The equipment is in and will be fully functional come January.
From that day on, all firefighters who are not top administrators will be required to punch the clock like any normal job.
However, the chief and other top honchos will have the option of punching in by phone. Say they're having a late breakfast at Dennys. All they have to do is call the secretary at the main office and tell them that they are checking in and they can go back to their pancakes and coffee.For example, today at about 8:50 a.m., one of our seven readers who happens to be a firefighter saw Da Chief Jarrett Sheldon by the Olmito overpass speeding toward Brownsville from his home in Los Fresnos. Under the new system starting in January, all Da Chief had to do was call in before he left home at 8 a.m. and have his secretary punch in. Nifty, hey?
On the other hand, all the six or seven firefighters and the fire marshal who were having breakfast and a smoke at the Texas Country Diner at about 9:30 a.m. today (according to another one of our readers) had to do to touch base with the department is to call the dispatchers and say they're doing department work. Our reader noticed that the six, with the marshal armed with his service revolver, were smoking up a storm just outside the door of the diner.
We always thought it was supposed to be 20 feet from the door by city ordinance, but hey, these are our hero first responders. Maybe we should cut them a little slack.
People have long complained that some firefighters seem to be just hanging around the station during their shift or nowhere to be seen at all. With the addition of the clocks, this little problem will be addressed.
Will it lead to better time management? Or perhaps more efficient fire fighting? We doubt it, but it does give management a nice whip to wield over the help.
14 comments:
The initiation of this policy indicates a lack of leadership in BFD and a lack of effectiveness of the Fire union to encourage firemen to be on time. If there was good and effective leadership, the firemen would be on time, or else. Is it because the firemen know they won't be disciplined for being late, or do they believe that their contract allows them the freedom to come and go as they like. The need for this new policy is important for people to feel safe with the BPD. The need for this policy also reflects negatively on the city manager and the city commission. Time to "kick ass and pull pass!"
Relieving someone has never been an issue. Sheldon and Pedraza just want to appear pro-active and money saving so the city keeps them on as Chiefs. Because when your home is burning or a loved one has stopped breathing every taxpayer is thinking I sure do hope these guys are cost efficient.
Try using the fingerprint requirement. It is a shame that people are put into this kind of tactic because irresponsible, unprofessional employees take advantage of every possible loop hole they can discover. For once, take pride in your job and in yourself and show up at the time you must and are required to, for when you don't, it shows that you do not respect yourself or those that are you employers and you feel that you are making a fool out of them.
Every job has someone who manages to be late every morning, coming running in late, with the silliest of excuses and consider themselves insulted when the employer reprimands them. This value is long gone for parents nowadays set the example for the kids and the kids mimic them in all they do. Some will probably be late for their own funeral. Bola de bombos!
Sheldon is in over his head not ready to be scrutinized by the eye of the tax paying citizen. Pobre vato.
Hell of a story!
Get back to work Rigo, you lazy bum!
Taweno Elizondo
Juanito. You continue to pen editorials in search of controversies. Whether the FD employee needs to punch in or not is determined by his or her status pursuant the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FlSA). The law begins with the presumption that all employees are subject to the Act (non-exempt/hourly)thus subject to overtime compensation. The FLSA then creates certain exceptions for various categories of employees (exempt/salaried)who are not entitled to overtime compensation. These exempt categories include, Professional, Executive, and Administrative. There are some minimum annual compensation requirements also that must be met before an employee can be classified exempt. Once you are classified exempt, in a FD usually the Chief, Assist. Chief, Captains, Lieutenants and in big city FDs certain engineers and IT people, you basically have no rights under the FLSA. An exempt employee is basically on call 24 hours a day except when on leave. There is no legal requirement that an exempt employee punch a clock. The City directly can place certain requirements on exempt employees to check in formally pursuant to a local policy and otherwise track their whereabouts. Juanito, I really suggest that you stick to writing about history and don't get involved in stuff you don't know shit about even if they pay you. It makes you look really stupid which you are not.
Saw some idiot from admin driving recklessly on the highway at around 2pm slow the fuck down yur going to cause an accident.You ain't doing shit ounce you get there anyway.looked like a rookie driving.
MONTOYA.....ya dejate de pendejadas "que si llego tarde al jale" "que si la secr poncho por el jefe".QUE PASO CON EL PEDO DE LAS AMBULANCIAS, A QUIEN LE IMPORTA ESTA "PINCHE" NOTA. En las ambulacias cobraron 64000 dlls que pedo.donde estan los que hicieron esta tranza (Cabler,Elizondo,Sossi) en esto deberias escribir no en que si llego tarde eso pasa en todos los departamentos
SON PURAS RATAS JOTIANDO ... SE CULIARON YA KE LOS PESCARON
Cool story bro.
Omg!!! Cost efficient no please no. Firefighters are a bunch of over paid premadonnas. Wish the city would publish what these bafoons are taking home on thier the citizens would be outraged. I have it on good authority that a certain Lt. Has already made over 120,000 a yr. Where is the public service in that.
Years back,firefighters were not allowed to leave their fire station at all,unless it was for fire department business,until they were properly relieved at the end of their 24 hour shift. At the same time, you could see on duty police officers eating at any number of restaurants in town or even police units parked at their private residences for hours at a time. In my neighborhood, a police officer shows up at his home 2 or 3 times a week while he is on duty for a couple of hours. I know his schedule. I also know that all police officers,as well as fire fighters, have radio communication at all times so that they can respond to calls whenever necessary. Why is it a problem that fire fighters go to a restaurant for lunch or dinner when police officers are allowed to do it all the time?. As for the smoking too close to doors, I agree they,fire fighters,police or any city employee should abide by the ordinance. Other than that I don't see the big deal of getting a bite to eat while on duty.
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