is your department funded? What is the total amount of your city budget? What is the total amount of your department budget? What portion of your department budget is from general fundsand how much from a public safety specific levy or revenue? In utilizing part-time staff, was it a progressive growth (volunteer, to part paid, to fulltime) or a response to cuts (reducing fulltime staff and adding part;.timers)? What is the added cost of payroll processing for part..time employees? Does your department have a union and how are part-time staff contributing to/covered by/and treated with regards to the union? What is your town's ISO rating? How does your staffmg compare to recomrtlendations in local GIS studies, ISO recommendations, or NFPA standards?
Additional Comments:

Please use this area to provide any further corinnents regarding any additional information you feel prudent in considering pros and coriS of utilizing part-time staff in what is currently a full-time department.

59

Department
39 60 25 4 7 0

1
0 0 0 0 0 $12.25 $ 14.2 1 $16.78

$19.41 $26.68 $26.00 $23.79 $ 19.99 $19.34 $ 16.67 $18.00

NA
3 (2)
4 (3)

8
20

3
24 4 4

6
127

53
60 7 13

26 (11) 10(3) 8(1-3)

$15.46
$10.00 $ 11.1 7 $12.00 $15.32 $13.50 $15.00 $14.94 $12.77 $14.00 $15.50 $15.71 $10.25 $14.00 $10.96

3
10 4

0
0 0 0 0 0

6
8

36

23 30

60
45

$21.89
$22.67 $24.34 $26.73 $30.00 $35.33 $26.46 $23.81 $19.53 $19.57 $17.35

13 (any)
6 (2)

11
17 9 30 38 24 12 32

5
6 4 4 4 0 2 4

25
27

5 (1)
7(4) 3

ll

2
0 1 0 0 0

28 37 14

12
8
7 14 (7) 15 21 (18) 7.88

32
70 50

22

PT FT

Number of part-time staff. Number of full-time staff. Turnover annually. Median hourly wage for part-time staff. Median hourly wage for full-time staff. Min.imum manning per day / ( ) =number required to be :full-time. Not applicable to the department

Stations Multiple Calls Mutual Aid Distances Population Flux Staffing Flux PT Evolution
NP

ffi C!:)

TO PTWage FfWage Min. Manning NA

Number of stations utilized by the department Percentage of calls that result in a second dispatch prior to first call being back in service. Distances in miles to closest mutual aid department Does the population change in the jurisdiction throughout the day? Does staffing levels change throughout day as a result of the population flux? Evolution resulting in operation as a blended department Not provided by department

60
Survey Comparisons

Department Beavercreek lJijtJer

1.5

Population 41700

Colerain

Delhi

24
5.3

9.3
6

10 6.2 34

9000 9600 10800 62000 30000 12235 23000 24202 33000 6000 14830 10163 7000 27000 1440000 15000

1274 800 333 505 2988 500 332 493 1000

650

3821 1500 1084

1511

2 1
2

50%

3%
18%

6206

5
3

72%
1% 10%
10%

2600
2648 1146 5800 1300 695
1000 1029

2
2
j

305 600 483

615

60% 15% 20%

12%

2
1 2 1 3 1

NP
30%

672 499 1000

NP 1852

1500 1748 1784 2000

NP 2379

15% 15% 15%

2ZOA,

sioo
20000-150000

2
2

20%
40%

isooo
48000
22085.79

1200 3300
970.05

38SO
5000
2430.05

3
3

33%
14%
50%

2.29

...

(
Survey Comparisons

61

6.5 1.5 5 2.6 Colerain

!

2.5
5

2 4.5
3

no yes no no yes yes no no yes yes yes no yes yes yes yes yes yes yes no yes
1.4/ll

no

up $2,800,000.00 $800,000.00 $2,100,000.00 $12,000,000.00 $4,000,000.00 $1,770,000.00 $3,800,000.00

$5 000,000.00

2.5 5 3.1 3.5

yes
no no no
no

up up up up up same up Up/down up up up up up up up/down up up same up up

18/21

5 4.3 1

.75 4 1 5

1.5 5 0.5

Delhi Englewood
Hamilton Township

NA
5.4 2 2 2 3 4 1 5
2 3

yes

NA
2
2

4.9 2
3

4.7 2

no
no
no no
no no

Harrison Township
Liberty Towashlp

3
1.5 4.5 3.5 NA NA 2 3
3

1 2.5 4

1 3.5 3.5 6 2 3
3

$2,600,000.00 $2,900,000.00 $2,100,000.00 $t,OOO,OOO.OO $1,300,000.00 $6,700,000.00 $3,200,000.00 100,000.00 $4,300,000.00 $4, l 00,000.00 $13,300,000.00 $4,339,761.00

Morine
Oxford

no

NA
2
3

no
no

Slia ronvitle
Springdale Sugarereek

no
yes
no

Sycamore Township

.5 2

.75 2 1.7 2.69

10.01

1.5
3

2 3 1.2

no no

1.7 2.80
6.67

2.55
7.03

3121
no

NA

Summary of Comparisons

The City of Piqua has 44 less part-time employees (since they are not utilized), 2.9 more fulltime employees, experiences no part-time tum-over compared to 4.76 annually for blended departments, has a greater full-time turnover of .62 annually, has no part-time wage, pays $0.23 less than the average full-time wage, utilizes a minimum manning that is lower byl.88 daily, covers a larger response area by 39.3 square miles, has an average population that is lower by 1347, responds to 531 fewer flre runs, responds to 722 more EMS runs, utilizes almost 2 fewer stations, experiences multiple calls 26% more of the time, has mutual aid distances greater in all directions from 3 to almost 11 miles, does not have the luxury of having a population flux that can be utilized in staff planning, a budget that is lower by more than $283,000, and no part-time evolution when compared to blended department averages that utilize part-time staff and responded to survey questions.

62 Appendix2
Full-Time/Part-Time Staffing Schedule Comparison

Type of Staff

Schedule

Monday

Tuesday

I Wednesday I

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Ratio of number of part-time staff needed to replace a full-time

Each letter indicates a separate employee needed to fill the schedule as indicated based on the type of scheduling used to employ part-time employees. Replacing 12 full-time firefighters with part-time staff working a 24 hour, 12 hour, or 8 hour schedule requires 24 employees minimum working a regularly scheduled shift in one of the respective formats.

-,

63 Different staffmg levels are considered in this appendix with consideration towards staffing members around the clock. Each has their own appeal. Utilizing part-time staff in a 24/120 schedule keeps part-time staff working with full-time staff in a similar schedule but the system is not the most commonly used by blended departments and may not be attractive to potential applicants. Using 12 hour shifts allows us to provide a more attractive schedule using the most common staffing method used by blended departments but may require shift incentives for night shifts. Finally, using an 8 hour schedule most closely mimics a majority of jobs in society and may allow us to attract even more candidates but may require two levels of incentives. Looking at our call volume by hour of day and day of week provides no evidence of a flux in calls that would allow the department to flux the staffing level. That means the fire department would staff part-time members around the clock or deal with call-in overtime on every squad (and some fire) calls during the hours such an attempt to reduce staffing was made. For example, if staffing is arbitrarily reduced to four at night from 12 am to 6 am because the call columns for those hours were below 100 in 2009 [see graph 1], there would be a minimum 2 members called in to staff the department due to two men leaving on squad (which is a minimum response and could be more). That, using 2009 as an example looking at graph 1, would happen a minimum of 541 times or 1082 instances of paying 2 hours and 40 minutes of call-in overtime rate at the employees respective level. Minimum personnel on the station at any time during an existing run are four in order to man a fire call or additional medic call that might be dispatched. Part-time employees working public service are defined in law as those working less than 1500 hours (O.R.C. 4 113. 11[0][3] and O.R.C. 505.60 [F][1]). Using a 24/120 schedule means the part-time employee would accumulate 1464 hours over 61 working days working every sixth day or some equivalent. An employee working a 12 hour schedule would accumulate 1464 hours over 122 working days working every third day or some equivalent. Finally, an employee working an 8 hour schedule would accumulate 1464 hours over 183 working days working every other day or some equivalent. Despite the drawback of needing to hire more employees than the minimum number, it may be necessary for one point in particular. It allows more flexibility in filling other interdepartmental needs. Once the part-time employee reaches 1500 hours, they will need furloughed until the start of the next year (meaning overtime by full-time staff to ftll the vacancies). This impacts their ability to respond to call-ins for overtime, staffing through str-aight pay or working scheduled overtime for events and activities, or providing coverage for employees who call off on their scheduled day to work. These part-time schedules only allow 36 hours, annually, of flexibility for the minimum number of part-time staff required to replace 12 displaced full-time employees. In addition to furlough, it is important to remember that these numbers are minimums required just to meet the roles 12 full-time personnel currently fulfill. There could be problems above and beyond the aforementioned furlough including tum-over, calloffs, or difficulty recruiting needed personnel at different times. It may be necessary to hire more than these minimum numbers and attempt to maintain them, or the department could experience a rise in the use of full-time personnel in overtime situations to meet needs.

64

Appendix3 Census Tract Map/Definitions/Response Times

.P.

5 .

10

. 12

'

13

F,

Census Tract BorderPefmitio11S:

65

8 0 47 49 9

5:37

NA

5
24 6 6

4:58 5:25 6:49 7:35 6:42 7:49 3:55

103 8 437 126 107

75
242 109

17
72 154 106 76 23 48 0 0 619 198 62 26 8 236 11 9 7 37 116 11 2 37 3 39 20 0 0 1 8 0 0 32 0
0 0 0 0

13
0 8 12 3 18 0 0

5:59

NA
6:56 5:08

5:35
6:15

4:45 4:57 4:21 5:07 4:41 5:50 5:45 7:27 4:58 5:25 6:18 6:04 5:04 7:07 4:15

NA NA
4:28 3:42 5:03 7:38 6:44 5:54 5:06

NA NA
4:09 4:58 5:20 6:06 7:01 6:48 4:45 7:19 8:18 7:25 7:51 8:28 10:45 8:23 7:05 7:15

95
20 4 2 10 13 6 0 3 3 18 8 1 1 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 404

NA
2:56 8:15 7:21 7:02 7:53 6:16 5:17 9:30

NA NA NA NA NA NA
9:00

NA NA
3:00 5:30

NA NA
6:58

NA
3:01

NA NA NA
5:39

NA NA NA NA NA
5:44

3284

Times are an average of the response times in 2009 with first out vehicles only: Medics 9, 1, 14, and 3 for EMS and Engines 1, 2, and 10 for Fire. No chase vehicles supporting the medics, utility trucks as are used for CO runs, secondary dispatches as used for the rescue truck, or grass truck dispatches were included due to the fact that they respond without lights and sirens a majority of the time. Times may be elongated for medics that are third and fourth out because their response is largely dependent on the arrival of call back personnel before response can be initiated. It is difficult to sort those calls from others because medics are rotated when the first two being called out are out of service. The time is defined as the span between when the department receives the dispatch until the point firefighter/paramedics set foot on the scene. This response time study is dependent upon accurate data entry by the firefighter/paramedics entering the information and is impacted by weather, multiple calls, and availability of personnel. Census tracts have been added that are not reflected in the map including tracts 75,77,79,85, and 97.

TIME: 13:51:44 DATE.: 11/04/10 BAS445

CITY OF PIQUA DEPARTMENT DETAIL

PAGE 2010 AUG TO DATE 2010 ESTIMATE 2011 REQUEST

2008 ACTUAL
Ft.iND: 106 DEPT: 009 SAFETY DEPT. FIRE

2009
ACTUAL

2010

8UDGET

*'**** ***** * **** *'************ *** *** *** "* ..... * ** *** * ****** . . * .... lt**** * 11:** i: ** * ** * '****** 1t11:tlt************** ., **'** ***.
PERSONAL SBRVICES CAPITAL 002 SALARIES-SUPERVISION 003 SALARIES-REGULAR 004 SALARIES-TEMpORARY 010 SALARY-COMP ABS-EARNE Oll. SALARY-COMP ABS.-USED SVC

0 104, 682 2,283,281 0 89,206 0

0 122, 661 2,148,980 0 89,206 0

. 00 102, 595. 00 2,085,388.00 . 00 141,800.00 . 00

.00 64, 043. 82 1,460,278.66 . 00 .00 . 00 1

.00 95, 943.00 2,133,669.00 . 00 89,000.00 . 00

.00 98, 045.00 1,999,199.00 . 00 .00 . 00 2,

** ._. **** *** *** ******* ..... *'* *** * ** * .. *'** * * ** **** ** ***** ** * ** ***** *** * * * ** ** * *. * - *. *
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE' 103 ADVERTISING

*.

2,

* * * ** ... **. * **. ** *****'* * fl

:gg-

*.

** *

0.

'

*******"* ***"'**********"'*** ******* ill ********'*****"' ***** ******* ** * ................... * "'"******************"'*""*****'*.,.*

569 1,63g 40, 156 8,153 0 1,955 4,100 262 34 44, 267 10,619 0 1,999 4,301 278 200.00
SO, 810 . 00

0 .

I-+)

661.07 26, 506.52 550.00 .00 1,649.00 3,923.18 76.83

1, 500.00
4 7, 000.00 12,500.00 .00 2,000.00 4,880.00 200.00

500.00 45,000.00 12,500.00 . 00 2,QOO.OO 4,531.00 200.00

g=G:SSUBSCRIPTIONS 200 . . EXPENSES-COLLECTIONS 203 SXPENSES-MEDI.CAL 204 EXPENSES-REPAIRS & MA 206 EXPENSES SAFB'l'Y 225 FEES-Al.IDITORS 229 FOoD 6< MEALS

.c S:: .
$:);)
"""'

'"d .

"ros "' . F<isLJ""''"'''"'''""

244 . 3n 402 403 404 405 453 . 487 554 565 576 577 578 579 596 600 601

3;;;: 1

15,000 . 00 .00 2,357.00 4,880.00 400.00

01.
N . 0

". '" s,
14, 550 0 18,858 7,952 15,602 0 0 34,517 1, 22,467

a. "'

3,

". "' . oo

3,

'. m . "

3,

.SUPPLIES INS. -PROPERTY/LIABILI MI'LS & LBR- AUTOMOTI MTLS .& LBR- ;BUILDING MT!JS & LBR iEQUIPMEN MTLS '& LBR - GROUNDS O&M CREDIT ALLOCATION ADMINISTRATIVE EXP AL S6RVICES-INF<;> TSCHNOL
SUPPLIES-OFFICE

19, 761 0 16,187 24,834 14,421 0 9232,124 3, 26,052. 1,198 20,198 3,422 9,076 , _ 8:09 , ....il,:7l:F .c 2Jo,.9'8":C. 20.,'1:73 ' 327,205.

22, 200. 00 . 00 22,850.00 9,050.00 16,975.00 00 . 00 31,382.00 16, 24,65700 2,000.00 19,200 . 00 4,640.00 28,507.00

16, 537. OS . 00 16,661.94 5,904.28 9,204.55 . 00 . 00 18,624.74 10, 1.6,436,00 816 . 40 13,097.09 2,173.16 5,873.00

!!

". ooo . oo

6,

". " ' .oo

6,

J5. .c.
:;::, ., .,_:

t:O

22, 000.00 . 00 22,850.00 9,050.00 16,975.00 . 00 . 00 31,382.00 13, 24,657.00 .00 19,200 . 00 4,640.00 16,000.00

26,750.00 . 00 34,900.00 14,050.00 25,125.00 . 00 . 00 33,097.00 13.

""'" . ,1:1.

fD'
"0

..
00

TELEPHONE TIRES, aATTEliiES & AC TRAINING

TRAVEL

INF TECH EQUIP NON-CA UNIFORMS 6< CLOTHING UTILI'l'IES (EL,WTR,SW, OPERATION AND . MAINTENANCE TOTALS
'Ill ..

** .... **'*.*************.** ***'* ... 111: * .. ***"* ** ...... *** !' ** **** ** ***** .... * .. ** ........ "" *. ** * * *'* * ** * **** ** * * ** * . . . *"" .,.. *'*** *****'* ..... *** *** * ** *.

1,667 17,707 4,983 16,203 425 2,162 26,769 20,181 316,691

. 00 19,200.00 3,000.00 . 15,050.00 -4,775.00 . . 19,600.00 . 25,000 . 00 389,398.00

4,850.00
1,3!11.00 24,000.00 27;136.00 384,633 . 00

3,.S2!1.8l
902.42 15,148.44 12,672.55 211,246.60

3,600.00
'1.;391 . 00. . J.9 .; .600.00: 22,'01J'O.OO 344,029.00

0'1 0'1

TIME: 13:51:44 DATE: 11/04/10 BAS445

CITY OF PIQUA DEPARTMENT BUDGET DETAIL

PAGE -

2008 ACTUAL
FUND: 106 DEPT: 009 SAFETY DEPT . FIRE

2009 ACTUAL

2010 BUDGET

2010 AUG TO DATE

2010 ESTIMATE

2011 REQUEST

ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT 701 INS . -HOSPITALIZATION 702 INS.-LIFE 703 INS . -WORKMEN'S C0!4P. 704 OHIO UNEMPLOYMENT COM 705 P.E . R.S . 706 FIRE & POLICE PENSION 707 MEDICARE

*** * ******* **** ***** ** * ft'* ** **'**** ** *********.*lit.**** ....... *.* **'****** ******** ****** *** ********** *
263,796 3,121 0 0 4,621 517,017 26,305 265,791 2,942 0 0 5,955 490,523 26,703 405,500.00 3,318.00 . 00 . 00 5,985 . 00 514,856.00 31,723.00 239,587.78 2,030 . 40 . 01 . 00 3,965 . 06 327,857.86 18 , 587.29 375,000 . 00 3,318 . 00 . 00 . 00 5,985.00 514,856 . 00 31,723.00 375 , 000 . 00 2 , 577 . 00 3,817.00 . 00 5,985 . 00 493,076.00 28,856.00

..
CAPITAL CAPITAL CAPITAL TOTALS

1r

* * * *** *

..

* ** ***

;:! ;;:.. ** * *
430,793 430,793 329,980.00 329,980.00

;;!
.00 . 00

* * * ***

*. *
40,000 . 00 40,000.00

!!!;
161,677.00 161,677.00

................ ** ............... **** ** * *** .... -- ****'* .............................. *** *** *** * *'*******. *'*'* **'***"*********"

257,385 257,385

OVERHEAD TRANSFER 450 OVERHEAD TRANSFER 0 0 . 00 . 00 . 00 OVERHEAD TRANSFER TOTALS 0 0 .00 . 00 .00 *. *1r*** *'* * ........ * * * * * **'** * ** **'**"'* ... *'* ** ** "* ** *111* *1t. ** *** ..... * * ** ** * * * * ** ...... **'* **** ** * * ****. *** ** ** ** ** **

*"'

*. * * *

*.

* * * ***'* *

. 00 .00

* ,... * ** *'*' *fr * * * *** ** ** *** * ..... **. **** * ** *** ***. ** * ** * **. **** * *** * * ** *** *** ** * ** .... ., .... ** ............ .,. * * * * * * * * * * '** * * *""* ..... .. NON GOVERNMENT /TRANSFERS 938 TRANSFER OUT- 255 0 53,444 48,718.00 32,478 . 64 48,718.00 47,523.00 971 TRANSFER OUT TO 249 0 21,689 21,989.00 14,659.36 21,989.00 21,512.00 NON GOVERNMENT/TRANSFERS TOTALS 0 75,133 70,707.00 47,138.00 70,707 . 00 69,035 . 00
* *. ** .... * * * * * * * * * * **** ** * ........... * * **. **., * ** * ..... **. ***** ***** * * *** **** *** ** ** *'******* ** * * * * * * *. ** 1t * *. * '****

0'1 -...l

TIME: 13 : 51 : 44 DATE ' ll/04/10 BAS445

CITY OF PIQUA DEPARTMENT BUDGET DETAIL 2008 ACTUAL 2009 ACTUAL 2010 BUDGET 2010 AUG TO DATE 2010 ESTIMATE

PAGE 2011 REQUEST

FUND : 106

SAFETY DEPT.

DBPT 009 FIRE PERSONAL SERVICES OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT CAPITAL OVERHEAD TRANSFERS NON GOVERNMENT/TRANSFERS DEPARTMENT TOTALS

* w * **., ** * *'** * * *** * * * * ** * * * ** * * * ***** * * *** ** * ** ,.,.. *llr * *

TOTALS ,...., * *"'*** * *********'*** .. ** **1f *4ir***** ** * **** ** * * * * * * * ** ** .. * **'* 2,337,039 2,171,043 2,309,783.00 1,518,597 . 70 2,312,888.00 2,077,244.00 316, 691 327, 205 384, 633.00 211, 246. 60 344, 029 . 00 389, 398.00 814,860 791,914 961,382.00 592,028 . 40 930,882.00 909 , 311 . 00 257,385 430,793 329,980 . 00 . 00 40,000.00 161,677 . 00 0 0 .00 .00 . 00 .00 0 75,133 70,707 . 00 47,138 . 00 70,707 . 00 69,035 . 00 3,725,975 3,796,088 4,056,485.00 2,369,010.70 3,698,506.00 3,606,665 . 00

oc

0'1

69

Appendix5:
Variable Cost Factor Explanation Fulltime . 30 Staff Blended Full-Time 18& Part-Time 24 Blended 72 Full-Time 18 & Part-Time 72

Full-Time Wages

the selling-of accumulated

Includes hourly wages and

c
D

Full-Time Benefits Full-Time Retirement Full-Time Initial Training Full-Time Continuing Education

F
--

Full-Time Members Gear Full-Time Medicare Full-Time Workman's Compensation Full-Time Testing and Hiring Costs

vacation and sick time. Actual 2009 figure. Health and life insurance. Actual2009 figure. 24% of wages for Ohio Police and Fire Pension. Actual 2009 Figure. Not required ... Hired with firefighter level 2 and paramedic. Contracted services for monthly training for EMS. Fire continuing education is currently done in house but will further increase these costs in the future as the state moves to require continuing education be provided by a chartered and credentialed institution. Currently st<?cked... replace 3 sets annually. 1.45% of wages 3%ofwages

$2,171,043.00 $268,733.00

$1,302,626.00 $143,324.00

.$1;302,626.00 $143,324.00

$490,523.QO

$277,893.00

$277,893.00

$0.00

$0.00

$0.00

$3,600.00 $9,000.00 $26,703.00

$3,600.00 $9,000.00 $16,789.00

$3,600.00 $9,000.00 $16,789.00

$65,131:00 Costs associated with giving the civil service exam, providing a physical agility test to top 30 candidates, and 10 through the rest of the process including background, polygraph, psychological, fire staff interview, .and then putting final five through medical and final interview once every two years. Applies,to both current staffing and with the use of a blended system because members are being replaced and manning is remaining the same - not increasing. Appears cheaper in the blended system because it is assumed part-time staff

$34,737.00

$34,737.00

$6,012.00

$0.00

$0.00

Normally Experienced Overtime

$180,000;00

$157,500.00

$157,500.00

70
would make an estimated 50% of call back or scheduled overtime . depending on ayailability. On.a wage scale of$12-$18 Part-Time an hour; the median wage Wages would be $15 an hour. Assuming no benefits are Part-Time provided to part-:time J:lenefits there would be a penalty under new legislation (number of employees in the city- 30 x 1112 of$2000 monthly). Part.:.time firefighter Part-Time contribution would be to Retirement social at 7.65%. Depends on services the Part-Time Initial Training department continues to provide. Cannot rely on hiring all firefighter level two/paramedics because those requirements would drastically limit the hiring pool. Estimation is based on having all ;fire fighter -level twos and EMT-Basic minimums. Part-Time Same as fulltime continuing Continuing education but estimated Education additional fees to Pt"ovide teaching services for additional staff and at additional periods OR paying for part-time staff to attend when not on shift. Part-Time Would expect to replace Gear 10% of part-time staff sets annually and plan on needing I 0% additional sets each year for new employees with their own requirements. Part-Time Estimated 25% annually. Turnover/Rep! Due to vacancy acementCost overtime/hiring efforts/unemployment etc. or approximately 112 annual wage for each employee that leaves per the department of labor. Part-Time Estimated 50% of24 part-

..

K
L

)i '

$0.00.

$525,600.00

$525,600.00

$().0Q

$466, 128.00

$561,744.00

$0;00

$40,208.00

$40;208.00

(
$0.00 $0.00

$0.00

$6_,480.00

$19,440.00

$().00

$15,000.00

$45,000.00

$0.00 $0.00

$67,500.00 $129,600.00

$202,500.00 $0.00

71
Furlough time staff. Additional staff prevents furlough so none is estimated with 72 staff. Estimated figure due to late arrivals due to other jobs. $0.00 Estimated costs related to losing staff members capable of doing vehicle and building maintenance in house, hose testing, ladder testing, pump testing, etc. and having to pay third party vendors to conduct the labor. Estimated costs of paying the late 12 hour shifts a 10% shift differential to half the part time staff. 1.45% of wages 3%ofwages $0.00 Costs associated with giving the civil service exam, providing a physical agility test to top 30 candidates, and putting 10 through the rest of the process including background, polygraph, psychological, fire staff interview, and then putting final five through medical and fmal interview once every year (different than full time due to list exhaustion and need to hire many more staff). The occasional instances where we might be required to send an all basic crew on medic calls. Estimated at 10% of the call volume. $15,768.00 $15,768.00 $2,738.00 $2,738.00

s
T

Part-Time Induced Overtime Part-Time Induced Third Party Fees

$0.00

$15,000.00

$15,000.00

Part-Time Shift Differential Part-Time Medicare Part-Time Workman's Compensation Part-Time Testing and Hiring Costs

$0.00 $0.00

$6,570.00 $7,621.00

$6,570.00 $7,621.00

w
X

$0.00

$12,025.00

$12,025.00

Part-Time Induced Reductions in Revenue

Totals:

$0.00 $3,220,745.00

$45,000.00 $3,300,707.00

45,000.00 $3,444,683.00