Covering bosses

lfdlt31

lfdlt31

Joined
Nov 28, 2011
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308
I have a few questions I have been thinking about for some time and hopefully the amazing brains here can help me out.

My questions are regarding promoted but not yet assigned bosses. I understand that unlike many depts FDNY does not use acting officers. They use covering bosses for things like vacation. How does it work when it is just for one tour due to calling in sick or something like that? What happens when there are not enough covering bosses to fill vacancies? I would assume other bosses would get OT? What happens when there are too many covering bosses and there are left overs after all the spots are filled?
 
Bottom line is if there is an opening due to Medical Leave, Emergency Leave etc the Officers spot is usually covered by OT Officer from within the Division.
Vacation spot or long term vacancy is covered by a ‘Covering Officer’ from the surplus pool of Officers, usually from within the Division. But could be from the whole city. I remember ‘bouncing’ around the city when I was surplus within the Division.
By the way it’s always rank to rank, ie Lieutenant-Lieutenant, Captain-Captain. The only change is when the opening happens after the tour started and no Officers are surplus than a Firefighter could be made Acting Lieutenant.
Very regulated by Union Contracts.
 
Also how do mutuals work with covering or OT officers? Do they just work according to the chart?

What happens when there are more surplus then there is spots to put them? or does that never happen?
 
GeoC said:
Bottom line is if there is an opening due to Medical Leave, Emergency Leave etc the Officers spot is usually covered by OT Officer from within the Division.
Vacation spot or long term vacancy is covered by a ‘Covering Officer’ from the surplus pool of Officers, usually from within the Division. But could be from the whole city. I remember ‘bouncing’ around the city when I was surplus within the Division.
By the way it’s always rank to rank, ie Lieutenant-Lieutenant, Captain-Captain. The only change is when the opening happens after the tour started and no Officers are surplus than a Firefighter could be made Acting Lieutenant.
Very regulated by Union Contracts.
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Very true. As a Division aide a covering officer will be put in group chart number and placed in an opening (firehouse) for that tour & we try to keep in division unless needed else where in the city. If covering a vacation spot or medical leave will change his group number so he lines up with assigned officer so they can do mutuals. As per Division Commanders ok. As GeoC said regulated by Union contracts.
 
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At one time weren't there two different terms used for officers assigned to Divisions and Battalions? One for the officers who followed a route and worked in the same companies every time the assigned officers group was off and another for the officers who filled in for officers who were off on vacation, medical, long term detail, etc.
 
They had covering relief officers. The four regular officers covered their unit 24 of the 25 days and night tours. A covering relief officer was assigned to the unit for 1 day and one night tour every 25 days. The job worked the groups out so that most of these relief officers worked in the same five or six units every 25 days. If they didn't have six units to cover, they could be sent anywhere in the city. The Division aides, however, would first try to get them an open assignment in the Batt. or Division to which they were assigned.
 
lfdlt31 said:
Also how do mutuals work with covering or OT officers? Do they just work according to the chart?

What happens when there are more surplus then there is spots to put them? or does that never happen?
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Mutuals between Covering Officers and Regulat Assigned Officers are treated the same as any other Mutual. Each party takes the spot of the other as assigned by their group number nd assignments.
I was ‘surplus’ on one occasion in the 15th Division and it was on Labor Day. I believe I was supposed to report to the Division and do ?? There were good Aides in the Division then and I assume now. So I was told to just keep checking in by Telephone ( you remember those old wired type). Well I ended up in Breezy Point, small gated community of mostly cops and a Firemen, at the UFOA Presidents house (Richie Brower). By this time I don’t think they would want me to report, it was hot and late and I had a few cold ones. I was told to forget about calling in and good night.
Another point about contract provisions. I had an occasion where a Chief was injured and went on Medical Leave during a tour. I was assigned as Acting Chief, the Lieutenant in the adjoining Engine Company took my position and was made Acting Captain and a fireman was made Acting Lieutenant in the Engine Company. $$$
 
There is a criteria for making an acting Lieutenant, first choice would be a member already on promotion list then it would go to seniority. Most chauffeur’s have basic knowledge on using MDT and department radio for transmissions. If there is another officer in company in quarters that boss would assist the acting member. Usually acting Lieutenant will be put into engine company and the truck in quarters will have the officer.
 
There were times when the apparatus remained in quarters but now a mechanic picks it up and and the rig undergoes inspection, oil change, and minor repairs. We used to do some training at the academy while the rig was being worked on.
 
The company apparatus is taken for PMP as per schedule, when PMP is not needed usually the companies apparatus is parked safely outside of quarters while relocating unit goes indoors.
 
mac8146 said:
The company apparatus is taken for PMP as per schedule, when PMP is not needed usually the companies apparatus is parked safely outside of quarters while relocating unit goes indoors.
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I always heard the in service rig is outside with the OOS rig inside, just like the case of a unit on R&R with a relocator. The relocated unit can keep an eye on its rig outside and when it gets a run the OOS is not left unguarded out of quarters.
 
chiefblackcloud said:
With regard to Acting Lieutenants:

If an opening occurs in a single unit a Lt. will be detailed to that unit from a double house . No house is ever left without an officer.
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That is a looong standing rule in the Department. I recall the 18th battalion in the Bronx in the years after World War II, then comprised of Es 42, 45, 46, 48, 88, and 96, but only Ls 27 and 38. That was four single engine companies but just two double company (46/27, 88/38) houses, one of which my father was assigned. He spent a lot of time detailed around the Battalion to cover vacancies in the single engines. I knew to ask him when he returned home where he had spent his tour.
 
In each Battalion, when you look at the group charts as a whole you will notice that the officer groups are different in each company, meaning not all Lt. are in groups say 1, 7, 20 whatever. And the Capt. are not in the same groups. This is to make sure that the open group is not the same in each company at the same time, that a covering Lt in the Batt can cover those openings each time in different companies. The same would be said for Capt. open groups in the Division, the covering Capt can cover those open groups in different companies within the Division. Also, if the need arises to move guys up in rank during the tour to make Acting officers then there is always an officer in each rank available to do this, in theory.
 
EdMc said:
In each Battalion, when you look at the group charts as a whole you will notice that the officer groups are different in each company, meaning not all Lt. are in groups say 1, 7, 20 whatever. And the Capt. are not in the same groups. This is to make sure that the open group is not the same in each company at the same time, that a covering Lt in the Batt can cover those openings each time in different companies. The same would be said for Capt. open groups in the Division, the covering Capt can cover those open groups in different companies within the Division. Also, if the need arises to move guys up in rank during the tour to make Acting officers then there is always an officer in each rank available to do this, in theory.
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Who decides who is in which group? How often to group assignments change?
 
The Division handles officer manpower. The Sequence as it’s called occurs over 25 day cycles. So there are 16 Sequences a year. when a regular assigned officer goes on Vacation, a covering officer will be assigned to that group in that company. If there are more covering officers than vacation spots they will be assigned to a SA group number. And will be assigned to any company that is OPEN on the days their group is in. Hard to really explain, but it’s not complicated.
lfdlt31 said:
Who decides who is in which group? How often to group assignments change
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EdMc said:
In each Battalion, when you look at the group charts as a whole you will notice that the officer groups are different in each company, meaning not all Lt. are in groups say 1, 7, 20 whatever. And the Capt. are not in the same groups. This is to make sure that the open group is not the same in each company at the same time, that a covering Lt in the Batt can cover those openings each time in different companies. The same would be said for Capt. open groups in the Division, the covering Capt can cover those open groups in different companies within the Division. Also, if the need arises to move guys up in rank during the tour to make Acting officers then there is always an officer in each rank available to do this, in theory.
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A LT will never get a acting out of title mark for covering a tour for a Captain. That only goes for FF to LT, or Capt to BC. While certain groups are designated as a Capt, group, if they hire a LT instead it’s regarded as the same thing. They try to keep FF acting to a absolute minimum, I’ve done it a few times for a couple hours, unless it’s in the middle of the night, or towards the end of the tour they will hire a Officer from home to come in. The FF will
Still get the Acting out of title mark for the whole tour though. The other officer in house usually handles any administrative stuff that comes across, since FF do not have any login abilities.
 
lfdlt31 said:
Who decides who is in which group? How often to group assignments change?
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Those group assignments for each company where set up long ago, my guess when the company was created. There are 3 Lt spots and one Capt. spot per company. When an officer is assigned to a company he goes into an open slot and stays there until he transfers, gets promoted or retires then another officer of the same rank gets assigned to that company into that spot.
 
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