Houston Fire Department Staffing Guidelines

Vocabulary flashcards covering the Houston Fire Department Volume II-01 Staffing guidelines, including personnel definitions, overtime priorities, minimum staffing levels, and specialized unit requirements.

Absence or Tardiness

Absence or tardiness without proper notification and/or permission shall be considered Absence Without Leave (AWOL) and may result in discipline.

Duty Shift

The $24$-hour period during which a member’s shift is on duty.

Emergency Response Personnel

Members working in the actual delivery of emergency services, including Fire Suppression, Emergency Medical Service (EMS), and Special Operations personnel.

Lead Chief

A District Chief on each shift, in each quadrant, assigned by the Deputy Chief to balance staffing within their quadrant.

1100

The Lead Chief responsible for overseeing EMS and coordinating paramedic unit staffing citywide.

Overtime (OT)

An approved work assignment that constitutes hours worked in excess of the member’s regularly scheduled work hours.

Day-of OT

An overtime assignment offered on the same day due to an immediate need to staff apparatus, assigned from a computer-generated list sorted by lowest to highest hours worked.

Pre-scheduled OT

An overtime assignment scheduled by the Staffing Office from a predetermined list sorted by rank, overtime hours worked, and last OT work date.

Shift Holdover OT (SHO)

Hours worked in excess of the assigned schedule required to keep a unit in service or maintain minimum staffing levels, usually due to inadequate staffing at relief time.

Priority 1 SHO (P1)

Members on SHO who have NOT volunteered to stay; they require relief as soon as possible and should not be used for EMS duties unless normally assigned there.

Priority 2 SHO (P2)

Members on SHO who HAVE volunteered to stay until relieved; they may stay up to $12$ hours and be utilized at the Station Officer's discretion.

Properly Relieved

When a qualified member assumes the position and responsibilities of another member with the notification and approval of the immediate supervisor.

Relieved of Duty

Denying a member the privilege of performing duties due to dereliction of duty, breach of discipline, misconduct, or violation of Department Rules and Regulations.

Substitution

A member voluntarily working for another member with advance notification and approved by the immediate supervisor whose command is affected.

Tour of Duty

A work period composed of two ($2$) duty shifts during an eight ($8$) day cycle for Emergency Response.

Relief Time

The established time for changing shifts, set at $0630$ hours for day relief and $1830$ hours for night shift.

Substitution Hour Limit

Members are limited to a maximum of $480$ hours of substitutions per calendar year, excluding Debit-Day substitutions.

Substitution Consecutive Hour Rule

Members are not allowed to substitute if it results in working more than $72$ consecutive hours.

Heavy Apparatus Minimum Staffing

A complement of no less than four ($4$) members per apparatus.

Engine Minimum Staffing Requirements

One ($1$) Captain or Acting Captain, one ($1$) Engineer Operator (EO) or Acting EO, one ($1$) FFE regularly assigned to the station, and one ($1$) additional FFE position.

Ladder Minimum Staffing Requirements

One ($1$) Senior Captain or Acting Senior Captain, one ($1$) Engineer Operator (EO) or Acting EO, one ($1$) FFE regularly assigned to the station, and one ($1$) additional FFE position.

BLS Unit Staffing

Shall be staffed with an EOE (or acting EOE) and a FFE.

ALS Unit Staffing

Should be staffed with at least an EOP (or acting EOP) and a FFP.

Downgraded ALS Units

If an EOP position is filled by an EOE, the FFP position MUST always be filled with an FFP.

Station 54 ARFF Minimum Staffing

Twelve ($12$) ARFF trained and certified members.

Station 81 ARFF Minimum Staffing

Eight ($8$) ARFF trained and certified members.

Station 92 Minimum Staffing

Eight ($8$) members, seven ($7$) of which must be ARFF trained and certified.

Station 99 ARFF Minimum Staffing

Six ($6$) ARFF trained and certified members.

Hazardous-Materials Station 22 Staffing

Minimum of four ($4$) trained/certified members per apparatus, except the Foam Unit which requires one ($1$) member.

Rescue Station Staffing (Stations 10, 11, and 42)

Minimum of four ($4$) trained and certified members per apparatus.

HC

The payroll code for "Non-Emergency Higher Classification", used for actual driving time from scene to hospital or acting in a higher rank for a full shift without an emergency incident.

HCEI

The payroll code for "Emergency Higher Classification", typically authorized for $12$ hours when a member acts in a higher rank during an emergency incident or Priority $1$ transport.

Maximum Consecutive Overtime

No member shall be allowed to work more than $36$ hours straight overtime without approval from the Shift Commander.