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- [Narrator] The Incident Time Report,
also known as an OF-288,
is an official form used to record and authorize
all hours worked for wildland fires, prescribed burns,
fuels treatments, or all-hazard incidents.
This module will provide guidance on filling out an OF-288,
in addition to highlighting areas where errors may occur
and potentially cause delays in processing.
When employees are supporting an incident,
they are required to complete either a crew time report,
also called a CTR, or an OF-288
for all hours worked on an incident.
The signed CTR provides the information
to complete the OF-288,
which may be generated electronically or by hand,
depending on circumstances.
Let's walk through the steps when completing an OF-288.
Block 1, Hired-At information,
and Block 2, Employee Common Identifier,
can remain blank for federal and state employees.
However, this information should be completed
for casual employees, also referred to as 'ADs',
using information from their hiring paperwork.
In Block 3, Type of Employment, check the appropriate box
to indicate whether the individual is a casual, federal,
or other, which may include state employees or cooperators.
In Block 4, Hiring Unit Name, all employees should list
their hiring or home unit information.
Enter the name, hiring unit phone number, and fax number
in Blocks 5 through 7.
The information in Blocks 8 through 12
is derived from the information on the resource order
provided by dispatch.
Once Blocks 8 through 12 are completed in Column A,
the 'Same As' check-box in Columns B through D
may be checked, if applicable.
If an employee is assigned to more than one incident,
a new column with the additional incident information
must be completed.
Ensure that Block 10 in each column
has the correct Fire Code associated with the incident.
Block 13, AD Class, and Block 14, AD Rate,
are completed for casual employees.
This information can be found
on the Single Resource Casual Hire Information Form.
Block 15, Home/Hiring Unit Accounting Code,
varies based on agency
and is provided by the employee's hiring or home unit.
The information from the signed CTR
will be used to fill in the month, day,
start time, stop time, and hours worked columns.
There are some circumstances that require special attention
when noting hours, such as travel time, hazard pay,
guarantee hours, continuation of pay, or days off.
Time spent traveling to or from an incident
should be noted with a T in the Hours column.
When personnel are exposed
to a specific hazardous-duty situation,
written documentation is required
in the 'remarks' section of the CTR.
Hazard-duty pay should be noted
with an H or an E in the Hours column.
When compensable time in a calendar day
totals less than eight hours,
note 'Guarantee' in the Start/Stop columns
and leave the Hours column blank.
Guarantee hours do not apply
to the first and last day of the assignment.
To assist in mitigating fatigue,
days off may be allowed during and after assignments.
When posting time,
'day off' should be noted in the Start/Stop columns,
leaving the Hours column blank.
Block 16, Total Hours,
and Block 17, Total Hours (All Columns),
can be left blank, but will be populated
if OF-288s are generated electronically.
Block 18, Commissary and Travel,
may be utilized for commissary deductions
or travel reimbursements, per agency guidance.
Block 19, Remarks, can be used to explain
any unusual or unique circumstances, such as an injury.
The final step in completing an OF-288
is to audit the form before it is signed.
The OF-288 should be reviewed for accuracy
using CTRs and other documents as reference.
If there is a discrepancy, consult either the employee
or the employee's incident supervisor for clarification.
After the OF-288 is audited and finalized,
it should then be signed by both the employee
and the authorizing official.
Once the OF-288 is signed,
employees are provided the original
and the incident retains a copy.
For casual employees, reference agency-specific guidance
for further processing.
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The OF-288 is a relatively simple form to use
for incident timekeeping and payroll processing.
Paying attention to details,
such as those outlined in this module,
will ensure that incident payroll
is processed accurately and without delays.