The Suffolk Hyde Affair - Doc 203 Sudbury Fire Engine

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Draft Agreement between Suffolk Fire Service and the Fire Brigades Union
Arrangements for Acting Up to the Rank of Leading Firefighter – Wholetime personnel

All those members of the Brigade who undertake acting up duties will be able to opt in via written acceptance of the following conditions:

1. Once opted into the scheme, that person can be required to act up. Other than in exceptional circumstances, acting up will be at the normal place of work. Opting out of the scheme can be notified to the Chief fire Officer at any time, although a notice period of 6 weeks will be required before the opting out comes into effect. The period of 6 weeks may be varied by mutual consent.

2. Personnel opting into the scheme will receive appropriate training to include incident report completion and tactical risk assessment. This training will be incorporated into the wholetime training programmes.

3. The criteria that will be applied when accepting opt in notification for acting up to Leading Firefighter will be either:-

A) A firefighter qualified by examination for promotion to Leading Firefighter and who has been assessed at an internal assessment board as suitable for temporary promotion or acting up; or

B) A firefighter qualified by examination for promotion to Leading Firefighter but who has not applied for assessment.

4. In cases where a person acts up a flexible duty officer will be mobilised to all incidents attended by that person where he or she would otherwise be in sole charge of the incident.
The fire Brigades Union accepts that substantive rank holders have a contractual obligation to accept acting up duties as and when required. This agreement is based on the principle that persons defined as unsuitable for temporary promotion or acting up duties as the result of a promotion assessment board will not be accepted into the scheme.

Malcolm Alcock Chief Fire Officer
Chris Hayward FBU