I.         Purpose

To provide a minimum acceptable level of management coverage for the district 24 hours per day, every day.

II.        Duty Officer

A.        A chief officer or qualified acting chief officer shall be available to respond to emergency incidents and/or perform administrative duties occurring within the district at all times.  This function shall be known as the Duty Chief

B.        The standard for availability under this policy shall be that the Duty Chief must be available for immediate dispatch no farther than a 20 minute drive time to a Diamond Springs fire station.

C.        An exception shall be made when the Duty Chief is dispatched and assigned to a working emergency incident or out of the district on a temporary immediate need basis.

 1.        During such times, the Duty Chief shall ensure that coverage is maintained either through agreement with another Diamond Springs chief officer, mutual aid or the  appointment of an acting chief officer.

2.         The Duty Chief shall not accept any out of district planned need incident assignments, nor immediate need assignments that are out of El Dorado or Amador Counties without approval of the Fire Chief. The Duty Chief shall place the needs of the district as the first priority.

III.      Procedure 

A.        Chief officers shall normally rotate the duty on a weekly basis.

B.        The duty change will occur at 0800 hours every Thursday, and last until 0800 hours the next Thursday.

C.        Chief officers can obtain temporary relief for special occasions by agreement with another qualified acting chief officer.

D.        In the absence of the Fire Chief, the Duty Chief shall act as the Fire Chief unless otherwise formally directed.

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