The Employer agrees to allow volunteer emergency response personnel to leave their scheduled straight time work to respond to emergency response alarms sounded by their respective emergency response departments without suffering any loss in time or pay, subject to emergency exceptions or cases where undue operational difficulties may result from the employee's absence from work. Such employees will be expected to return to work following the completion of their duties. In order that the Employer may properly administer this policy, it will be necessary for employees wishing to be covered by this policy to have their respective Emergency Response Supervisor verify their position as volunteer emergency response personnel on forms provided by the Employer. Such forms may be obtained at the Human Resources Department. The Employer will not apply this policy to employees unless they have completed forms on file in the Human Resources Department prior to leaving work for the aforementioned purpose. Employees understand that abuse of this policy will lead to disciplinary action.

Volunteer emergency response personnel who respond to calls at night and have completed such duties within less than six (6) hours prior to the start of their scheduled following-day shift, shall be granted time off of up to four (4) hours from the beginning of the shift with pay. Verification of response to calls may be requested by the Employer.