Recently there has been some confusion around the entitlements when working at stations that are not your usual station.

Members are reminded that when they work at stations other than their usual stations they may be entitled to claim for additional expenses such as travel time and distance.

The relevant clauses from the CEA outlining these entitlements are:

2.6.15 Where a worker is employed on relieving duties and is required to travel a greater distance, because of such relieving duties, than to the usual station, such worker shall be paid travelling time, at the appropriate hours rate, for the time taken to travel such extra distance and such travelling time shall be computed for each quarter hour or part thereof.

2.6.15.1 Where a worker is employed on relieving duties under this clause and such a worker is involved in additional expenditure because of travelling such distances, appropriate and reasonable reimbursements for such additional expenditure shall be made by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

2.6.15.2 For the purpose of the sub-clause, “employed on relieving duties” means where a worker serves, for any period, at a station other than such worker’s usual station.

If you are on an overtime shift at any station and you have to uplift your turnout gear from your usual station and return it at the end of the overtime shift to your usual station, you are entitled to claim travel mileage and time from your usual station to the overtime station and back, regardless of where you live.

Examples of this may be when a member uplifts their Level 2 uniform from their usual station and then travels past it to the relieving station, or if the member, due to a late notice call back, travels to their usual station to uplift Level 2 uniform and travels back towards their home to the relieving station.

Both are examples of additional expenditure and assume that the member returns their Level 2 uniform to their usual station at the end of their shift. Members are reminded to advise the OIC whether or not they had to travel to uplift their uniform, and that they will be returning their uniform to their usual station at the end of the shift.

Although there is a minimum standard calculation for travel time, members must also advise the OIC of their actual additional travel time, which may be traffic dependant and therefore greater than the minimum standard rate, and their vehicle engine size and whether it is Diesel, Petrol or Electric. This is to ensure that you are paid the correct travel time and mileage rate that is entered into SMS.

If upon making your travel claim to return your gear to your usual station at the end of your overtime shift the OIC refuses the claim, members are advised to notify the OIC immediately that they will be leaving their gear at the overtime station, and for the OIC to make arrangements for the gear to be transported to your usual station, before the start of your next shift.

Members are reminded to be vigilant in ensuring they are not transporting PPE that has been exposed to the hazards of a fire scene in their private vehicles. The returning of Level 2 uniform to their usual station (as detailed above) only applies if the firefighter did not respond to a fire during the shift. Decontamination procedures including bagging and tagging Level 2 uniform at the incident ground and sending it away for cleaning must be adhered to.

If any member is not clear on the above advice, or has any queries, please contact one of your Local Representatives.