Extra pay for volunteer industrial fire brigade

[DFD271]

I am currently attempting to establish an Industrial Fire Brigade at a small organic chemical plant where I am the ESH manager. My problem is that senior management doesn’t quite understand what is involved. I have been searching for what other companies pay extra for membership in a company’s industrial fire brigade. I am a volunteer member of our City combination department who has primary responsibility for the plant. The industrial brigade’s intended mission is for immediate personnel rescue and support of the City Department. Any feedback is appreciated

[arff42]

I am currently attempting to establish an Industrial Fire Brigade at a small organic chemical plant where I am the ESH manager. My problem is that senior management doesn’t quite understand what is involved. I have been searching for what other companies pay extra for membership in a company’s industrial fire brigade. I am a volunteer member of our City combination department who has primary responsibility for the plant. The industrial brigade’s intended mission is for immediate personnel rescue and support of the City Department. Any feedback is appreciated

Where are you located?

Is it possible to go beyond fire brigade and start up your own fire department. I worked for a brigade at a Boeing Plant and it was very limited as far as what we could do. Being a chemical plant, do you really want to wait for outside agencies to show up before you fight the fire. I would think a chemical fire needs to be fought NOW. As a fire brigade you are not allowed to fight fire beyond the incipient stage. Maybe I am wrong.

If you are not talking about a full-time staffed fire department, I know Chevron Refinery has a group of highly trained employees who carry pagers during there normal work operations. When they are dispatched to an emergency, they drop what they are doing and respond. This is in addition to a staffed fire department.

Stay safe,

Kevin

[TechRescue41]

DFD; I was in a simialr position for one of the Big Three. Try taking a look at a FEMA grant. Your team may be able to get funding for both training and wages based on the specifc nature of what your team is covering in the community and impact it could have if a incident were to occur.

For immediate leverage read through OSHA guidelines as there is specific language that will assist your effort with management. At a minimum you may be able to establish an internal Emergency Response / Rescue Team that gets compensated for each run and O.T. for training.

[guardo83]

Are you trying to start an ERT where the members come from all over the plant off there plant related jobs to respond, or are you looking to start full time responders?

The mill I work at has both, I'm a full time responder on a crew of four. We also have an ERT where members in the mill are working in production, and in case of need we page them out. MFR's, Fire Brigade, Rope/Rescue, and Hazmat. Compensation for the teams is a $100 Gift certificate, but you must attend all training for that team. If you are on multiple teams, you still only get $100, not $100 per team.

[Lewie1]

Send me an e-mail or a PM and I'll forward my recognition program for our ERT members in a chemical plant. All members are production first and ERT second and are well compensated for their training.

[firedogross]

I work for DuPont, Chambers Works, NJ. We have an Industrial Fire Brigade which is made up of volunteers. We recieve 1200 dollars 1 time a year for being an active member and attending monthly shift training.

[1fyrboy]

http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owad...ARDS&p_id=9810

http://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/oshasoft/softfirex.html

[pulpmillert]

Our ert members are compensated by an hourly increase and also have the chance to earn a yearly bonus by staying current on certifications. We have handle our own medical (BLS), fire, rescue and haz-mat teams. We are to far out to relly on the paid dept. and hospital from town and the volunteer units in the area are good but not staffed to handle us. We do have a mutal aid agreement with them though.

[bum291]

I previously worked at a paper mill that had 3 full time employed chiefs that doubled as safety inspectors at the factory. They have over 20 guys on the list that are employes in the factory who are summoned in the event of fire or other alarm. Training is done during paid working hours + free lunch, so that was no problem for anyone. They don't recive any extra money for doing firefighting, but most people are happy to get away from the dull daily patterns at the factory. And when responding from home, they also get sallary for the time they spend and their miles covered.

[robertr2m]

"As a fire brigade you are not allowed to fight fire beyond the incipient stage. Maybe I am wrong."

In Texas, the only difference between Brigade and Department are different letters... you can call it whatever you want but OSHA refers to a Brigade. You can respond to your level of training and SOP's. Our city paid department responds during mutual aid and to transport and continue to stabalize ems.

In our facility, we are volunteer and are only paid our normal hourly overtime wage if training or responding is done off hours. Oh, and we get a banquet every year... maybe.

Be safe.

[DuPont1]

For 20 years we had a volunteer fire brigade that was trained Interior / exterior response, Hazmat tech for the chemicals on site, confined space rescue and first aid. We also had personel who did only med / support role.

Then it happened !!!!!!!
No new members, existing members getting more mature (old), no new hires
to canvas. How do you meet the OSHA and NFPA standard 2 in 2 out.
Then it happened!!!!!!!!
Plant manager made a commitment. We would have personnel on site 24/7 to respond to an incident. We reorganized the Brigade (Now called ERT - Emergency Response Team to reflect all that we do). Started paying $120.00 per month. Got most of the same volunteers to stay. Everyone on ERT has 2 year minimum commitment. Still not enough.
What to do?
Adopted policy that the junior medically qualified would become a ERT member. Has been interesting lat me tell you. Been almost two years now, still have ups and downs, but wouldn't trade the personnel I have for any others. Of course we will see what happens when the 2 yr commitment date rolls around and some will have the opportunity to leave. Hopefully most will stay.
Basic organization is 12 hr shifts. 8 ERT members per shift- have to have at least 4 ERT members on site when flammable operations are running.
Give me a holler if you want more info.

[hanger44]

I work for a Hydrogen Peroxide manufacturing facility formerly owned by Dupont. While Dupont there was no extra pay given, but the fire brigade had a yearly competition amongst the 4 crews. The winning crew received a trophy and the "winners" jackets. The remaining crews received jackets as well (all have been very nice). The company also hosted a banquet for all fire crew members and spouses.
Training is ten, 8 hour days (one Wednesday per month). Lots of SCBA, level "A", live fire, and first aid, CPR, Defib.
Since being sold to a new company ..... My company pays an extra $ per hour and thats all. Also the responding fire crew has been cut from 12 or more to 5 or 6.
Millso

[DFD258]

Thanks to all who replied. Due to other issues, mainly turn over and off the job injuries, we couldn't afford to have the required personnel off for the amount of time training would take at the academy. We are going to revisit the proposal next year, so defense of the facility falls back on the local department, which I am a member of.

Thanks
Larry McD
formerly DFD271

[Res5cuEPVFD0310]

"As a fire brigade you are not allowed to fight fire beyond the incipient stage. Maybe I am wrong."

There are different levels of brigade from the Incipient. Advanced Interior, Advanced Exterior and Advanced Interior/Exterior

NFPA 600 Deals with the Requirements for a Brigade
NFPA 1081 Deals with Requirements for Brigade Personal

here's a good article from Fire Engineering.
http://www.fireengineering.com/artic...html?id=242028

[robertr2m]

There are different levels of brigade from the Incipient. Advanced Interior, Advanced Exterior and Advanced Interior/Exterior

NFPA 600 Deals with the Requirements for a Brigade
NFPA 1081 Deals with Requirements for Brigade Personal

here's a good article from Fire Engineering.
http://www.fireengineering.com/artic...html?id=242028

Read the entire post please, I was quoting a prior post...

"As a fire brigade you are not allowed to fight fire beyond the incipient stage. Maybe I am wrong."

In Texas, the only difference between Brigade and Department are different letters... you can call it whatever you want but OSHA refers to a Brigade. You can respond to your level of training and SOP's. Our city paid department responds during mutual aid and to transport and continue to stabalize ems.

In our facility, we are volunteer and are only paid our normal hourly overtime wage if training or responding is done off hours. Oh, and we get a banquet every year... maybe.

Be safe.

Some industries go by NFPA but all go by OSHA.

Be safe, R2

[ClariantERT]

My full time job is on an industrial fire brigade...... We do advanced exterior/interior....... We have approx 60 members at different levels of training.

We have support... which receives no yearly compensation.

Decon, which is trained to the incipient level and operations level of hazmat and receives $600 a year extra.

And then we have entry, which members are trained at advanced levels of fire attack & hazmat tech and receives $1000 a year extra.

With one full time Chief/ERT coordinator.

We have two EMT-B’s and several first responders.