Your end of shift

WVEmt

WVEmt

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Just curious how often everyone gets off work at their scheduled time?
 
WVEmt said:
Just curious how often everyone gets off work at their scheduled time?
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There's a set time that I am supposed to get off work??? I always thought it was "sometime after 7....". Not sure that I have ever seen it though....
 
Hit and miss. In multiple unit stations I usually do better since we cover each other off as a courtesy. (For example if it's 1830 and the 7-19 truck is up for the next call, but the 8-20 crew is in, they'll take the call since they're more likely to get back on time.)

In single unit stations it's a crap shoot, but given the number of stations and vehicles we have and call volume, I'd say I'm off on time the majority of shifts.

Also the moment our shift ends even if we're not back at base yet, we're considered out of service for all calls but cardiac arrests or if instructed to remain on by a Superintendent (in the event of a disaster or MCI, not "just because").
 
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Depends if we get called out just before shifts end. usually its not a problem though.
 
WolfmanHarris said:
Hit and miss. In multiple unit stations I usually do better since we cover each other off as a courtesy. (For example if it's 1830 and the 7-19 truck is up for the next call, but the 8-20 crew is in, they'll take the call since they're more likely to get back on time.)

In single unit stations it's a crap shoot, but given the number of stations and vehicles we have and call volume, I'd say I'm off on time the majority of shifts.
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Thats how we operate. Right now I am on a BLS truck running 911 and IFT working 10a-6p. I don't make plans until after 8 though.
 
We usually get off right on time. If we get a call before the shift ends we will usually be like 30 minutes off schedule.
 
WVEmt said:
Thats how we operate. Right now I am on a BLS truck running 911 and IFT working 10a-6p. I don't make plans until after 8 though.
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Ya unfortunately our single unit stations are often more rural (at least in my district they are) so that late call can actually result in many hours of OT. Our northern most station is 45 min transport to hospital. I'd had a late call out of there that took my past my 8 hour minimum between shifts point. Yay for paid time off!
 
Rarely on time. Usually not more than an hour but been as many as two hours over.

Heard over the radio a unit got a call right on their off time. They told dispatch it was their off time and dispatch said, "Negative, I have 4:59 and 57 seconds on the computer. Copy code 3". And I've had multiple people tell me it's happened to them too.
 
We work 6 to after 6.

So when I come on at 06:00:01, I am on until either a) if I am on not on a call, when 18:00:00 hits, or b) if I am on a call, I have a back in service time of 18:00:00 or later. When that happens, we take the rig back to the shack, clean it inside and out, make sure it is fully stocked, and then park it for the next crew who needs to use it.
 
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I rarely get out on time at my paid gig-- often more then an hour late... it's frustrating, but i've gotten used to it. At my volunteer gig, I do 24-hour shifts, and am on every-other-day, so shift start and end times are very relative.
 
At my old hospital based 911 job, we wouldn't typically be out past an hour due to a late job on 911. I had one unscrupulous partner on 46Y that would go to the pay phone and call in a drunk from a nearby park as an "unconscious," which made it an ALS job, about an hour from the end of shift. He would take the pt to our home hosp. after 20-25 minutes onscene, he would txp to the ED and then extend himself at said ED once for PPW, and then it would be the end of the shift, and would be logged off of RCC (NYC). In IFT, it could be up to two hours, and was much more frequent. We couldn't be held for more than 16 houras total work time, by law, although holdovers were very infrequent for 911, and non-existent for IFT.

In Charleston SC (911), even if your shift ended, you're still logged on. You could be hit out for a job after leaving the ED, after the end of shift. Once we didn't make it back to the station until three hours past the 0700 changeover. The county could care less. We were also held over for additional 12's and 24's, resulting in a straight 36 or 48.

Here in F-Fax County, we can't be held for more than 12 hours at a time. It's pretty infrequent for that to happen. We have a "No hold or recall" list that you put your name on if you have travel plans, an MD's appointment, or some other worthy matter. You can't be held. Personnel here generally show up around an hour prior to shift change, and switch out your gear for theirs. The next morning, you do the same. It saves a whole lot of late calls.

I've found that the best rule of thumb is not to schedule any errands, functions, or obligations within three hours of end of shift. You could get an hour + late job, get past traffic to get home, shower (preferably shower at work) and then be ready to handle your business,
 
emt.dan said:
I rarely get out on time at my paid gig-- often more then an hour late... it's frustrating, but i've gotten used to it. At my volunteer gig, I do 24-hour shifts, and am on every-other-day, so shift start and end times are very relative.
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Whenever I would get a late call on IFT, which was pretty much 90% of the time, I would make it personal policy to take my sweet time and milk it for all that I could. If they want to keep bending me over, then they're gonna pay for it. 30-45 minutes on the floor, using delayed PPW, pending med admin, or some other matter as reasoning, a very slow drive there using a roundabout way, another 30 minutes or more at the drop off, another slow roll to the fuel pumps, etc. etc. If you cost them at least an hour a week, that results in an extra week's pay every year, (actually a week and a half since it's OT) or more. Consider it a Christmas bonus of sorts. The dispatchers assume that you're going to attempt to turn over the call in record time in order to get off of work as soon as possible. The joke's on them. A lot of us used to slow it down at the end of shift for this reason. It actually worked, believe it or not. Admin looked at how much OT they were paying out for late jobs, and drastically cut back on our late jobs.

The other cool thing was that I would have been facing rush hour traffic if I got off on time anyway, so long, slow late jobs actually helped me out. Instead of sitting in stop and go traffic, I could knock out a transfer and get paid for my time instead.
 
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At my old service in NM it was about a third of the time. However if dispatch knew I was going to a class straight from getting off shift in the morning we would usually be back at station 15 minutes before changeover and just hang out there as a last resort truck.
At my new gig here, getting out on time happens pretty often, but you can never tell when you're gonna get a call at 5 till changover :p
 
We also are not allowed to be assigned a transfer that will take us into OT unless it's an emerg transfer. We don't do a lot of non-emerg IFT calls, but when we do they thankfully can't take us past the end of our shift.
 
46Young said:
Whenever I would get a late call on IFT, which was pretty much 90% of the time, I would make it personal policy to take my sweet time and milk it for all that I could. If they want to keep bending me over, then they're gonna pay for it. 30-45 minutes on the floor, using delayed PPW, pending med admin, or some other matter as reasoning, a very slow drive there using a roundabout way, another 30 minutes or more at the drop off, another slow roll to the fuel pumps, etc. etc. If you cost them at least an hour a week, that results in an extra week's pay every year, (actually a week and a half since it's OT) or more. Consider it a Christmas bonus of sorts. The dispatchers assume that you're going to attempt to turn over the call in record time in order to get off of work as soon as possible. The joke's on them. A lot of us used to slow it down at the end of shift for this reason. It actually worked, believe it or not. Admin looked at how much OT they were paying out for late jobs, and drastically cut back on our late jobs.

The other cool thing was that I would have been facing rush hour traffic if I got off on time anyway, so long, slow late jobs actually helped me out. Instead of sitting in stop and go traffic, I could knock out a transfer and get paid for my time instead.
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Same here. If it's a call like 45 min before off time I'll pick it up a little bit because dispatch is pretty good about clearing us to go home if we finish the call just before off time. If I get a call that I know will be holding me over, I take my sweet time. On IFT calls they want us to hurry, but on 911 calls we have a little more leeway.
 
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we have to be ready to leave base at 1800 and cannot return until called back by dispatch at 0600 then we have to hose down and restock. We post up at the different hospitals in the city or fire stations unless on detail in a specific area. We got a 0545 code 3 the other night...didnt get back until 0645. Usually they are pretty good about not giving last minute calls but we were the closest truck besides are gator who was on scene already.
 
happens more often than not. myself and others tend to get to base about 20-30 minutes before shift change incase that last minute call comes in. i go in at midnight tonight and expect to be there at 11:30, BUT, i am listening to the pager a little more than normally. if the crew gets dispatched within an hour of shift change, ill probably head on over to the scene and offer to take over.
 
DarkStarr said:
ill probably head on over to the scene and offer to take over.
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We're actually forbidden by policy from doing this. I'd imagine it's due to liability of using a POV and possible concerns about delay of a call on scene, not to mention potential irregularities in documentation caused by a quick hand-off. Now that being said, I have still seen it done once or twice and have had to politely decline when my relief showed up on scene. (Pt. was DNR and pre-arrest, even if I was inclined to break policy, I certainly wouldn't have then.)

Sometimes if we have a really good dispatcher on and the resources are available, they may send a second unit to transport for us. Not often enough mind you.
 
Almost always exactly on time. I've been held over before, but never more than 3 hours and don't mind it at all. I don't have a girlfriend or any pressing issues to go home to usually, the OT pay is always welcome.
 
I rarely get held over. We typically unofficially do shift change 20-30 minutes before the actual time. That helps to decrease the number of late runs we get. It also helps that I work for a FD, so it is all 911. I don't have to ever worry about getting "stuck" with an IFT near the end of shift.
 
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