Credit/pay for run

[Fire40man]

Does anyone have a maximum time set for arrival to the station to receive credit/pay? If units have already rolled and are on scene within 10 minutes, and no addditional assistance is needed. When should people stop getting credit? ex. 15 minutes after tone out, 20 minutes after tone out. The longest it should take anyone to arrive barring a winter snow storm should be 6 minutes driving normal traffic (this has been tested).

[CooterRob]

Does anyone have a maximum time set for arrival to the station to receive credit/pay? If units have already rolled and are on scene within 10 minutes, and no addditional assistance is needed. When should people stop getting credit? ex. 15 minutes after tone out, 20 minutes after tone out. The longest it should take anyone to arrive barring a winter snow storm should be 6 minutes driving normal traffic (this has been tested).

6 minutes.. apparently you're not from the midwest. LOL

[BlueMtnsFirey]

20-25 mins after tone drop, this is with a 3km from station residency requirment.

[ElectricHoser]

We do not have a time limit, never heard of this policy anywhere before. We also use volunteers to backfill staffing during incidents. Better late restaffing a station than never.

We do, however have a sort of gentlemen's agreement (ladies included ), that has so far not required any kind of peer enforcement, where anyone who shows up fairly late picks up some of the incident's housekeeping. That is, the latecomers know enough to get the run sheets and call log started, and they will take the lead getting the hoses and buckets out to wash the BRTs, restock supplies, and generally oversee returning the apparatus to service so the guys who come back can take a moment for themselves to cool down and reset.

I see two problems with the time limit:

(1) Why come up with yet one more reason that some members might use to speed to the scene or station, particularly if they are getting to the point that their tardiness is meaningless to the incident? Yeah, we all talk the talk, but you know you've got a handful of people who will step on it to make this time limit. Instead of reviewing the policy after a truly pointless wreck, maybe you should review it now....

(2) If you've got any members whose participation is waning or who only come if they get credit, you might lose some participation. Let's say the tones drop while the member is too far away or they haven't gotten off work quite yet. If they won't get points for showing up late, will they bother showing up at all? Not everyone is the selfless dedicated member.

Just my middle-of-the-night thoughts of dubious value....

[Eng34FF]

I tend to agree with hoser on this one. Our general policy is that you have to stay (and help) until the rigs are cleaned and put back in service. I'd prefer to give credit to somebody who shows up two hours after the tones drop but helps wash the rigs and wash and rack hose than somebody who shows up just after the rigs leave and leaves just after the rigs return.

[rfdmn09]

i don't know if it's in writing but my dept generally stops the clock when the apparatus has returned to quarters. I believe this is VERY generous as someone can be halfway across the county but we do not get paid per call. Just a retirement is all. When I was in Ct on a combination dept as long as we got to qtrs before the "paid guys" finished the report we got the credit. We HAD to return to qtrs to get credit also.

[IMABASICEMT]

We really do not have a set time limit. If we don't make the station before the units leave, we can go directly to the scene unless its too far away or on the interstate. Otherwise, we write our name on the dry erase board and when the crews come back they add us on the call for credit only. If we went to the scene to help then the call is a paid call.
Rule of thumb is that if the ambulance has gone enroute to the hospital from the scene, you can't put your name on the board. If it was a fire call, your name has to be on the board before they come back in with the trucks. If it was a working fire, you're butt better be there. No names on the board.
This "rule" gets pushed quite often though, particularly if people are running short on call credits to make their required number of calls.