May 14, 2001

***See reverse side for authorization guidelines from RM-18, and
examples.***

  ------------------ ----------------- ------------- --------------------- ------------
  **Day/Date**[^1]   **Absent          **Normal tour **Backfill            **Actual
                     employee**[^2]    hours**[^3]   employee\[s\]**[^4]   backfill
                                                                           tour**[^5]

  Sunday/                                                                  

  Monday/                                                                  

  Tuesday/                                                                 

  Wednesday/                                                               

  Thursday/                                                                

  Friday/                                                                  

  Saturday/                                                                

  Sunday/                                                                  

  Monday/                                                                  

  Tuesday/                                                                 

  Wednesday/                                                               

  Thursday/                                                                

  Friday/                                                                  

  Saturday/                                                                
  ------------------ ----------------- ------------- --------------------- ------------

*[Requested by]{.underline}*[^6]*:
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ [Reviewed/Approved
by]{.underline}*[^7]*:
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_*

NPS units may choose to **EITHER** backfill for employees assigned to
wildland fires, **OR** they may charge the employee's regular
ONPS-funded (not FIREPRO-funded) base 8 hours to the wildland fire
incident account.

\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--

***[RM-18, Chapter 19, Page 5:]{.underline}***

***"[Backfilling]{.underline}. ...Where backfilling is appropriate, the
associated backfilling charges will be made against the incident
account. Scheduling of backfilling must be based on, and limited to, the
normal duty hours of the employee who is unavailable due to incident
assignment. For example, if the employee's normal duty hours are from
8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, it would be
inappropriate to backfill on Saturday and Sunday, and before or after
the normal duty hours on Monday through Friday. Backfilling, if used,
cannot exceed the number of normal duty hours that would have been
worked by the employee assigned to the incident.***

> ***[Backfilling during the incident assignment]{.underline}.
> Backfilling is appropriate only for non-fire personnel assigned to
> step-up plan, severity staffing adjustments, and wildland fire
> suppression operations.***
>
> [Backfilling during Administrative Leave associated with an incident
> assignment]{.underline}. Where administrative leave, upon release and
> return from an incident is justified and authorized, backfilling would
> be appropriate only if the administrative leave falls within the
> employee's regularly scheduled duty hours as discussed below under R&R
> (Not offered in this excerpt).
>
> [Backfilling after the incident assignment]{.underline}. With the
> exception of backfilling for administrative leave, backfilling for an
> employee after they have arrived back at the duty station is
> inappropriate. In other words, backfilling hours cannot be bankrolled
> or be accumulated with the intent to augment program operations after
> the employee has returned to normal duty. Backfilling hours are only
> permissible during the appropriate time of the employee's absence from
> duty.
>
> Backfilling on Non-Emergency Incidents. Backfilling is not permitted
> for personnel assigned to non-emergency fire management activities
> such as: hazard fuel reduction and other prescribed fire projects;
> fire effects monitoring assignments; monitoring on wildland fires
> managed for resource benefits; and wildland fire rehabilitation
> projects. This applies to both fire and non-fire personnel. By nature,
> these are activities that can be programmed in advance to avoid or
> minimize disruptions, and thus are inappropriate for backfilling."

***\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\--***

The following examples are offered to illustrate both acceptable and
unacceptable interpretations of backfilling authority.

An employee (Don) is gone on emergency fire assignment for a week. His
normal tour of duty is Monday through Friday, 0800 to 1630 hours
(military 2400-hour time).

1.  Monday, Fred is used to backfill for 8 hours during the period 0800
    to 1630.

-   *This is correct and consistent with the authority.*

2.  Tuesday, no one backfills for Don during his normal tour of duty on
    this day.

-   *This is okay, backfill is an option, not a requirement. You must be
    mindful, however, that these unused 8 hours from Tuesday cannot be
    bankrolled for use at any other time.*

3.  Wednesday Sarah and Fred both work as backfill for Don.

-   *This is okay as long as the combined hours worked by Sarah and Fred
    does not exceed a total of 8 hours and their shifts do not overlap
    during the 0800 to 1630 shift which is the window of opportunity for
    backfill. For example, Sarah works from 0800 to 1200, Fred comes on
    from 1230 to 1430.*

4.  Thursday, Fred backfills for 8 hours during the period 1000 to 1830.

-   *This is inappropriate, the sequence of hours worked are not
    consistent with the time frame that Don would normally have been on
    duty.*

5.  Friday, Sarah backfills for 10 hours during the period 0800 to 1830.

-   This is inappropriate in so far as only an 8 hour shift (0800
    to 1630) is authorized, even though 8 hours weren't used Tuesday.

[^1]: Day/Date is listed in sequence associated with the applicable pay
    period. Example: Monday/6-11-2001.

[^2]: To avoid confusion, use a separate form for each absent employee.
    In other words, the name listed in this column should be the same
    person wherever backfilling is being documented.

[^3]: Normally scheduled tour of duty hours for the absent employee
    indicated in 24 hour military time \[i.e., 0000 to 2400 hours\]. For
    example, a normal tour of duty from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. would be
    listed as 0800 -- 1630.

[^4]: May be more than one person as long as the time frame and number
    of hours are consistent with the normal tour of duty for the one
    absent employee. List each name in this column, with corresponding
    hours worked for each in next column.

[^5]: Actual backfill tour hours worked **[must be consistent with the
    absent employee's normal tour hours for that date.]{.underline}**
    List hours for each backfilling employee, if more than one. For
    example, during that period no more than one backfill employee will
    be on duty during the identified normal tour hours. If Tom Jones was
    filling in for the morning hours and Sue Smith for the afternoon
    hours of a 0800 to 1630 shift, you'd show Tom as 0800-1200, and Sue
    as 1230-1630, if the full 8-hour shift had been backfilled.

[^6]: Should be someone familiar with the absent employee's normal tour
    of duty (*e.g.,* immediate supervisor)

[^7]: Should be either the FMO or Fire Program Assistant.