4.9 LIVE-IN PROGRAM The Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD) has developed a Live-in Program (LIP) as another means to provide duty crew coverage

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1 4.9 LIVE-IN PROGRAM The Arbutus Volunteer Fire Department (AVFD) has developed a Live-in Program (LIP) as another means to provide duty crew coverage for emergency calls. The initial proposal was reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors and the AVFD membership the first week in December An integral part of this program is having at least four live-ins who are available to respond on calls, perform designated house duties, and participate in fundraising activities in exchange for no-cost rental. There are five parts which govern all aspects of the programs: General overview; Eligibility and Application process; Program requirements; Program polices/procedures; and Organization structure. This policy will be reviewed periodically and changes will be made as the program evolves into an integrated program within the AVFD. A.) General Overview: - The Captain shall oversee the day-to-day activities of the LIP. All participants in the program shall adhere to the polices and guidelines as promulgated in the AVFD Membership Handbook, By-Laws, Baltimore County Volunteer Fireman s Association, Baltimore County Fire Department, AVFD Membership, or AVFD Board of Directors. - The Captain and President shall establish, at the beginning of his/her term, a LIP Advisory Group which shall consist of two members appointed by the Captain, two members appointed by the President, and one member appointed by the live-ins. - Any changes to this policy shall be agreed to by the Captain and President before being implemented. - A live-in is defined as anyone who resides, or plans to reside, at the station for at least 15 days or nights over the course of the past/next 30 days. B.) Eligibility, Applications and Selection Process: - Minimum eligibility: o Must be at least 18 years of age. o Must be a member of the AVFD for at least six months. o Must be a cleared EMT or Firefighter. o Must be a cleared Utility driver, or eligible to be cleared once turning 19 years of age. o Must be employed at least part-time and/or a full-time student (Breaks in employment or school will be considered on a caseby-case basis) - Application process: o Shall submit an application and all appropriate documentation to the LIP Advisory Group as published on the application. o Shall be accepted from any member who meets the minimum eligibility requirements.

2 o Shall appear before LIP Advisory group as part of the selection process. - The Live-In Advisory Group will establish a selection schedule based on the needs of the department. Typically the group will review prospective applicants in February and August of each year. - The selection process shall use an evaluation criteria which equates to one hundred points distributed as follows: o Fire department experience: 10 points maximum (1 point for each year of AVFD service) o Activity level: 20 points maximum Involvement in Fundraisers: 5 points maximum(.5 point for each fundraiser in the past year) Training Participation: 5 points maximum (.1 point for each training hour in the past year) Involvement in Duty Crews: 10 points maximum (points assigned at the recommendation of the duty crew officer or Captain) o Clearance certifications i.e. cleared to function as: 70 points maximum Firefighter: 5 points EMS: chose only one certification EMT: 10 points IVT: 15 points ALS: 25 points Swift water Rescue Technician: 2 points Rescue Technician: 4 points Medic Driver: 10 points Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator: maximum 14 points Engine: 7 points Squad: 7 points Acting Officer: 10 points - All applicants must be able to demonstrate activities for at least the previous six months. The LOSAP report will be used to verify activity level. C.) Requirements once accepted into the program: - Shall commit to duty time at least one month in advance and consist of the following: o Shall commit to at least twenty (20) duty hours per week. Duty hours are defined as: Hours spent attending the ambulance, during which the ambulance must be in an attended status. -or- Hours spent on a regular pre-defined duty crew. Only a single and repeating duty crew assignment may be used to fulfill this commitment.

3 o Other accommodations may be considered based on the liveins schedule although the total number of hours per month shall not be less than 80 hours (based on 20 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, and 12 months per year ((20*52)/12)). Live in duty hours will be assigned by the live-in committee or the captain prior to the start of each month. Notification of availability for the next month must be submitted to the captain by the 15 th of each month. Typically, live-ins will be notified of the schedule on the 20 th of the month prior. - While on the grounds the live-in shall be available to ride or help with other activities unless other status is posted in the watch room on the live-in status board. - The following house duties shall be divided among the live-ins and shall be performed as specified below during duty hours: o Laundry: All AVFD provided bed linen and towels shall be washed, dried, folded, and stored appropriately. o Locker room bathrooms and showers shall be cleaned. o Carpeted areas on the second floor shall be vacuumed. o Place request for bathroom and other cleaning supplies as necessary to the House Officer. o Other duties which the live-ins are expected to assist with during their duty time include daily duty crew checks (equipment and housework), snow removal, general cleanups, grass cutting, etc. o Duties shall be completed by the end of the shift or before 2100hrs, whichever is first. - Training: o Each Live-in shall coordinate at least one (1) training class every quarter, a total of four classes per year. These classes may be in Suppression, Rescue, EMS, or any other fire department related material. o The Live-in must coordinate all logistics associated with the class to include scheduling, class props, audio/visual equipment, sign-in roster, etc. o The date, time, and topic of the training session shall be coordinated with the department training officer. - Minimum qualifications as specified under eligibility requirements must be maintained. - Within one (1) year of acceptance into the program the member shall obtain and be certified and cleared to function at least as a: o EMT o Firefighter

4 o Utility Driver and Medic Driver (when allowed by age requirements) (Driver requirements are required within 18 months of acceptance) D.) Polices and Procedures: - Fees, Expenses, Services: o A one-time non-refundable fee of $100 will be required, once accepted into the program. o A reoccurring fee of $50 will be assessed to the live-in every year. This fee will be due within 15 days of the anniversary of the member s move-in day. o Live-ins are responsible for physical damage to individual rooms and will be charged with repairs of same. All Live-ins shall complete and sign a Room Acceptance Form upon moving into the room. This form will permit the Live-in to note any deficiencies to the room or furniture and not be held liable for these damages upon moving out of the room. o All Live-ins shall be required to carry insurance to cover personal property (minimum of $15,000) and liability (minimum of $300,000). o Fees associated with lost keys and/or services required to rekey a room door or replacement of a lost/stolen key will be the responsibility of the Live-in. o The AVFD is not responsible for personal mail. Post Officer Boxes may be obtained at the Halethorpe Post Office for a fee. - The use of the facilities and equipment is restricted to members; nonmembers are prohibited from storing their property or vehicles in or on the fire department property. - For the purpose of record keeping quarters will be defined as the period from January 1 st thru March 31 st, April 1 st thru June 30 th, July 1 st thru September 30 th, and October 1 st thru December 31 st. - Visitors: o Are subject to the same rules as other members in the department. o Must be escorted while in the building. o Are only permitted in the building from unless they functioning as a ride-along or participating in an official department activity i.e. carnival, disaster relief, etc and have the permission of the duty officer. o Only one person may sleep in a room at one time. - Specific rules and regulations: o Smoking is only permitted in designated smoking areas and is not permitted in the rooms. o Excessive noise which disturbs others in the building shall not be permitted. Deleted: members

5 o Any modifications to the room must be approved by the LIP Advisory Group, or Captain / President in consultation with the LIP Advisory Group. o Banners, flags, signs, etc shall not be displayed in the windows in such a manner as to be viewable from the outside of the building. Any questionable items shall be reviewed by the LIP Advisory Group. o Weapons and/or ammunitions shall not be stored within the station. o No open flames in the rooms o Pets are not permitted in the rooms. Any exception to this policy must be requested through the LIP Advisory Group. o While fulfilling their required duty time they are ineligible for the EMS incentive funding however they are eligible for the EMS incentive funding benefit if they are active outside their normal LIP duty time and as approved by the duty crew officer. - Food and Drinks: o Food shall be stored in the first floor kitchen area. This is required to minimize the potential for mice and other bugs in the live-in area. o A small refrigerator, for storage of personal items (medicines, specialty foods), may be permitted in the room after approval from the LIP Advisory Group. If approved the live-in will be responsible for providing the refrigerator. o Alcohol is not permitted in the rooms. o Cooking is not permitted in the rooms to include hotplates, microwaves, toaster ovens, coffee pots, etc. - AVFD apparatus shall not be used as a means of personal transportation. - Leave: o Leave in excess of one week shall be coordinated with the House Officer who shall also advise other members on the LIP Advisory Group. o Trades may be negotiated to ensure duty crew requirement is met. o Whenever a member is not available for their set duty time they will be responsible for securing a fill-in. o Absences in excess of 1 month in duration shall require the approval of the LIP Advisory Group and may subject the room being vacated and allocated to another live-in. o Extended absences due to injury/illness shall be reviewed by the LIP Advisory Group. Additional duties must be maintained if live-in in unable to ride apparatus and may include data entry, errands, housecleaning, additional fundraising, etc. - Duty Time:

6 o Each Live-in must meet the minimum number of hours as required for the normal monthly duty schedule. Under certain conditions the live-in may petition the LIP Advisory Group to change to an average hourly requirement per quarter. This approval shall only be approved for a maximum of two quarters in a calendar year. - LOSAP: o Activities required as part of the LIP are ineligible for LOSAP credit however any activities above and beyond what is required as part of the LIP are eligible for LOSAP credit. o The LOSAP record sheet shall be used to validate activity levels. o The House Officer shall collect theses sheets at the end of each month and highlight the activities which were part of the LIP requirements. All other activities will be eligible for LOSAP credit. - The member shall provide the House Officer with semi-annual updates to their work and/or school schedule. During other times of the year if there is a major change in the member s schedule they shall notify the House Officer. - Rooms Entry and Keys: o One key will be issued to each live-in and shall not be duplicated. o Rooms are subject to entry and inspection by the Captain, President, or their designee with a 24 hour notice. Notice shall be given in written format and left under the door of the applicable dorm. Additionally at least one attempt will be made to contact the resident by phone (number listed for emergency contact). If a room is entered without the Live-in present a notice shall be left with the date/time entered and purpose. The person entering the room shall have at least one other member from the LIP Advisory Group or House Officer present with them unless conditions are extreme enough to prohibit this. All inspections and non-consented entries will be reported to the Captain, President, and LIP Advisory Group. Abuse of the inspection policy is a serious violation of the resident s right to privacy and right to live peaceably and will result in disciplinary action as recommended by the Captain, President, or LIP Advisory Group. o With the previous statement in mind, an exception will be made if entry into the room is required in the event of live safety or other extreme emergency. The live-in shall be notified of entry as soon as practical. - Disciplinary Action: o All Live-ins shall fall under the same disciplinary polices out outlined in the AVFD Membership Handbook and Bylaws.

7 o A progressive disciplinary policy shall be enforced which include written warning, additional work details, expulsion from the LIP, and official departmental charges. o All cases of potential expulsion from the LIP shall be referred to the LIP Advisory Group for investigation. Once the investigation is complete the findings shall be reported to the Captain. Situations which could be considered as grounds for expulsion include but not limited to: Repeat disciplinary actions Failure to maintain duty hour requirements Failure to maintain clearance certifications Failure to complete duty crew responsibilities Failure to maintain a clean/sanitary dormitory Use of alcohol, tobacco products, or any illegal activity in the room Intentional damage to the room or facilities. Failure to comply with established Live in Program policies and procedures. Being charged with a felony or misdemeanor. o If expelled from the LIP the Live-in shall vacate the room within seven days of official notification in writing. o Appeals to any expulsion from the LIP shall be submitted to the Board of Directors in writing within thirty days of the official notification of expulsion. o If a Live-in is expelled from the LIP any fees paid to the AVFD shall not be refunded and they shall be prohibited from re-applying in the program for at least one year from the date of expulsion. E.) Organizational Structure and Chain Of Command: - The Captain shall: o Be responsible for the daily operations and oversight of the LIP. o Consult with the President on any issues involving disciplinary actions forwarded by the LIP Advisory Group. o Review and approve, in conjunction with the President, any policies changes presented by the LIP Advisory Group. o Present to the Board of Directors any issues which remain unresolved with the President. o Instruct the House Officer to implement any approved changes in the LIP policies. - The function of the LIP Advisory Group shall be as follows: o Establish all dates for the selection process o Receive all applications for the LIP. o Conduct interviews for potential Live-ins.

8 o Review at least on a bi-annual basis any new applicants for the program. If vacancies become available additional reviews may be conducted. o Recommend those members who have met the minimum qualifications and are eligible to become live-ins. o Maintain records of required activities of all Live-ins. o Recommend to the Captain and/or President any changes to the LIP policies. o Investigate all matters dealing with potential expulsion of a live-in from the program o The LIP Advisory Group shall designate a Chairman at the beginning of each new year which shall coincide with the official appointment of new officers as outlined in the AVFD Bylaws. The Chairman shall present a quarterly report to the President and Captain on the status of training, duty time, certifications, fundraising, clearance status, and disciplinary actions of all Live-ins. o Any member may bring issues/concerns of the Live-in Program to the attention of the LIP Advisory Group. o All disciplinary cases involving Live-ins shall be investigated by the LIP Advisory Group and a report shall be provided to the President and Captain within 30 days from initial notification to the LIP Advisory Group. o Perform and provide an inspection report prior to a live-in moving in and upon a live-in vacating the room. - The function of the House Officer shall be: o To oversee the daily operations of the LIP as directed by the Captain and ensure all Live-In responsibilities are completed according to the established guidelines. o Present a monthly report on the status of training, duty time, certifications, and clearance status to the LIP Advisory Group. o Address any immediate concerns of the Live-Ins. o Refer all matters involving potential violations of the program policies to the LIP Advisory Group for investigation. o Participate in room inspections as required. o Ensure adequate supplies are available for housekeeping.