Township of Bloomfield, NJ Article XV Shift Duty Routine

§ 37-56 Average length of duty; exception.

The Fire Department shall operate under the four-group system. Each group shall be on actual duty for not more than an average of 42 hours per week in any eight-week cycle, provided that nothing herein contained shall be construed to mean that, in times of emergency, the officer or official having charge and control of the Fire Department shall be prohibited from summoning to and keeping on duty as many such superior officers and firefighters as shall be deemed necessary to cope with such emergency.

§ 37-57 Hours of duty; relief of duty.

Unless otherwise directed by the Fire Chief, the group on day shift shall report at 0700 hours and remain continuously on duty until 1900 hours, and the group on night shift shall report for duty at 1900 hours and remain continuously on duty until 0700 hours. Each group on duty shall remain on duty until properly relieved by the succeeding group.

§ 37-58 Assignment to groups; transfers.

The assignment of officers and staff to stations and groups shall be made by the Fire Chief. The Fire Chief may transfer any individual or group of staff or officers from one group or station to another for the good of the Department.

§ 37-59 Switching tours of duty.

No member shall trade or substitute their tour of duty with any other member except on direct authority of their commanding officer.

§ 37-60 Reporting for duty; tardiness; covering tardiness or absences.

A. All members shall report for duty on time, and no member or group shall go off duty until properly relieved.

B. All members shall so time their departure from home when reporting for roll call that ordinary delays of traffic and uncertain transit service will not prevent their arrival at quarters well in advance of the hour for roll call.

C. All lateness and absences not authorized by proper authority must be explained, in writing, to the Battalion Chief on duty and forwarded to the Fire Chief, and all such offenders are subject to formal charges.

[Amended 2-6-2023 by Ord. No. 23-1]

D. Any member off duty who, on account of sickness, injury or any other emergency, is unable to report for duty on time shall notify an officer on duty at Headquarters at least one hour before their term of duty begins.

E. If any member fails to report for duty, their Station Commander may select a member from the opposite tour to remain on duty until the absent member reports or some other arrangement is made.

§ 37-61 Roll call; instructions.

The officer in charge of each station shall assemble their company or companies and call the roll at the exact hour for the beginning and again at the end of each tour of duty. They shall read all orders or other pertinent matter received since the last roll call, deliver any oral instructions or directions deemed necessary, make a close inspection of the staff as to personal appearance and physical condition and dismiss them.

§ 37-62 Attendance report.

A report of all those present, of all who were late in reporting and of all absentees shall be entered by name in the station journal, together with the reason for all authorized absentees, and a similar report shall be forwarded to the Chief.

§ 37-63 Reading daily log entries.

A. The officer in charge of each station shall, when entering upon their tour of duty, carefully read the daily log entries of the preceding group.

B. The officer in charge of each station shall, before leaving duty after their tour, carefully read the daily log entries made by their tour. In stations occupied by one or more companies, all officers shall read the daily log.

§ 37-64 Fires at shift change.

A. Should the company reporting for duty find that the preceding company is absent from quarters at a fire or other Department business, the officer in charge shall promptly try to communicate with the Chief or officer in charge at the fire. Failing to do this promptly, or if instructed by the Chief or the officer in charge at the fire, they shall direct their company to proceed in a body, on foot or by such public or personal vehicular means of travel as may be available, with all possible haste, to the scene of the fire to relieve or assist the preceding company. In such cases, the officer in command shall, whenever possible, notify the officer in charge of the relieving company whether they are to proceed to the fire or remain in quarters so as to avoid unnecessary movement of the staff.

B. If requested to proceed to a fire, the relieving company shall report to the officer in charge of the fire, who shall direct them to relieve the other company or shall assign them to such other duty as they may deem advisable.

C. The officer in charge at the fire shall direct whether companies already on duty are to be relieved upon the arrival of the relieving company or whether it is to be held until they consider its services can be dispensed with. Upon being relieved at the fire, the outgoing company shall return immediately to quarters for dismissal.

D. When one company returns from a fire at or after the time it is scheduled to be relieved by the succeeding company, the crew of the oncoming group will be required to clean the apparatus and to return it to good working condition.

§ 37-65 Dormitories.

A. Beds in the dormitories shall be used only between 2100 hours and 0630 hours.

B. All members of the night group shall be up by 0600 hours and shall clean the station and shall air and make up the beds by 0630 hours.

C. No two persons shall use the same sheets and pillowcases. The outgoing group shall remove its own bed linen and the oncoming group shall make up its beds with its own linen. Blankets are to be kept clean by staff assigned to beds.

§ 37-66 Closing quarters.

All quarters shall be closed and all lights, except night-lights, extinguished by 2300 hours.

§ 37-67 Cleaning apparatus.

All apparatus shall be cleaned and ready for inspection by 1000 hours.