Flexi Duty Officer Mobilisations

[Percy]

Hi all - this is an ask of those already in the job and especially our Flexi Duty Officer cadre on here both current and those now happily recently retired.

Would you be able to do some digging in your own service and provide me with Incident Type Pre Determined Attendances that you send SMs to and also GMs if you are one of those FRS who send GMs to life risks if they are the nearest Flexi?

Any information is greatly appreciated either on here in a post, an attached document or if it is easier to email…

chrisevans3399@gmail.com

We are currently doing a review, well seniors are, of what we are being mobilised to. Nothing wrong with that of course and I’d be the first to admit that on some incidents we get far too many officers - but when we are hearing that there has even been suggestions that we should be taken off life risk incidents too (persons reported/RTC persons trapped etc.), it would seem that common sense was a very early casualty in these discussions - discussions that the FBU are not part which also begs another question regarding the timing of this and true motive… after all, it will only be a matter of time when there is a further review and seeing that we don’t go to many jobs (because we are not sent to any 🤷🏻‍♂️) reduction in numbers will be the next step. Apparently the driver behind all this is that these incidents are ‘getting in the way’ of ‘managerial tasks’ - if like me and many of us you also find that a baffling premise, please help me put some meat on the bones to the argument by being able to compare other FRS.

Thanks as always 

Chris 

[Messyshaw]

Going to incidents is "‘getting in the way’ of ‘managerial tasks’". You couldn't make this up could you? 🤬

Forget the command reasons for a senior officer attending immediately, even at RTCs there are 101 critical H&S reasons to get a supervisor on scene soon, even as an advisor. To be clear that was not my attitude when I was on the station as it was often a pain in the arse to see a senior officer's car pull up and likely to spoil your fun 🙂

I drove past a very serious looking multi vehicle RTC on the M25 near Cheshunt yesterday (Herts & LFB in attendance). It is entirely possible for a newish LFF acting up to be in charge of that job, which frankly isn't fair or a safer system of work when an ADO is up the road busily finishing off a diversity spreadsheet or signing off purchase orders for tee shirts!!

I know I am an old dinosaur and I have some cavemen ideas, but how about reducing the admin and other managerial crap these senior officers are engaging in. That might be a better way to proceed.

As for the FBU not being involved - I hope they are aware as there is a H&S angle for their members in relation to this review

[CaptainFlack]

'how about reducing the admin and other managerial crap these senior officers are engaging in. That might be a better way to proceed.'

That sounds too much like common sense Messy - we can't have those type of ideas in 2022.

Reported.

[Percy]

@Messyshaw Early days and one of many very odd things that are being discussed lately, but I had to laugh at SMs 'busy' on station having to sign off POs for t shirts - that's exactly one examples of the sh173 they have us doing...and 'investigations' (which I refuse to do) into why a piece of equipment is defective when it explains why fully in the very same document then sent to us written by the person who discovered the defect on test and reported it!

That and things like 'investigate' why we need to replace a consumable item like drill bits when its clearly through wear and tear, again explained fully in the defect notification. I only 'investigate' if it's lost or stolen on principle alone, I am not a admin clerk and I will not be part of new systems brought in when they create triplication of tasks and yet more admin work - to do so would be condoning the nonsense.

My new work mug reflects my willingness to condone these many systems and practices. 

[Rory-495]

Out of curiosity, which FRS is this? 

We never see our SC, they are never there so I can only assume they are busy on admin as clearly not at incidents 

[Percy]

I am in GMFRS - You have the most SMs in the entire country. You really never see your SC at the station or on jobs?

Edited October 1, 2022 by Carl
Quote removed as its a direct quote of the previous post. Please see FAQ.

[Dyson]

What I love about this, is that I can see you just want to go to jobs. Because that’s why you joined.

I can help ! 🤩 I have experience of these matters. Having worked as a SM out in the counties I feel your pain. The mobilisation of officers was so disorganised and random, as was the reason you were being mobilised. They’d send me to a house fire, when there was already 2 WT WMs there, what for? There was no policy to show at which point you should assume command and why. My biggest frustration though, was influential older officers took what they wanted, leaving the bucks out in the cold. I had to camp out for 4 days at a time doing back to back 24s, to cover a particular part of the county. Because fire cover ? However a GM on my group lived down there and would instruct control to send him to everything, from home. I pointed out he was L3 and I was L2 so I should be going. He told me to shut up. In the end i packed it in. Went back on my beloved trucks. 

The very best model I’ve seen is LFBs. There is a robust PDA and mobilisation policy stating exactly who should be in charge of every PDA, With specific triggers for changes in command. Lff one machine incidents, Up to a 4 is a StnO or SubO with StnO monitoring, up to a 6 is SC Can be StnO, up to a 8 is BC and so on. So the right level people are always sent. There is always a monitoring officer there or remote, next rank up.  In addition you do obviously have all the other specialist officers sent who are outside of command. Also you get a CU at 4 and above. 

it works well, and the officers are very busy, which you’d probably like Percy 😊

Messy, an RTA in LFB area will have the minimum of a SubO in charge of the PDA. An ADO will be monitoring, possibly remotely initially. 

[Rory-495]

Been back on station 3 tours, haven't seen our SC once. Before I went into training our old one would turn up, go into the office and leave at 5pm. If I were to look online I think I know the reason why we never see them, they all have a million attributes and roles that actually managing and overseeing their station falls pretty low on the priorities 

[Becile]

Never was low on my priorities,  and I had loads of specialties.

The people are your greatest asset, all of them.

[Noddy]

Reading with interest as I start my new flexi SC job in a matter of days.