The Social Network & Community JUST for Firefighters
Disciplinary actions for not meeting minimum requirements
I have a question to ask of everyone.
This is posed to those of you who have minimum training requirements (be it a minimum certification, monthly hours, or certain OHSA updates required each year).
What happens when you have a firefighter who doesn't meet those minimum hours required, etc.? What sort of disciplinary action takes place?
Our by-laws are written as such that you should try to attend every meeting, every training, etc..., but there are no disciplinary guidelines in it to say what to do if they don't maintain that minimum amount.
I realize our by-laws need to be updated, that's on my "to do" list to get done next year. I was just looking for ideas of what y'all do. Do you send the firefighter a letter of noncompliance? Pull their gear? Etc?...
Thanks..
Jake
This is posed to those of you who have minimum training requirements (be it a minimum certification, monthly hours, or certain OHSA updates required each year).
What happens when you have a firefighter who doesn't meet those minimum hours required, etc.? What sort of disciplinary action takes place?
Our by-laws are written as such that you should try to attend every meeting, every training, etc..., but there are no disciplinary guidelines in it to say what to do if they don't maintain that minimum amount.
I realize our by-laws need to be updated, that's on my "to do" list to get done next year. I was just looking for ideas of what y'all do. Do you send the firefighter a letter of noncompliance? Pull their gear? Etc?...
Thanks..
Jake
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Loyd Dittfurth on
-
back home In the by-laws it states that if a firefighter misses 40% of the meetings in a year they are let go. Now I personally have never seen this happen. I have seen some turn in there pagers because they wernt showing up. But, me personally have never seen any action taken against any member of the fire dept.
-
Permalink Reply by ashfire on
-
We have put members on inactive associate membership for a while and if they don't meet standards after that they are dropped from the roles and have to reapply if they come back and take any training that they let lapse.
Their gear gets pulled from the locker and any items they leave either gets sent to them or thrown away.
Any items they have that belongs to the dept has to be returned or the dept will come for it and if doesn't the police will come for it. This will be any gear or SCBA face mask communication equipment that they are issued.
-
Permalink Reply by Sergey Treskov on
-
зачем пришол служить в пожарную охрану если не посещает занятия
-
Permalink Reply by Capt.Alex Arnold on
-
I agree with what Sergey said.
-
Permalink Reply by Michael Rocke on
-
I am going through this currently. I have taken the gear back from the individual(he keeps it in his truck in a bag). His gear has been placed back on the gear rack and he has been put back on probationary status. If he meets the requirements outlined in the next six months, he goes back to regular status. Otherwise....bye bye.
-
Permalink Reply by Joe Stoltz on
-
We require that each active member attend the 8 hours of annual OSHA refresher training. Our training consists of monthly 2 hour sessions running January through April, and these are offered on a drill night AND on a Saturday morning for those working nights.
In May and June we offer make-up classes on an as-needed basis to those who missed one or more of the formal sessions.
If a member fails to meet the 8 hour requirement by June 30, he/she gets a letter stating that the requirements are not met and are classified as Inactive. A group of line and corporate officers will then go to pick up that members' gear.
Inactive means they may not respond to calls, and if they show up on scene are "encouraged" to leave.
This is all documented in our by-laws and is reviewed with each new member so that there is no misunderstanding or surprise.
-
Permalink Reply by Art "ChiefReason" Goodrich on
-
Sergey:
Did you just twitter something to us?
Art
-
-
Jake:
Get the by-laws updated and include minimum requirements; maybe mirror the state requirements for training.
Meetings are important, if there is an actual point to the meetings. We follow an agenda, parliamentary procedures and they are required unless properly excused.
Unless there is a provision for corrective actions if anyone falls below the minimum, then really; what is the point?
Do you want firefighters or tourists?
TCSS.
Art
-
Permalink Reply by Fireyladd - Retired Chief Sharp on
-
Jake , this usually is a accumulation of many things from attitude to lack of involvement. We pull the gear! My feeling is if the person wants to be part of the Department they want to be there. They WILL be involved and participate in the Department activities-training and calls. If they do not maintain at least 2 drills a month or stay in contact with us and there is no extenuating circumstances involved we pull their gear and or drop them from the roster.
-
Permalink Reply by FETC on
-
The requirement for some around us and I teach for many of them varies, some require 2 hours per month others 4. They post an attendance report on the training board, which can be a self motivator and peer pressure as well. Life has challenges, we all know this but communication is the key. All have by-laws that require a minimum attendance to remain active.
To be honest if the officers of a department are doing their jobs then disciplinary action shouldn't be an issue, as this should have been addressed long before it becomes a non-compliance issue.
-
Permalink Reply by Alan Shaw on
-
I am not a fan of mandatory punishments from the officer perspective. When an officer is required to dole out a specific punishment it removes the very judgment that we are supposed to be vesting our officers with. As a member, one needs to meet requirements, whatever they are, but there are always reasons & excuses, some more valid than others. It is up to the officers to handle each individual in a fair and impartial manner. Personally I would talk to a member and find out why a requirement was not met, that would have a direct impact on what level of punishment was issued. The flip side of giving a minor or light punishment is that after getting that level once, it is highly unlikely you will be given such a break again.
I also am of the opinion that we need to make our standards reachable by the majority of our members the majority of the time. Sometimes in our effort to appear more professional, we shoot ourselves in the foot. A nearby department did something I really liked when they set high requirements for Chief Officers. They set a five year time line to meet the new requirements. Then they hosted the required classes twice a year for those five years. All current Chiefs either had to meet the requirements or risk being replaced by others that now met the requirements. I took Safety Officer with a Deputy Chief that was taking it in my area because he had not been able to make the local ones and needed it to keep his position. All in all his department did everything they could to make the requirements reasonable and to help members meet the requirements.
There does need to be a penalty for not meeting requirements but we need to handle the situation like gentlemen and more importantly like brothers.
© 2024 Created by Firefighter Nation WebChief.
Powered by
