The Eve of Christmas Eve Weekend

Blogmasters sources report a particularly high level of discontent on the operations floor for this weekend, mostly related to the lack of comp time approved for the busy days prior to Christmas. A particular pall hangs over the 3rd Watch where it can now be told that the Watch Manager denied every single request for time due for Christmas Eve. Every single slip submitted for time on afternoons--including pmp calltakers, pmp dispatchers, and even a police officer--was given back to its unlucky requestor. This is especially disheartening to those folks who put the slips in up to a YEAR in advance--only now to face a decision of whether to forgo their plans for that special night and come in to work or call off on medical and face certain disciplinary actions.

This issue, however, does not just have repurcussions for those pcos affected by a lack of approved time due--it poses a challenge for the watch managers and supervisors and has the potential to seriously affect officer safety and 911 call processing. For the 3rd Watch on Christmas Eve, Blogmaster can report, there are still significant gaps in manpower to staff the minimum number of positions to ensure efficient operations. That would be the MINIMUM amount of pcos necessary to staff adequately, and all of this is BEFORE a single pco calls off on the medical for that day. This sad fact illustrates a salient point that often goes unacknowledged and unreported: the OEMC operations does operate--and has operated for a very long time--on the continued use of overtime as a means to solve a chronic and dangerous (did we mention liability?) staffing shortage. It only becomes apparent on days like christmas eve, new years eve and july 3--when an extreme lack of overtime volunteers for those particular days (which are not holiday pay)--reveal gaping holes in manpower. This phenomenon especially affects 3rd Watch because having to work that day leaves one little time to do anything else. Can anyone say mandatory overtime? These next few weeks are going to be brutal for everyone at a time when call volume is not traditionally high (with the exception of New Year's Eve) when the mandatory overtime kicks in for real as it did already for 2nd watch, pmp dispatchers and calltakers, and the 1st watch over the weekend.

But more importantly, the watch managers, supervisors, and pcos are left trying to deal with a problem they did not create and are unable to adequately address. As a result the watch managers are reliant upon the continued use of overtime and all the associated problems with overextended employees, the pcos are burdened with more work and more burnout, and the citizens and taxpayers of the city are forced to pay--and pay bigtime in some cases (did we mention liability?)--for a less efficient workforce which is third rate, at best, despite the city efforts to tout its 911 operations as world class. It would be funny, if it werent so sad and serious.