SOG NUMBER: 2230.008 
DIVISION: Fire Operations
REVISED DATE: August 27, 2020
EFFECTIVE DATE: April 18, 1995
REVIEWED DATE: August 27, 2020
APPROVED BY: Val Gale, Assistant Fire Chief
AUTHOR: Eric Kemp, Battalion Chief
SUBJECT: Seniority Bid for Open Line Positions 

PURPOSE 

To establish guidelines for the seniority based bid process, which takes place at regularly scheduled  intervals, for the purpose of filling personnel staffing requirements as outlined in the Staffing SOG  (2230.009) and provides personnel the opportunity to change work assignments, thereby promoting a  diverse work experience. The filling of short term vacancies caused by light duty, schooling, military  leave, etc. are not covered in this SOG.  

DEFINITIONS 

▪ Force List – a list kept and maintained by the Department to determine who, in the absence of  someone electively bidding or volunteering for a position, will be forced into a position. 

▪ Day Captain Positions- there are 5 approved day Captain positions – two Training, two EMS and  one Operations. 

▪ Forty Hour Emergency Response Personnel- any authorized forty hour (40 hour) position that  may be dispatched as part of their duty assignment. 

▪ Hazardous Materials Technician (HMT) Certification – for seniority bid purposes, this term shall  indicate the successful completion of a Department sponsored hazardous materials course. 

▪ Technical Rescue Technician (TRT) Certification - for seniority bid purposes, this term shall  indicate the successful completion of a Department sponsored technical rescue course. 

▪ Special Operations Program – The Special Operations program is supported by two separate  specialty teams, the Hazardous Materials Team and the Technical Rescue Team. There are  currently 30 funded positions in the program. 

▪ Hazardous Materials Team (E284) – Staffed with 15 HMT personnel. 

▪ Technical Rescue Team (L289/M289) – Staffed with 15 TRT personnel. 

▪ Interim Bid – a bid held at regularly scheduled intervals between Refresh Bids, when needed to  fill openings caused by promotions, retirements, etc. 

▪ Paramedic School Acceptance – For seniority bid purposes, this term shall indicate the  successful completion of the paramedic testing process and invitation to attend the program by  the Emergency Medical Division.

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▪ Pass – This term designates that during the interim bid process, an employee wishes to be  contacted each time a new position becomes available within the employee’s rank and  certification. 

▪ Plus Medic Positions – an extra firefighter medic above the required number of ALS Firefighters  needed to fill the ALS firefighter needs on the roster. 

▪ Refresh Bid – All positions are vacated (see page 5 for special operations rules) and open for this  bid. Refresh bids will be completed by December 1st of even years. 

▪ Seniority – the length of service of a Chandler Fire Department (CFD) sworn employee in their  present rank (i.e., Firefighter, Engineer, Captain, etc.). A Firefighter must be off initial probation  in order to participate in the seniority bid process. In the event there are two (2) or more  personnel with the same “Date of Classification”, their ranking for seniority will be determined  (in order) by the following criteria: 

o Class Ranking (if applicable) – a person achieving the highest grade point average or who  finished higher overall has seniority. 

o Hire Date – Employees Date of Hire as a sworn CFD Firefighter. 

o Employee Number – An employee with the lowest employee number will be considered  senior. 

▪ Stay – This term designates that an employee wishes to have their name removed from the bid  process and to stay in the position currently occupying. This term applies only to Interim Bids. 

▪ Vacate – This term designates that an employee is giving up their current position for bid. This  term only applies to Special Operations personnel and can only be used during Refresh Bids. 

POLICY 

It is not the CFD’s responsibility to make accommodations for personal obligations caused by personnel  changing shifts through seniority bid. The Department is not obligated to honor any type of previously  approved leave, if the employee chooses to change shifts during seniority bid. Honoring previously  approved vacation is addressed in the Scheduling of Vacation SOG (2230.001). The good of the  Department will always take precedence over seniority bid at the direction of the Fire Chief. 

The Department will complete a Refresh Bid by October 1st of even years with bid assignments  beginning on or about January 1st of odd years. During refresh bids, all Department positions are  vacated and are available to bid. 

Additionally, Interim bids will be held at six (6) month intervals with the bid assignments starting on or  about July 1st of each year and January 1st of even years. Vacancies caused by promotions, retirements,  new stations, etc. shall be filled by the Operations Chief until the next regularly scheduled bid.  

Bid rotation executes as follows: 

▪ Action Date (approximate) 

▪ Refresh Bid – completed October 1st (even years) 

▪ Refresh Bid Assignment Implementation – January 1st (odd years) 

▪ Interim Bid 1 – June 1st (odd years)

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▪ Interim Bid 1 Assignment Implementation – July 1st (odd years) 

▪ Interim Bid 2 – December 1st (odd years) 

▪ Interim Bid 2 Assignment Implementation – January 1st (even years) 

▪ Interim Bid 3 – June 1st (even years) 

▪ Interim Bid 3 Assignment Implementation – July 1st (even years) 

The basic tenets of both bid processes are as follows: 

▪ All Day Captain Positions will be filled prior to the bid process. 

▪ Battalion Captain Positions will be bid and filled first, followed by the remaining Captain  Positions, then Engineer Positions, and then Firefighter Positions.  

▪ Personnel may bid once at each seniority bid process.  

▪ Plus Medic positions will be declared by the Operations Chief prior to the bid process.  

▪ Plus ALS firefighters will be allowed to bid for vacant BLS firefighter positions in order of their  seniority.  

▪ Trading of positions is not allowed. 

▪ Personnel who are spouses or related to the degree as follows: parent, child, brother or sister,  whether or not related by blood, cannot bid for a position within the chain of command (i.e.,  Battalion Chief, and Captain). 

Personnel accepted to Paramedic School (refer to Definition section) will vacate their current position  and bid as ALS in any upcoming bids. In the event an employee does not successfully complete  Paramedic School, the employee will be placed in a BLS position until the next scheduled bid. The  employee will then bid as BLS in any future bids. Firefighters may be temporarily reassigned by the  Operations Chief for probationary firefighter, paramedic student, or other department needs. 

▪ Basic Life Support Captains and Engineers must bid to rescue stations, the Utility (Engineers), or  one of two designated BLS Engineer Rover positions (Engineers). 

▪ Up to two (2) Engineer rover positions may be designated as BLS during the bid process. If filled  by BLS Engineers, each BLS Engineer will be paired with the least senior ALS Engineer at a rescue  station on the same shift. The BLS Engineer will be the primary rover and the paired ALS  Engineer will be available for roving when the ALS certification is needed. 

o The two (2) BLS Engineer rover positions must be on different shifts.  

o There are currently five (5) Engineer rover positions. The shift with only one roving  Engineer will be filled by an ALS Engineer. 

▪ All rover positions, with the exception of the two potential BLS Engineer rover positions, will be  designated as ALS. If the number of ALS FF’s does not exist to fill these positions, roving BLS FF’s  may be required until the ALS FF numbers meet the requirement.  

▪ There will be five HMT’s assigned to each shift, four of which will be assigned to E284. The fifth  HMT position, per shift, may bid or be forced to any position on the roster in which they would  otherwise qualify for, based on seniority bid rules as stated in this SOG. This position may be  either ALS or BLS as determined by the bid. 

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▪ Non-CFD trained paramedics who will or could be used on the roster in a paramedic position will  be selected by seniority. A new CEP with the most seniority will be allowed to receive  Paramedic Assignment Pay on a temporary basis. This employee shall bid in the CFD’s Seniority Bid Process as an EMT and then be reassigned into a Paramedic position on a temporary basis.  When the CFD conducts a test for Paramedic, the employee must test and shall receive  permanent assignment pay depending on their placement in the testing process. 

▪ Once personnel have selected a position, they will not be allowed to make any further bids or  changes. 

▪ Once the bid has been completed, the only way the bid will be changed is if there was an error  made by the administrator of the bid. 

▪ Vacant Special Operations positions will be filled at all times, even if it creates a vacancy  elsewhere on the roster. The Operations Chief or designee shall be responsible for completing  the bid process. 

▪ Battalion Chief Rotations or assignments will occur at the discretion of the Fire Chief  independent of the seniority bid process. 

▪ Exceptions: Any individual may be placed in any position at the discretion of the Fire Chief.  Interim Bid Process Specific Rules 

▪ The Operations Chief or designee will announce by Special Notice, open position(s) by rank, unit,  shift, and certification. The Special Notice will include the closing date for the bid, and the  scheduled bid date. 

▪ Interim Bids will not be held when there are no open positions on the roster. 

▪ Personnel can enter their names into the bid process by following the procedure outlined in the  Procedures section of this SOG. Personnel will only be allowed to enter their names into the bid  if there is a rank and certification position available that matches his/her rank and certification.  

▪ An available position can be filled only by someone with the same rank and certification unless  all other available positions are already filled.  

▪ Members (including Special Operations) cannot voluntarily vacate their positions for interim  bids. 

▪ Special Operations personnel who have met their two year commitment in their bid team may only bid available positions within the Special Operations program following normal bid rules. 

▪ Every effort will be made to follow this process and not bump personnel from their bid  positions; however, there will be instances when personnel do get bumped due to certification  requirements. 

▪ Apparatus have two (2) firefighter positions. In the event that a certification change is made on  the apparatus that causes one (1) firefighter to be displaced, the least senior firefighter will be  the position displaced. An exception to this would be when certification determines the  displaced firefighter.

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▪ Positions that become available between scheduled bids will be filled at the discretion of the  Operations Chief and will automatically be entered into the next scheduled bid. 

Special Operations 

▪ Special Operations personnel will hold a special operations position on their currently assigned  team in all bid processes and cannot be forced off the team by a more senior person.  

▪ A two year commitment to their bid team is required for personnel who bid an open position  and attend Special Operations training. 

▪ Special Operations Captains wishing to vacate their positions will be required to declare their  intent to vacate prior to the bid. Once the Special Operations Captain positions have been filled,  the Special Operations Engineers will be notified (by a group text) and will have 15 minutes to  notify the Bid Administrator of their intent to vacate. In the case of a proxy bid, the proxy will  assume the responsibility of the member. If no response with the intent to vacate is received  within the 15 minutes, the bid will commence and the members will remain obligated to the  Special Operations Team’s available positions. The same process will take place for the  Firefighters, once the Special Operations Engineer positions are filled. 

▪ Only Special Operations personnel who indicate their intent to vacate will be allowed to bid  open positions outside of their currently assigned team. 

▪ Vacated special operations positions will be posted during the bid. 

▪ If the position is not filled, the appropriate force list will be utilized to determine who will be  forced into the position.  

▪ If a person is forced into a special operations position, and has to attend special operations  training in order to fill an open position on either special operations team, the assignment must  be at least a 12 month term in order for the assignment to fulfill the required commitment to  the team. 

▪ Three (3) Special Operations lists will be maintained by the Department (Captain, Engineer and  Firefighter lists). These lists will be used to determine who will be forced into the special  operations position in the above circumstance. All personnel who are trained in special  operations will be on the lists in reverse order of seniority. 

▪ Once a person has been forced into a special operations position for two continuous years,  he/she will be placed at the bottom of the list. In the event of promotion or demotion, persons will be placed on the appropriate list in reverse seniority order.  

▪ “Sunset set clause” on Special Ops Certifications: 

• After 10 years from the date a member completes HMT or TRT training they would no  longer be eligible to be forced back to the team. Force rules would apply to those 10  years and under. 

• The 10 year “sunset clause” would apply to each discipline independently. 

• A member would be allowed to bid back into the team if desired based on seniority. ▪ Vacating of special operations positions will only be allowed for refresh bids.

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▪ All open Special Operations positions will be filled by seniority by those meeting the Special  Operations training and EMS certification required for that position. 

o Exceptions to this will be based on available funding for schooling and must be  approved and declared prior to the bid process by the Fire Chief or designee. If funding  is available, personnel meeting position requirement will bid in order of seniority  regardless of special operations certification due to the availability of funding for  training. If no one bids a vacancy and funding is available the least senior person  meeting the position requirements will be forced into the position and sent to school for  team specific training.  

o Probationary personnel may not bid or be forced into a Special Operations position that  would require them to attend the certification class during their probationary period.  

Non-certified persons bidding into Special Operations positions must be willing to attend the  next available certification class. Personnel who have a personal reason not to attend the next  available certification class must receive approval from the Operations Chief prior to the bid  process. 

▪ If the person bidding into the special operations position is not trained (HMT/TRT), the person  bidding out may be required to stay in a special operations position until the training is  completed. 

▪ Personnel who bid to a Special Operations position and have previously received the required  HMT and/or TRT training must complete the below listed training prior to receiving Special  Operations pay. Personnel who have been away from Special Operations for: 

o More than one (1) year must complete the recertification packet (CFD Form 313 or 314) 

o More than five (5) years, will be required to attend refresher training as determined by  the supervisor and the Operations Chief. 

o More than ten (10) years, will be required to attend the regional 200 hour HMT or TRT  class. 

▪ Special Operations Captains will have the ability to choose (volunteer) for one (1) Day Captain or  FIT position and continue to receive special operations pay. Volunteering to continue in a forced  position will result in loss of special operations pay. 

▪ The Captain who covers for the special operations Captain in the Day/FIT position will only  receive special operations pay for the two (2) year assignment and does not own a special  operations slot even if the captain he is covering vacates at the next refresh bid. 

Battalion Captain (FIT) Positions 

▪ All Battalion Captain bids made at refresh bids are 2 year commitments. Battalion Captains can  bid other Battalion Captain vacancies as they are posted between re-fresh bids due to  promotions or retirements but cannot bid any other shift Captain vacancies.  

▪ Battalion Captain vacancies caused by promotions or retirements will be filled in a timely  manner when the vacancy occurs outside of the regular interim bid schedule. 

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▪ Three (3) Battalion Captain positions will be available for development opportunities for those  preparing for future BC testing. The three positions will be filled in the following order of  priority: 

o 1st– Those who have completed the most recent BC promotional process. 

o 2nd– Those who have completed the BC Development program. (If the number of spots  available are fewer than the number of Captains qualified for the spots through the BC  Development program, candidates will be selected through an interview process  conducted by the Operations AC.) 

o 3rd– remaining spots filled utilizing the current process through seniority bid.  

▪ The Operations Chief or designee will solicit interested Battalion Captain Candidates prior to  each bid. 

▪ All Captains will be required to declare their interest in the Battalion Captain positions. Unless  Captains declare their interest in response to this solicitation they will not be considered for a  Battalion Captain position.  

▪ Exceptions to this would be when the force list is utilized to fill a position. 

▪ The non-developmental FIT positions will be filled through seniority bid after the developmental  FIT positions are placed by the Fire Chief or designee.  

▪ Battalion Captains bid a shift and a battalion and will not follow or move if the assigned  Battalion Chief is moved during the bid period. 

▪ The Department will maintain a Battalion Captain Force list. In the event that no one bids to an  open Battalion Captain position, the Force list will be utilized to determine who will be placed  into the position. The Battalion Captain Force list is based on the most senior Captain who has  not been a Battalion Captain and has had at least two (2) years after being forced to a Day  Captain position. 

▪ Captains bidding a Battalion Captain position or being selected for or forced into an EMS,  Training or Operations Captain position at a refresh bid, who are currently assigned to a Special  Operations assignment will be allowed to keep their Special Operations assignment pay for one,  two year period. If the person does not bid back into a special operation position on the next bid  they will lose their special operations assignment pay.  

Day Captain Positions 

▪ Captains are required to have a minimum of two (2) years in rank before being eligible for a Day  Captain position.  

▪ Day Captains positions will be rotated every two (2) years, in alignment with the refresh bids. A  Captain holding a day position is eligible to apply for an additional two (2) year term and/or  other Day Captain positions as they come available. 

▪ The Department will maintain a Day Captain Force list. In the event that there are no volunteers  for the position, the Force list will be utilized to determine who will be forced into the day  rotation. 

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▪ The Day Captain Force list is based on the least senior Captain with at least two (2) years of  service in grade at the time of the vacancy. 

▪ EMS Day Captains shall hold a current ALS certification. Training and Operations Day Captains  may hold ALS or BLS certifications. 

▪ Personnel interested in one of the Day Captain positions shall submit their intention upon  request of the Battalion Chief of that area and be part of a selection process to fill positions for  the bid term (two [2] years).  

▪ In the event that several Captains volunteer for the same open Day Captain position, selection  to fill the vacancies will be made by the Fire Chief or designee prior to the bid.  

▪ This selection will be based on qualifications and needs of the position and not  on seniority of the candidate(s). 

▪ Preference will be given to volunteers unless circumstances dictate a specific  need of the department. 

Force Lists 

▪ If a position is not filled by seniority bid or by volunteer, a force list will be used to determine  who will be forced into the position. 

▪ Personnel will not be forced into back-to-back 40-hour positions. 

▪ The Department will maintain four (4) force lists which will be utilized, as needed, in the  following priority order: 

o Day Captain Positions  

o Special Operations (Captains, Engineers and Firefighters) 

o Battalion Captains 

o 40-Hour Emergency Response Positions (Captains, Engineers and Firefighters) 

▪ Filling a Day Captain, Battalion Captain, or 40-Hour Emergency Response position, whether by  volunteering or being forced, will fulfill your obligation and your name will be removed from the  force list for that specific position.  

▪ Personnel who are forced into 40-Hour Emergency Response Positions or Special Operations  positions as a firefighter or engineer can be forced back into a 40-Hour Emergency Response  Positions or Special Operations positions each time they change rank due to promotions. Once  a person is promoted his or her previous force assignments no longer apply to the new rank. In  this case, personnel can be forced into 40-Hour Emergency Response Positions, Special  Operations, Battalion Captain or Day Captain depending on the new rank. 

▪ If personnel are forced or are selected into a position, the assignment must last for a minimum  of a 12 month term in order for the assignment to fulfill the requirement as being forced into a 

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position. In the event the assignment lasts less than 12 months, the person will remain in their  original position on that specific force list.  

PROCEDURES 

Interim Bid Notification 

The Operations Chief or designee will make Interim bid vacancy notifications by Special Notice. The  Special Notice will include the rank, unit, shift, and certification(s) required to apply. 

The Special Notice will be emailed to “All Personnel” at least 14 days prior to the bid closing. Anyone  interested in a possible move will send an email to the Operations Chief (or designee) stating his or her  desire to be included in the bid process. This includes any possible interest in vacancies that may be  created by the filling of the posted position(s). The Operations Chief or designee must have notification  as stated above by the closing date listed in the Special Notice. 

The Bidding Process 

The Operations Chief or designee will begin the bidding process by contacting the most senior person  who meets the requirements. 

Phone Bids: 

▪ The Bid Committee will make five (5) attempts to contact the person “up for bid”. The calls will  be spaced three (3) minutes apart. 

▪ If a person cannot be contacted, they will be placed in the last open position for which they  meet the requirements. This rule does not apply to personnel on shift or on calls. 

▪ If at any time the person initiates contact with the Bid Proctor, the person can enter the bid  process and will be considered on the next position offered in his/her rank in which they are  qualified. 

▪ No concessions will be made for previously filled positions when no contact was made with the  individual. 

▪ If a person cannot attend a scheduled bid or be contacted by phone due to previous schedule  conflicts, the person can use a proxy to bid for them. The name and contact information of the  proxy must be presented to the bid panel before the start of the bid. All bids done by proxy are  final. 

On the day of the seniority bid, the Department will make every attempt to have an up-to-date roster  available on the Internet for department personnel to view during the bid process. The roster will be  updated as changes occur so that personnel will know what positions are available. 

Once contacted, personnel will only have the following options: 

▪ Refresh Bids 

o Select an open position.

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▪ Interim Bids 

o Select an open position and be removed from the process for further openings. 

o Pass and maintain the same standing on the list with the option to take any openings that  may occur due to the filling of position(s).  

o Stay in their current position and remove their name from the process.  

For Captain and Engineer positions that do not fill, the Operations Chief will assign to the position the  least senior person that most meets the position requirements. After completing the bidding process,  the Operations Chief will send out a Special Notice listing the dates for personnel to change shifts.  

Exceptions: 

▪ The Operations Chief may make changes to the bidding process in order to satisfy the needs of  the Department. 

▪ Firefighters on units may need to be moved to facilitate temporary staffing of probationary  firefighters, paramedic students and other department needs. Movement of firefighters to  create these vacancies will be based on seniority with in shifts.  

Any firefighter of any unit should understand they could be temporarily moved to facilitate the  staffing of probationary firefighters (if ALS staffing permits) at the discretion of the Operations  Chief or to facilitate the needs of the Department. Exception to this, if the EMS certification  needs require decisions be based on EMS certifications and not seniority. In such a case, a crew member other than the ALS firefighter filling the ALS requirements of the unit may be  temporarily moved to fulfill the need for probationary staffing. 

▪ Personnel on initial probation will not be considered for seniority bid. Day and Staff positions  will not be filled by seniority bid. 

▪ Any individual can be placed in any position at the discretion of the Fire Chief. FORMS AND EXHIBITS 

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