How would you like extra savings for your budget, extra personnel for your department and more benefits for your on-duty personnel? The Extra-board Employee System can give you all three.

The Hoover (Ala.) Fire Department always practices minimum staffing, with no less than three firefighters per engine company and several four-firefighter engine and truck companies within the system. Chief Tom Bradley was mandated several years ago by the city council to cut overtime expenses. He remembered how the railroad system had used “extra-board” personnel to supplement the work force. It wasn't long before one of our personnel had a National Fire Academy research paper in hand about such a program. Extra-board programs, while fairly new to the state of Alabama, are not new nationally. We didn't try to re-invent the wheel; rather we tried to make the system work for us to gain the most benefits.

Permanent substitutes

In the railroad system, newly trained workers are placed on the “extra-board” until permanent positions become available. These workers only receive assignments when the railroad needs substitutes for regular workers who are absent because of vacation, illness or other personal reasons. On most railroads, conductors on the extra-board, for example, may work as brake operators if there aren't enough conductor-runs available that month. Extra-board workers frequently must wait years until they receive a regular assignment, and seniority rules may allow workers to select their type of assignment.

There are several questions you have to ask yourself when looking at a similar program:

1. Do you have a need for a program?

2. Is it monetarily beneficial to implement a, extra-board program?

3. How will the rank and file benefit from the program?

4. What minimum standards will you require for an extra-board employee?

5. What performance expectations will be required from an extra-board employee?

6. What harmful issues might emerge from an extra-board program, and do the benefits outweigh the negative issues?

Our need for this system arose primarily for budgetary reasons. In addition to sick leave, department staff accrues annual leave according to years of service. The older the department gets, the more need for firefighters to be covered during their leave. By the time you add up Kelly days, annual leave, EMT credentialing, hazmat recertification, and high-angle and other training, you can expend many hours per year per firefighter for leave. This doesn't take into account long-term illness and injury.

Some departments solve this dilemma by suggesting that class attendance is done while the firefighter is off duty; others don't allow the use of vacation during certain times of the year, or they limit the amount of leave taken at one time. One of the byproducts of an extra-board program is more time off. There is more flexibility in scheduling your employees and granting wishes, whether it's vacation or school attendance.

The Hoover Fire Department budget started at $165,000 for the extra-board program. This amount increased during our last budget to $180,000 due to the success and need of the program. Take the approximate hours worked by all extra-board employees for the last fiscal year, which is more than 11,000 hours. The savings would be over $77,000 in overtime expenses that would have been paid. What works for you and your department may differ due to your size and needs.

If you find that your overtime budget is out of money halfway through the year, then you might be a candidate for this program. If you find that you can't fill reasonable requests for vacation, continuing education or extended sick leave, it's obvious that something has to give. I realize that clever scheduling is sometimes a lost art, and don't let me lead you to think that this will totally wipe out overtime, but as you go through you will see the benefits outweigh the risks.

The system works better in a multi-station department to have the extra board employee assigned to a station much like a swing or Kelly man. This helps continuity of training and evaluation.

This system also gives the extra-board employee a chance to look at you as well. Many fire departments are known regionally and sometimes nationally, but until you are actually a part of the organization, you may never have a full understanding of what the department is all about. Someone once said, “I'm desperately trying to become the person my dog thinks I am.” This very true statement represents us all.

Hiring standards

Several years ago, the Hoover Fire Department changed its entrance requirements; applicants now must be credentialed paramedics among other things. This requirement also is part of the extra-board program, along with at least two years as a Firefighter I at the applicant's present employer.

The other main requirement is that applicants currently are on our candidate hire list. In an effort of communication with their present employer, we also require a signed letter of approval for them to work for us.

Let me review several critical issues here:

• The extra-board employee must be someone you would hire on a full-time basis.
• The extra-board employee should meet the same minimum standards as a full-time employee.
• The extra-board employee's present employer should be aware of your intentions.

Many departments use evaluations to help employees determine what's expected, as well as learn their strong and weak areas. Our normal performance evaluation process is quarterly for the first year for a new full-time employee. It was decided to rate the extra-board employees on an as-worked shift basis for the first year.

Extra-board performance evaluations aren't as detailed as those for full-time employees; rather, they are formatted like a check-off yes or no system:

1. Does the employee meet expectations on emergency responses?

2. Does the employee meet expectations for drills and training?

3. Does the employee show knowledge and interest in equipment maintenance?

4. Does the employee meet expectations in the station?

5. Does the employee present a positive public image and assist the public willingly?

6. Does the employee report for and remain at work as required?

7. Does the employee follow instructions and observe rules and personnel policies?

8. Does the employee get along and cooperate with co-workers on the job?

9. Does the employee exhibit proper respect and use of authority?

10. Summarize the employee's overall job performance.

In many ways performance is rated each shift, just not formally. Day in and day out, you will get a true analysis of what type of employee you have hired, much like a trial by fire. Like the old saying goes, anyone can behave for a few hours or impress someone in an interview. This process gives you the flexibility of a long-term interview, shift in and shift out. We ask that our extra-board employees be available five of the eight shifts in a 26-day period. It is discussed that the need may arise for them to work more than five but only on rare occasions.

Being that the extra-board worker is considered a part-time city employee, he or she may participate in the Alabama state pension plan and is entitled to workers' compensation. However, he or she is not eligible for sick leave, vacation time or holiday pay. A typical extra-board employee should never work more than eight shifts in a 26-day cycle, thus eliminating the possibility of overtime.

Harmful issues

I know after reading to this point one would think there's no downside to this, but not all rank-and-file members fully embrace these programs. Some employees look at overtime as their baby; most people don't want anyone to correct, mess with or take away their baby. It was and may always be a highly sensitive area, especially in the local union meetings.

I've heard stories about the harsh treatment of extra-board employees. Many are given pet names like scabs, part-timers, ticks and some I can't even mention. I've heard of some places even sending out propaganda letters to other union halls trying to discourage their firefighters from working in an extra-board system. Many of the same people who sent the letters also work at other fire departments.

Some of the suggestions to dissolve this program don't necessarily bear weight. One proposal was to hire three or four full-time employees. I am all for that, except that three or four full-time firefighters can't replace 12 extra-board employees — and those three or four need time off, too. The irony of the whole situation is that if your extra-board program is set up properly, they are your new full-time employees and should be treated as such.

I know there will always be rookie hazing in the fire service, but there is such a thing now as a hostile work environment, and not allowing this to occur is up to the company officers. Like most unpopular edicts, you have to sell and concentrate on the positive.

Most of the same firefighters who don't care for the system never complain when they are able to take vacation. Any program is what you make of it and what you put into it. Even a tree needs water, fertilizer and sunshine to maintain its stature.

In some cases the extra-board employee is in a difficult situation because:

• He or she is not fully embraced by all employees.
• His or her main allegiance is to his or her full-time employer.
• Peers at his or her full-time job may resent the fact that he or she is working for an extra-board program with the possibility of going full time.
• He or she doesn't have enough time for family.

All departments want their way taught and adhered to. Dual policies and procedures could become confusing. It's difficult to be everything to everybody.

Some potential employees would rather bypass this system in hopes of being hired full time in the future. It takes a special person to do a job well at both work places and at home.

Think out of the box

If your fire department has EMS transport capability, you may want to consider the following. We have a good working relationship with the private ambulance companies that respond in our city, and they are usually quick to respond to concerns or issues that we have with their companies and personnel.

What if fire departments staff their rescue units with their current off-duty staff, assigning them a 12-hour shift during their two days off? They would be paid at a time-and-a-half rate, of course. The funding from this plan would come from collected monies by ambulance transport. So basically the city is running the ambulance company with one exception. The department has the authority to re-allocate resources in case of a major incident. The department has the say so in how they are dressed, the condition of the equipment, and their training. The department would have the disciplinary options with employees.

If you're operating three rescue units in your city, for instance, you then would have 18 firefighters to reallocate to ALS engine companies or to work vacation and leave. I'm not advocating that private ambulance companies should go away; this is just a hypothetical situation. I know our situation here isn't the same as other departments; however, many of the same systems may work for you if adapted to your department.

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Ben Allison is a 29-year veteran of the Hoover (Ala.) Fire Department, where he has been a battalion chief since 1996. Allison is a 1974 graduate of the University of Alabama in Birmingham's paramedic program and holds many certifications.