This Act sets work-hour and shift rules for fire brigades, including platoon schedules, weekly time off, a limit on required duty hours, a narrow emergency attendance power, and an offence for unlawful duty directions.
Fire Department Act 143 1996 Definitions 1 In this Act: fire chief means the person in charge of a fire department or fire brigade; paid fire department means a fire brigade of which one or more members, other than the fire chief, receive full time remuneration for their services as members. Application of Act 2 This Act applies to every municipality and every place in which there is a paid fire department. Supremacy of Act 3 This Act has effect despite any Act or any municipal bylaws relating to the fire department. Two platoon system 4 In a municipality or place to which this Act applies, the fire chief must divide the members of the fire brigade into 2 platoons for work only in accordance with one of the following systems: No. 1 System: A platoon must not be kept on duty for more than 24 consecutive hours. A platoon kept on duty for 24 consecutive hours must then be allowed 24 consecutive hours off duty. No. 2 System: One platoon must be on duty for day work for 10 consecutive hours each day, and the other platoon must be on duty for night work for 14 consecutive hours each day. Each platoon must alternate at least once in every 7 days from day work to night work or from night work to day work. Two days off a week; 48 hour week 5 1 In addition to the periods during which an officer or employee of the fire department is off duty under section 3, each officer and employee must be off duty for 2 full days of 24 hours each in each week. 2 An officer or employee of the fire department must not be required on duty for more than 48 hours in any one week unless there is an arrangement that the hours of duty for officers and employees, averaged over a number of weeks, are not more than 48 hours a week. 3 Nothing in subsection (2) relieves a municipality from complying with section 4. Maintenance of salaries and holidays 6 No deduction may be made from the pay or holidays of members of the fire brigade in a municipality or place only because of the application of this Act to the municipality or place. Offence 7 A fire chief or officer of a paid fire department who directs or requests a member of the fire brigade to be on duty in violation of this Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a penalty of not less than $10 and not more than $100. Full attendance at large destructive fire 8 Despite this Act, the fire chief may require the attendance of all members of the fire brigade for work during a large destructive fire if the fire chief considers their attendance necessary for the control of the fire.