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Show ACTION LINEEXT. 77000. Why is Helper Test required? do GS who wish to go wage grade GWhy to take employees the written Helper Test in order to do so? People coming from off the street only have to fill out the and are brought in that way. Why do we have to compete with other helper trainee candidates for the jobs? SF-17- 1 One of the methods used to provide promotional Hi opportunities to lower eraded emnlovees here at Hill AFB has been to fill entry level (WG-5- ) trade and craft positions from an internal helper register. This register is comprised of employees presently in trades ana crart positions ana tnose employees wno nave taken the Office of Personnel Management Helper Test. The OPM Helper Test is used as a ranking factor for initial entry into a helper type position: The test is also instrumental in providing a method of measuring a candidate's aptitude and potential needed to successfully perform the duties required in an entry level ' helper position. The duties include the ability to assist higher level mechanics or repairers in the less complex tasks of repair, overhaul, reconditioning" and modification of equipment, systems or structures, peculiar to the specific trade to which assigned. When new helper positions, WG-5- , are filled through our employment office here at Hill AFB, the written test will be used to determine eligibility and provide a numerical rating for all new job applicants desiring this type of ALC military member and my name was put at the bottom of the list. Do military members receive priority for membership or do they go strictly by the order on the list? . J i - Thank you for your inquiry. Yes, military personnel JHk have priority in accordance with Air Force Regulation 215-1The procedure being used is paragraph to list all names on a waiting list in the order of signup. When a membership space becomes available, the vacancy is filled with military personnel in the order the name appears on the waiting list. The first part of October, the Aero Club began taking new members which included all those currently on the waiting list. .- L Lower speed bumps in housing the bumps in the housing area north of QCan 1102speed be lowered so we can safely cross them r i at the posted speed limit? I personally think the bumps are overkill and they've gone a little overboard in that area. Also, could you get the residents to quit putting their little red wagons and garbage cans in the roadway? y . . Sub-for-San- raffle a puzzler ta - Zf gram, but I stire would like to know what is going on with the raffle they are having in our organization. The tickets for the picnic table and barbecue have never been drawn and now they have changed the price of the tickets and are selling tickets again. What is going on? Sub-for-San- ta Sub-for-San- ta Sub-for-San- ta Concerned over black smoke When we go walking during lunch in the East Area there are black puffs of smoke coming from either the engine shop or burn plant. I don't know what materials are being burned, but I would like to know what precautions we should take to protect ourselves from it. The wind blows almost every morning, picking that stuff up and blowing it into other areas like , Clearfield and Sunset and animals are dying from it. What is it we are breathing? Q . diesel-powere- d tiil Our contracts with health officials in both Weber and Davis counties did not reveal any animals dying of unknown causes such as the black smoke noted in your air inquiry. Neither Weber nor Davis County has had In months. five fact, the past quality problems during C me amount v tnerewas more concern expresaeui Vir uj the month. past generated by excessive winds during This fugitive dust can cause some respiratory problems. Although we cannot find a health hazard in the above noted sources, you should contact our Environmental cloud. Management Directorate when you see this black a so Ext. that 77651, Please contact William Taylor, more detailed inspection can be made at the time you see the cloud. 1 at '. t" - Keep vending machines stocked Why can't base restaurant management establish a better system for servicing the vending machines on base? The machine in our building is always put of products, and the snide remark we get, that we the customers should take it upon ourselves to call the base ; restaurant management to come and do their job, is not acceptable. Q vend-J- r fl Thank you for your call. The baseasrestaurant a service, is ing operation, although provided certainly required to make a profit. To help accomplish this, schedules have been established for restocking machines based on previous sales. If certain selections continually run short, restaurant vending can and will often double up on those selections. Problems regarding machine malfunctions, refunds and restocking can often be resolved more quickly by organization-appointemachine monitors, as stated in ' Center-Hill AFB Regulation Ogden Air Logistics Monitors'. The assigned monitors check vending Vending machines daily and report any product problems to restaurant management for immediate resolution. The "snide" remark you refer to is not meant to be that at all. We have numerous vending machines around the base and cannot monitor them continuously. As stated above, we stock based on demand and sometimes that doesn't meet requirements. When an individual or machine monitor reports a problem directly, we can then take immediate action to resolve the problem. For further information, please call Ext. 72043. 34-1- 0, I know you didn't request a reply, but I wanted to respond to your comments. Colonel Smith means . Thanks. Our people are proud of the quality of their service. It's good to get this kind of recognition. ''.:. d express tion is not as important as quality, and that the G037 Effectiveness Report is not all there is, that turning out a quality product is what we really want to do. If he really feels that way, I think he ought to do away with the G037 report and save the hundreds of man-hour- s that various employees expend servicing that report. That time could be better spent on working the quality problems Colonel Smith would like us to solve. . Our engineers from environmental management have reviewed a variety of sources that may produce a black smoke cloud. This review noted at least three areas that have this potential, which included the jet engine test cell in Bldg. 268, the fire training pit lo-. cated north of the golf course and the Davis County Burn Plant. These areas produce soot which is a product common to burning of petroleum such as jet fuel (at the fire pit and test cell) or is associated with burning trash , as the incinerator at the Davis County Burn Plant. According to the Davis County sanitarian, the burn plant is operating within specified limits established for air quality. The operation of the base fire training facility is also within criteria required by Davis County. Before a fire training activity takes place, the Davis County Department of Health must give approval. The jet engine test cell also gives off a black cloud of soot when the engine is first started. This soot is similar cars and trucks. While to that emitted by are efforts under way by the state air quality there ' bureau to limit production of this soot in Utah County, Koinor fnlrpn for- either Davis or Weber , fV.ara iokj nn UW 1WAV 1 QI reply opinion on an important matter. A great deal of emphasis has been put on quality recently. Col. Rondal Smith, Directorate of Maintenance director, has been very forceful in his speeches in emphasizing that produc- n. jfi se Eliminate effectiveness report don't need a but I would like to - lf it, I do not consider the speed bumps an "overkill." on-ba- nd As a new arrival, I recently processed into the base and I was immediately impressed by the front desk staff at billeting. The staff was polite and, more importantly, they were proficient on the computer system used for room assignments and reservations. I know from experience that this is not the case at all bases. Base at the Consolidated Base Personnel Office was well planned and efficiently scheduled. In particular, the representatives from Travel Pay were outstanding. Staff Sergeant Burk and Sergeant Danielson were extremely helpful and very patient when it came time to accomplish the dreaded travel vouchers. There are many variations and situations to be ac- counted for on the vouchers and all were handled smoothly by Sergeant Burk and Sergeant Daniel-soThe helpfulness and professional attitudes of the billeting personnel and the personnel associated has made my move to Hill AFB with a littler easier and I appreciate' their efforts. Thank you very much. I am aware of your concern and while others share . Most residential areas are isolated from industrial and other work-relate- d functions. Arsenal Road, which" has four base housing residences, is improperly used by base employees as a thoroughfare to and from work. The speed barriers must remain to ensure the safety of the families residing in the four units. Signs are posted at each end of the housing units warning drivers of the speed bumps, and they are clearly marked with double yellow lines in front of each. An alternate route that avoids these speed bumps is available. Concerning the "red wagons and garbage cans," residents have become frustrated with people trying to circumvent the speed bumps. Garbage cans and wagons - were placed on the shoulder to discourage driving on the shoulder I do not condone either practice. Residents have been instructed not to place items on the shoulder and I expect drivers to stay on the road. With the con- sideration of everyone, safety will be preserved. I am retired from the Navy and I'd like to express my appreciation for the job the people in the passenger terminal do. I have traveled considerably on space available air the past seven years and have yet to meet a group of people who are as genuinely concerned about the passengers they deal with as the group at Hill AFB. The supervisor, Mr. Erickson, is to be commended for the manner in which he does his job and the way he instills his helpful, pleasant attitude in his subordinates. You get the feeling that this is their airline and they want your business. I have been in the terminal on many occasions when passengers come in on fights needing a place to stay, transportation or just information, and they are always very helpful and courteous. I have heard these comments from many passengers. Thank you very much and keep up the good work. Thanks for telling me about another quality performance by Hill people. Mr. Erickson and his staff at the air passenger terminal are dedicated and professional people who pride themselves with service to the traveler. The service with a smile and attitude has always been their goal. thanks for the kudos. Again, I don't want you to get down on either! Here's what happened. An enthusiastic committee came up with the idea you; described. The donations were less than required to pay for the items and so the required donation was reduced those who had donated at the higher rate by. one-hawere given two tickets. Everyone, donated the same and the items have now, been given away. The bottom line is: I think we need to find better ways than this to support the program, don't you? The Director of Maintenance has passed out some specific guidance on this matter. Thanks for your call.. Jrjt It4 Kudos Merit promotion regulations require that competitive procedures be used whenever an employee is promoted into a position with a higher grade or to a position with known promotion potential, in the same type classification system or pay schedule; or if a promotion changes an employee to a higher rate of basic pay in a different job classification system or pay schedule. Therefore, placement of a lower graded General Schedule employee into a helper type position would normally constitute a promotion and must be effected through competitive procedures. If further information is needed, please contact Joan Burningham, DPCFB, Ext. 75934. 2-- 9. 2, V 4 LINE. .commander 11 and was joining told I would be put on a waiting list as there are Q; presently 150 members and only four airplanes. I am a Maj. Gen. James W. Hopp Ogden Hilltop Times Explain Aero Club priority list I went to see about the Aero Club ACTION LINE is your opportunity to make Hill AFB a better place to live, work and play. When you call Ext. 77000, your comments will be recorded and staffed through the responsible agency for action. Please give your supervisor and chain ovf command the opportunity to work with you in answering questions and solving problems before calling ACTION LINE. This will' help me better serve your interests the ACTION V Nov. 9, 1989 what he says when he tells you that quality comes before production, as do all the senior managers in the ALC. I've watched him support every decision when it has been necessary to stop production because the quality . wasn't there. The G037G (Labor, Cost, and Distribution System) has a number of uses other than effectiveness .reporting. Its main purpose is to identify labor costs to the Resource Control Center level which is used to compute the cost of producing a product. So the G037G data is important. What Colonel Smith was telling you is that the system has overcome us to the point effectiveness is often the driving force in what we do. That's unfortunate quality has to be the driver. '.. The reason we just can't say "don't report effectiveness" is simple. It is tied to the financial system and is how Maintenance gets paid. Until we get another system,-wjust can't ignore effectiveness. " another way to account for costs. They have two initia tives looking at new ways to do just that. Thanks for ' your support. Is there a double standard? Several weeks ago you felt it necessary to stop production to challenge the first level foremen and mechanics on their qualifications to perform certain jobs in the maintenance area. After the reason for that was explained, we decided it was a good deal because we . thought maybe somebody was going to put some integrity into our jobs again. Then we were informed we would . be getting a new branch chief and deputy. Based on qualifications, we're certain there are better qualified people to be in those positions. Do we have a double standard as far as commitment to qualifications is concerned, or just what is the situation here? Q No we do not have a double standard regarding supervisory qualifications. The chief and deputy were temporarily promoted into their positions due to the sudden retirement of the former branch chief. We will establish a promotion roster, and proper procedures will be followed to select the best qualified person for the position. I have reviewed the qualifications of both individuals you refer to and they are both qualified to fill the temporary positions they are assigned to. rX |