Baltimore County Fire Department Callback Policy (SOP Personnel-30)

Vocabulary terms and definitions based on Baltimore County Fire Department SOP Personnel-30 regarding callback procedures and staffing regulations.

SOP Personnel-30

The Baltimore County Fire Department Standard Operating Procedure for Callback Policy, effective May 20, 2025, approved by Fire Chief Joseph Dixon.

Career Personnel

The specific group to which SOP Personnel-30 applies regarding the callback process.

Non-officer Callback List

A list organized by Fire Department seniority regardless of rank, maintained by battalion.

Fire Officer Callback List

A separate list organized by Fire Department rank and seniority, maintained by battalion.

TeleStaff

The system used by members to select one phone number for callback purposes and to sign up for callback availability on their calendar.

Callback Registration Window

The timeframe allowing members to sign up for callback availability up to $60$ days in advance.

Pre-assigned Callback Sign-up Deadline

The requirement for members to sign up at least $10$ days in advance to ensure they are on the list for scheduled callbacks.

Non-Chargeable Callback

A callback offered or accepted that does not count as an opportunity, defined as callbacks of $8$ hours or less, out-of-battalion callbacks (except ADO, MDO, and Safety 6), or callbacks assigned after the start of the shift.

Callback-Opportunities Accounting

A system where members are listed based on the date and time of their last opportunity; those with the oldest opportunity are at the top of the list.

Pre-assigned Callback

A callback made to fill anticipated vacancies for the next tour of duty due to scheduled leave, training, or other known absences.

Unscheduled Callback

A callback made to fill a vacancy that was either unanticipated or not filled during the pre-assigned process, often due to a lack of available personnel.

Unscheduled Callback Response Time

The window of $5$ minutes a member has to respond to a callback offer before the officer marks it as 'rejected' and contacts the next person.

Continuous work hours

The sum of all work hours accumulated between rest periods, including hours 'exchanged in' but excluding hours 'exchanged out'.

Rest period

A continuous period of at least $8$ hours during which a member is relieved from all work duties.

Continuous Work Hour Limit

The maximum number of hours a member is permitted to work continuously, which is $38$ hours.

Authorization to exceed 24 hours

The requirement for members to receive permission from a Battalion/Deputy Chief to work over $24$ continuous hours.

Exhaustion of the Callback List

The status reached when every member of every battalion on the callback list (for either officers or non-officers) has been offered a callback and vacancies still exist.

Mobile Alerts

A voluntary alerting system triggered by the Shift Commander to instruct members to sign up for callbacks when lists are exhausted; the process restarts $10$ minutes after the alert.