Duty Day for Ground Team

[SStradley]

I am researching the duty day for Ground Teams and Mission Staff.  I can't find where in the Regs it is defined.  CAPR 60-1 spells it out for air crew, and I thought 60-3 covered it for ground teams.  However, if it does I can't find it.

What is the duty day for Ground Teams and Mission Staff and where is it defined?

Thanks,

[davedove]

We were discussing this at our squadron a while back.  As far as I can tell, there is no regulatory guidance, like for aircrew.  It is really up to the leaders, keeping team safety in mind.

[cnitas]

It is not defined in regulation.

Acording to the GT task guide, fully qualified ground team members are expected to be able operate in the field for 48 hours or more.

[0]

It is not defined in regulation.

Acording to the GT task guide, fully qualified ground team members are expected to be able operate in the field for 48 hours or more.

While this is true, it's not a continious 48 hours of work.  Rest periods are added in for safety reasons.  The general rule of thumb is that Ground Teams go by the same rules for duty day as air crew members.  Those on the Ground Teams are coming from work or school as well.  I was on a mission awhile back and we were close to suspending the mission till the next day due to duty day guidelines.   

[Capt M. Sherrod]

The following is a quote from a "Duty Day" query of the Knowledge Base

Following an accident in 2004 by CAP members towing a balloon back to their wing, the Wing Commander sponsored a National Board agenda item proposing driving duty-day restrictions for CAP vehicle drivers; it was voted on but, failed to pass. (See August 2004 National Board Minutes AGENDA ITEM 4 LG Action SUBJECT: Transportation Safety)

HQ CAP Safety

Although duty-day restrictions while driving are not spelled out in CAP regulations, members are expected to always exercise good judgment when operating a CAP vehicle. This includes adequate rest by all drivers, observing posted speed limits and traffic regulations, and responsible conduct by passengers including the use of seat belts.

Safety requirements when operating CAP vehicles are covered in Paragraph 8 (below) of CAP REGULATION 77-1 (E) OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF CIVIL AIR PATROL VEHICLES.

[davedove]

There is only this general statement in CAPR 60-3 (note there is no mention of specific hours of operation):

1-23. Prevention of Fatigue. Incident commanders will ensure that personnel performing operational mission activities, particularly flight operations, have had sufficient rest to enable them to safely complete the proposed assignment. CAP mission managers and flight crews should refer to CAPR 60-1 for flight time and duty limitations. CAP flight crews and ground teams will make a conscientious effort to avoid or reduce fatigue by
a. periodic separation from duty station;
b. periodic light refreshments of moderate amounts of hot foods, soup, fruit juice, etc.;
c. avoidance of excessive smoking;
d. periodic sleep prior to sorties; and
e. refraining from alcohol within 24 hours of reporting for the mission.

[Hoser]

In Missouri the Part 135 duty day is the standard for air or ground crews

[IceNine]

Past personal experience has told me that it depends on the nature of the mission.  Is it an ELT that is annoying RCC?  Is it an overdue pilot?  or is it a 4 year old that wandered off 6 hours ago?

I have seen IC's recall teams after 4 or 5 hours of ELT search but barring the inability to be effective (lack of sunlight, fatigue, or lack of resources) most of the time the GT's will operate to their personal limits, at which oint it becomes a judgment call. 

So here's how I look at it.  If I'm playing Ground Branch and I have a green team with several 13 YOA GTM-3's I'll call them in after about 4 hours. 

But on the flip side if I have a dream team of older cadets with a lot of time being qualled, and good team leader they may stay out there from sunup till sundown. 

It mainly depends on the abilities of that particular team, and more importantly the abilities of the team leader to take care of their people, cause we all know that being a team leader you can sometimes get caught up in the next step of the search and lose touch with the status of your people.  Which is especially prevalent in new GTL's

[lordmonar]

General rule of thumb is 12 hours in the field 16 hours since last sleep.

It is not in the regulations...but the ICS is set up for 12 hours operating periods and anything more than 12 hours you start getting punch drunk and quickly lose efficiency and start making mistakes....getting hurt.

[Dustoff]

General rule of thumb is 12 hours in the field 16 hours since last sleep.

It is not in the regulations...but the ICS is set up for 12 hours operating periods and anything more than 12 hours you start getting punch drunk and quickly lose efficiency and start making mistakes....getting hurt.

And the last time I went through the altitude chamber, the chamber staff were telling us about some AF studies on fatigue.  The two points that I remember -

After 20 hours without rest, your decision-making ability is comparable to a blood alcohol level of 0.04

After 24 hours, it is equivalent to 0.08!!

Jim

[Eclipse]

I would agree with 12 hours as a good rule.

For one thing, you can only get credit for 12 hours worth of sorties (3 per day, 4 hours per), which is an indication to me that NHQ believes that is the general limit of the abilities of volunteers.

As someone who has done 12+ hour days 5+ days in a row, while you do tend to fall into a mental groove, you're also frickin' knackered after a while.  Add terrain, weather, etc., and you may have team safety issues as well.

With the above said, if we're talking about continuing a search with a high probability, and standing down would mean the difference between someone dying, I'd be inclined to push through.

Part of this is asking when/where your teams will be most effective - push on another sortie because they will stand-down the next day, or you need them all day tomorrow, so you get them some rack time now.

[sardak]

Here is the policy from the 2007 National Interagency Mobilization Guide, Chapter 10.  Although references are to wildland fire, this policy also applies to all-hazards mobilization under the National Response Plan.

13.1 Work/Rest
In order to provide for safe, efficient, and effective support to wildland fire operations, the following policy on work/rest, length of assignments, and incident driving operations is established.  This policy applies to ALL firefighters, overhead, dispatchers, and support personnel. [All emphasis mine.]

Work/Rest Guidelines should be met on all incidents.

Plan for and ensure that all personnel are provided a minimum 2:1 work to rest ratio (for every 2 hours of work or travel, provide 1 hour of sleep and/or rest).

Work shifts that exceed 16 hours and/or consecutive days that do not meet the 2:1 work/rest ratio should be the exception, and no work shift should exceed 24 hours.  However, in situations where this does occur (for example, initial attack), incident management personnel will resume 2:1 work/rest ratio as quickly as possible.

The Incident Commander or Agency Administrator must justify work shifts that exceed 16 hours and those that do not meet 2:1 work/rest ratio.  Justification will be documented in the daily incident records.  Documentation shall include mitigation measures used to reduce fatigue.

13.2 Incident Operations Driving
In the absence of more restrictive agency policy, these guidelines will be followed during mobilization and demobilization as well.  Individual agency driving policies shall be consulted for all other non-incident driving.

No driver will drive more than ten (10) hours (behind the wheel) within any duty day.  Multiple drivers in a single vehicle may drive up to the duty day limitation, provided no driver exceeds the individual driving (behind the wheel) time limitation of ten (10) hours.

A driver shall drive only if they have had at least eight [8] consecutive hours off duty before beginning a shift.

Exception:  Exception to the minimum off-duty hour requirement is allowed when essential to:

1.   Accomplish immediate and critical suppression objectives, or

2.   Address immediate and critical firefighter or public safety issues.

Mike

[CadetProgramGuy]

At the hospital I work for, our department has now a SOP that 16 hour shifts are done.  Cannot happen.

12 hours is max.