News

Acting-up ban lifted

May 25, 2000

Acting-Up To Recommence 0800 hrs Tomorrow

Members attending our last General Meeting held agreed to the re-introduction of acting-up for Leading Firefighters provided that the previous guidelines would continue, and that the Department agreed to always maintain a minimum quota of Station Officer positions. This week the Department offered a quota of 670, which will be adjusted in line with new positions. Our Union’s ban on acting-up will therefore be lifted from 0800 hours tomorrow, Friday 26 May to coincide with the promotion of a further 22 LF members to Station Officer.

It is important that all members understand the guidelines for acting-up, particularly those defining whether or not a firefighter is genuinely spare. The acting-up guidelines are:

(1) Leading Firefighters cannot act-up to Station Officer if there is any overtime being worked for Firefighters in their Fire District. Leading Firefighters can not act up to Station Officer if there is any overtime being worked for firefighters within that Fire District (eg GSA, Newcastle, Wollongong, etc). If a Leading Firefighter is genuinely spare then they, or another firefighter from their crew, must first be used for out-duties before there are any firefighter recalls. The only exception to this rule is where a station has no out-duties left and a Leading Firefighter is genuinely spare, in which case the Leading Firefighter can act-up to Station Officer (subject to general rules on acting-up);

(2) Where a Leading Firefighter has less than 12 months service as a Leading Firefighter he/she can only act-up to Station Officer at his/her own Station;

(3) When a Leading Firefighter acts-up to Station Officer it is not regarded as an out-duty (and does not count towards the 8 out-duty limit);

(4) A Leading Firefighter can only act-up to Station Officer for 8 shifts, or part thereof, in a calendar year. A Leading Firefighter cannot volunteer to perform more than 8 act-ups in any 12 month period (SGM decision, February 1996);

(5) A Leading Firefighter cannot act-up to Station Officer to replace a known absence (a known absence is an Annual Leave or Long Service Leave period or an extended sick leave absence). An extended sick leave absence is an absence due to sick leave and which is known will extend beyond 4 consecutive shifts;

(6) Leading Firefighters acting-up to Station Officer are paid at the rate of S/O Level 1;

(7) When acting-up, Relieving Leading Firefighters receive all normal relieving entitlements as per the Award in addition to their acting-up payments;

(8) When acting-up at a station other than his/her own station, Leading Firefighters who are not RF’s are entitled to the Relieving Provisions of the Award in addition to their acting-up payments.

(9) Leapfrogging (where a spare firefighter is sent on outduty/relief in order to release a Leading Firefighter to act-up elsewhere) is alllowed, but only where:
a)    There is no overtime being worked by firefighters in that Fire District, and
b)    The Leading Firefighter has more than 12 months service at LF rank, and
c)    The vacancy the Leading Firefighter is acting-up to fill is an unknown, short-term vacancy, and
d)    The Leading Firefighter has not acted-up more than 8 shifts in that calendar year.

It is important that all members comply not only with the specifics of the acting-up rules, but also the spirit and intent of the limitations. Members who experience difficulties with acting-up should contact their Union Delegate, Representative or the Union office for assistance.

Chris Read
State Secretary
Thursday 25th May, 2000