[12.9]{.underline} -- [Hazard Pay for General Schedule
Employees]{.underline}. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regulations
provide for payment of a differential to GS employees who are exposed to
unusual physical hardship or hazardous duty.

This authorization is based upon the inability to mitigate the hazard.
ICs and Agency Administrators should not unduly expose any person to
hazardous situations and will document, in writing, the incident records
if personnel are unduly exposed to hazardous situations. (Refer to 5 CFR
550.901 through 550.907.)

Incident agencies and Incident Management Teams (IMTs) do not have the
authority to approve hazard pay for conditions that do not meet the
parameters stated in the Code of Federal Regulations (Refer to 5 CFR
550.901 through 550.907).

[12.9-1]{.underline} - [Definitions.]{.underline}

1.  [Fireline]{.underline}. For purposes of pay administration for
    hazardous duty, a fireline is defined as the area within or adjacent
    to the perimeter of an uncontrolled wildfire of any size in which
    action is being taken to control fire. Such action includes
    operations, which directly support control of fire (e.g. activities
    to extinguish the fire, ground scouting, spot fire patrolling,
    search and rescue operations, and backfiring).

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2.  [Control of Fire]{.underline}. The IC or Agency Administrator will
    determine when the fire is controlled. Fire may be controlled even
    if confinement strategy is being applied.

3.  [Limited Control Flights]{.underline}. Flights undertaken under
    unusual and adverse conditions (e.g., extreme weather, maximum load
    or overload, limited visibility, extreme turbulence, or low level
    flights involving fixed or tactical patterns), which threaten or
    severely limit control of the aircraft.

[12.9-2]{.underline} -- [Positions Not Entitled to Hazard Pay
Differential for Irregular and Intermittent Hazardous
Duties]{.underline}. Certain positions are not entitled to specific
hazard pay differentials because the hazard has been considered in the
classification of the position. The following positions are not entitled
to hazard pay of the hazards shown:

[Position]{.underline} [Hazardous Duties]{.underline}

Pilot, GS-2181 Operating aircraft in flight.

Forestry Technician Parachute jumps.

(Smokejumper), GS-462

GS employees in these positions are entitled to hazard pay differentials
for performing other authorized duty as described below.

[12.9-3]{.underline} -- [Criteria for Entitlement to Hazardous Pay
Differential for Irregular and Intermittent Hazardous
Duties]{.underline}. (5 CFR 550.904.) Full-time, part-time, and
intermittent GS employees are eligible for hazard pay differential
computed at 25 percent of the base rate when performing duties specified
below:

Any member of the incident ~~fire suppression~~ organization is eligible
for hazard pay while carrying out assigned duties, if hazard pay
criteria, as described in 1- 4 below, is met. Incident supervisors must
manage for the appropriate application of the authority

1.  [Firefighting]{.underline}. Participating as a member [of a
    firefighting crew]{.underline} in fighting forest and range fires on
    the fireline before the fire is controlled. No personnel assigned to
    firefighting duties are entitled to hazard pay after the declaration
    of an official control time and date.

This does not include personnel engaged in logistical support, service,
and non-suppression activities (e.g., media tours to the fireline,
incident personnel driving to the fire to observe activities, drivers
delivering tools or personnel). See Hazard/Environmental Pay Matrix in
Tool Kit Section.

2.  [Flying]{.underline}. Individuals, except GS-2181 pilots, who are
    onboard the aircraft during limited control flights.

    a.  Flight profiles that warrant the consistent approval of hazard
        pay include the following:

        i.  Plastic Sphere Dispenser missions. (Helicopter)

        ii. Toe-In, One-Skid, Step-Out, Hover-Exit missions.
            (Helicopter)

        iii. Rappel, Short-Haul, Hoist, Fast Rope, External Sling Load.
             (Helicopter)

        iv. Para-Cargo, Cargo Freefall, Cargo Letdown missions.
            (Helicopter or Fixed-Wing)

        v.  Wheeled operations on unprepared landing areas. (Fixed-Wing)

        vi. Net Gunning, Paint Ball Marking, Darting, Animal Gather,
            Capture or Eradication. (Helicopter)

    b.  Flight profiles that [may]{.underline} require interpretation by
        local management to determine if the Hazard Pay Differential is
        applicable include but are not limited to the following:

        i.  Landing at unimproved landing area when hazardous conditions
            exist. (Helicopter)

            1.  Examples: Uneven/sloped touchdown pad, Hover
                Out-Of-Ground Effect conditions, maximum performance
                take-off/landing, etc.

        ii. Ski-Landings, Water-Landings, Backcountry Airstrip-Landings.
            (Fixed-Wing)

        iii. Elevated Platform, Vessel, Snow or Water Landings.
             (Helicopter)

        iv. Low-Level flight (Search & Rescue, GPS, Mapping, Infrared,
            Animal Census, Survey, Intelligence Gathering, etc).
            (Helicopter or Fixed-Wing)

            1.  To be considered a low-level flight, the mission must
                require performance of a substantial part of the flight,
                other than landing or taking off, at altitudes of less
                than 500 feet AGL (above ground level) in daylight, or
                at less than 1000 feet at night.

        v.  Other flight profiles that inadvertently encounter, extreme
            weather, maximum load, limited visibility, extreme
            turbulence, or low level flights involving fixed or tactical
            patterns. (Helicopter or Fixed-Wing)

3.  [Groundwork Beneath Hovering Helicopter]{.underline}. Participating
    in ground operations to attach/detach/fill etc, an external load to
    a helicopter hovering ~~just~~ overhead.

4.  [Work in rough and remote terrain]{.underline}. Working on cliffs,
    narrow ledges, or near vertical mountainous slopes where a loss of
    footing would result in serious injury or death, or when working in
    areas where there is danger of rock falls or avalanches.

Burned area rehabilitation (BAER Team) or other rehabilitation work does
not meet the definition of firefighting for hazard pay eligibility;
however, hazard pay under 2, 3, or 4 from above may apply.

Prescribed fire does not meet fireline hazard definition for hazard pay;
however, hazard pay under 2, 3, or 4 above may apply.

[12.9-4]{.underline} -- [Regulations Governing Payment of Hazard
Differential for General Schedule Employees]{.underline}.

1.  All hazard pay differential for GS employees is based on a 24-hour
    day from 0001 to 2400 hours. An individual who performs duties for
    which hazard pay differential is authorized shall be paid the hazard
    differential for all hours in pay status during the calendar day in
    which the hazardous duty is performed.

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A.  The automatic cut off time is 2400 hours. An individual working
    through 2400 hours into the next day is entitled to hazard pay
    differential for 2 days only if exposed to the hazard before and
    after 2400 hours.

B.  No minimum time requirements for exposure shall be established to
    earn entitlement to differential pay for hazardous duty. Any amount
    of actual exposure during a calendar day qualifies the individual
    for the pay differential for all compensable hours performed that
    day.

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2.  Hazard pay shall be computed on the basis of hours in pay status. If
    in an 8-hour workday the individual performs hazardous duty for 1
    hour and is in paid leave for 7 hours, the hazard pay differential
    shall be computed on the full 8 hours.

> If the individual were in non-pay status (leave without pay) for 7
> hours, the hazard pay would be computed on the basis of the 1 hour in
> pay status.

3.  Hazard pay shall be computed on the basis of an individual\'s basic
    compensation and shall be paid in addition to any other compensation
    the individual earns under other statutory authority.

4.  Hazard pay differential is in addition to any other premium pay or
    allowances payable under other provisions of this chapter. It is not
    subject to the biweekly maximum limitation provisions, which the law
    places on the amount that may be received for overtime work (5 CFR
    550.106 and 550.907) but is subject to the annual aggregate
    compensation limit (5 CFR 530.202(4)).

When recording hazard pay, show the category of hazardous exposure
period (e.g., firefighting, rough terrain, hover hookup) on a Crew Time
Report, SF-261. The Emergency Firefighter Time Report, OF-288, should
show an "H" for the on-shift.