R&R after 30 day assignment.. Need Clarification

[firehog]

I worked a 30 day assignment, took 2 days off between 15-21 and then finished my fire, I went home on day 31 got home and took 2 days off R&R my time clerk says I do not get 2 days at home paid? Is she she right?

[bcjack]

I believe your paid R & R time includes travel from fire to home.

[ksengb]

From the Interagency Incident Business Management Handbook (available at http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/iibmh2/...11_to_13-5.pdf ):

2. Length of Assignment
Standard assignment length is 14 days, exclusive of travel from and to home unit, with possible extensions identified below. Time spent in staging and preposition status counts toward the 14-day limit, regardless of pay status, for all personnel, including incident management teams.
3. Days Off
After completion of a 14 day assignment and return to the home unit, two mandatory days off will be provided (2 after 14) (State regulations may preclude authorizing this for State employees). Days off must occur on the calendar days immediately following the return travel in order to be charged to the incident. (See Section 12.1-2) (5 USC 6104, 5 CFR 610.301-306, and 56 Comp. Gen. Decision 393 (1977)). If the next day(s) upon return from an incident is/are a regular work day(s), a paid day(s) off will be authorized.
Pay entitlement, including administrative leave, for a paid day(s) off cannot be authorized on the individual’s regular day(s) off at their home unit. Agencies will apply holiday pay regulations, as appropriate. A paid day off is recorded on home unit time records according to agency requirements.
Casuals (AD) are not entitled to paid day(s) off upon release from the incident or at their point of hire.Contract resources are not entitled to paid day(s) off upon release from the incident or at their point of hire.
Home unit Agency Administrators may authorize additional day(s) off with compensation to further mitigate fatigue. If authorized, home unit program funds will be used.
All length of assignment rules apply to aviation resources, including aircraft pilots, notwithstanding the FAA and Agency day off regulations. (Refer to contracts for guidelines applicable to contracted pilots and aircraft.)

So bottom line is, it depends. 2 days after 14 is the rule, but not if you go home on regular days off, maybe not if you're state (depends on your state rules), not if you're contractor or AD, and at least some cooperators don't provide it - I've know local FD cooperators who got home mid-day and had to report to finish their shift, even after 14 on assignment.

[burn]

The interagency buisiness management handbook Chapter 10 12.7-2 has the answers you are seeking. Travel is not R&R, it is compensable time and not considered rest.

If your R&R fell on days you do not normally work (EG Sat/Sun) you do not receive pay for that time. If it is a day you do normally work you are compensated for 8 hours of work each day.

[firehog]

so if after a 30 day assignment with 2 off at incident, I get two days paid when I get home if it is not my regular days off.

[burn]

so if after a 30 day assignment with 2 off at incident, I get two days paid when I get home if it is not my regular days off.

Here is how I read this section of the IABMH:

1: Standard assignment length is 14 days.

2: After 14 days on assignment, 2 days off will be provided to manage fatigue.

3: A 30 day assignment is an extension of a 14 day assignment and to manage fatigue 2 days off are required prior to the 22nd operational period.


4: A 30 day assignment is not 2 back to back 14 day assignments, it is one extended assignment with days off in the middle to manage fatigue.


I believe after one 30 day assignment not only are you granted two days off, you are required to have two manadatory days off. "2 after 14" My experience is that this is how my supervisors manage fatigue and morale on the crew.


Further, if your home unit did not want to "pay" you to take mandatory days off they should have stated that they would not be paying for your days off prior to you not coming to work. (ie "firehog, are interpretation of the rules is that you don't get two days of admin leave on the p-code, you will have to take annual.)

[hotshot]

Travel days to assignment + 14 operational days + 2 paid off + 14 additional operational days + travel home = 2 more paid days, unless of course they fall on scheduled days off. If your second roll did not include 14 operational days, then you could be denied your additional R&R as travel on the front and back of your assignment do not count.

[firehog]

So Hotshot you are saying 30 days not including travel, but including the 2 days of in between correct? Because you cannot go over 30 days on assignment so if it took me 2 days driving each way which now equals 34 days from home, minus my 4 days of driving i get 2 days R&R because i took days 16&17 off while not at my home unit and finished my tour to day 30.... confused

[greenlegs]

Firehog, what day did you get back to your home unit, in station? What are your regular days off?

[hotshot]

You took a r&r in place, not an extension. While extensions are inclusive of travel, taking a r&r in place resets your tour, allowing for a new 14 day assignment. Travel on the back side should not count towards your second 14, just like any other 14 day roll.