Southern Area Interagency Incident Business Updates And Incident

Southern Area Interagency Incident Business Updates And Incident Business Solutions April 2007

Issues Ø 2007 AD Pay Plan Ø 2007 Incident Business Updates Ø Hazard Pay Clarification Ø Forest Service Incident Business Solutions Ø OGC Opinion on AD hiring Ø Changes to the 5109. 17 to closer match the qualifications in 310 -1

Incident Business Updates Ø For FY 2007 you must use the Region/Unit Number for all P, G, and S codes override in Paycheck. Ø 2007 AD Pay Plan issued March 16, 2007 l OPM reviewed methodology used to develop plan l FS OGC has determined ADs are employees l 2007 Pay Plan issued March 16. • Rates increased by same % as RUS (1. 8%) • Position review • New positions added

2007 AD Pay Plan Positions Added ACDR ICT 1 & 2 IARR BUTL – FS ONY CONO ESFL, W, S, A FWPT INTELLINGENCE COORD INSTRUCTOR INFRARED INTERPRETER LEAD ACCOUNTING TECH LEAD PLANE COORDINATOR MAFFS AIRTANKER BASE MANAGER MAFFS LIAISON OFFICER PILOT PURCHASING AGENT PETM RAMP SEARCH TEAM LDR & MBR – DOI SWIFTWATER TEAM LDR & MBR-DOI TECH RESCUE TEAM LDR & MBRDOI VOUCHER EXAMINER

2007 AD Pay Plan – Positions with Rate Increases FALC TFLD CDSP DRCL EDSD STCR, DZ, EM, LM, PL HRSP CORD DRVS, DRVP PETL

New AD PP Language The AC, T 1 or T 2 IC, T 1 or T 2 DIC, Security Specialist Level 1 or Level 2, Fire Investigator, and BUYL are key positions and may be filled only by current agency employees. For state or local government partners who cannot work on Federal incidents under their employment status or cooperative agreement due to policy or statute the following positions will be allowed to be filled in the 2007 pay plan under the included conditions: AC, T 1 and T 2 ICs & DICs: State or local government employees who meet qualifications as certified by their Geographic Area Coordinating Group. Fire Investigators: State or local government employees. When approved by the Agency AQM Director, retirees may temporarily have warrants reinstated and may be hired as AD’s in these positions: l Buying Team Leader / Contracting Officer

Incident Business Updates Ø Hiring former employees who separated with a Voluntary Separation Incident Payment (Buyout) Ø Forest Service is considering use of Debit Cards. These cards could be used by AD’s, Crew Bosses, State Employees, etc. Southern Area will be a “Pilot” this year. The NC National Forest will pilot the program this year with the NC State Forest Service Team.

Updates Continued Ø Staffing Incident Business Positions l l l Looking at ways to support local units during incidents Analysis on staffing long term IMT/Incident Support Admin positions Working with FS-ASC on business processes to mitigate field impact Working with FS-ASC on identifying people with quals & general support for fire issues Task Group to look for BUYT options

Hazard Pay Clarification Ø Letter to provide guidance concerning the granting of hazard pay differential for limited control flights authorized under 5 CFR 550, Subpart I, Appendix A was issued on December 13, 2006. Ø OPM has clarified that the word aircraft as used in this context refers to both fixed wing airplanes as well as rotary – type helicopters.

Hazard Pay Continued Ø Helicopter work at low levels does qualify for hazard pay; whereas point to point flying requiring routine take offs and landing do not. Ø The Forest Service has determined that employees will be eligible for hazardous pay differential when flying in a helicopter for stationary or maneuvering above the ground at low elevations up to 500 feet above the terrain or vegetative canopy in daylight or at less than 1, 000 feet in mountainous areas at night. This decision is effective as of the date of the letter.

OGC OPINION ON AD HIRES Ø Ø Ø Personnel hired under the AD Pay Plan may perform work considered inherently governmental in nature. AD hires are covered under the Federal Employee Compensation Act (FECA), however, it is up to the Department of Labor (who administers FECA) to determine specific coverage on a case-by-case basis. AD hires are covered under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees Claims Act (MPCEC) and Section 717 of Title VII of the Civil Rights act of 1964, 42 U. S. C. Individuals hired under the AD Pay Plan may not work as AD hires and simultaneously have contracts or Emergency Equipment Rental Agreements for emergency equipment or services with the government. See Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), subpart 3. 601. AD hires are excluded from Social Security (FICA) withholdings under 26 USC 3121 (b)(6)(c).

FS Incident Business Solutions Project Ø Objective l l Centralize & re-engineer payment & accrual processes at the ASC Provide users one-time data entry to improve efficiency and reduce errors Standardize and streamline current tools and processes Reduce the end user’s reporting burden through the production of required reports

Incident Business Solutions Project 2007 Ø Ø Ø ROSS will be manually populated with EERA contracts. I-Suite users may import resource data from ROSS. I-Suite users will continue to generate daily accrual data, but can now be electronically transmitted to the ASC. I-Suite users will electronically transmit Casual (AD) and EERA payment data to the ASC and NBC. Flight data for aviation contracts and air tankers will be recorded in ABS. Accruals, invoicing and reporting all will be electronic. The ASC-Incident Payment Center workflow will be automated

Aviation Business System 2007 Ø Contracted Aviation including Air Tankers will be tracked in the Aviation Business System (ABS). l l l Air resource manager enters flight data in ABS or Disconnect client Daily accrual data flows to IBDB COR and Vendor approves invoice summary electronically Data transmitted to ASC for payment. Daily costs posted on the web

IBS - Current and Future State ESB Current State Ea. TIS (Contracts Database) Future State ROSS ISuite or Web-122 IBDB at the ASC Re-use of data throughout FFIS FAIRS

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