CHP Staff Operations

Risk Management involves the following premises:

• Every job in our organization involves risk.
• There are no new ways to make mistakes.
• We have a vast body of knowledge concerning our past mistakes.
• Predictable is Preventable.
• Instead of focusing solely on after-incident damage control, we need to focus our efforts on the prevention of mistakes through proper management of risk.
• Accountability at all levels within the organization.

Risk management is an activity that involves evaluating, comparing, developing, selecting, and implementing control measures that change, reduce, or eliminate the probability or the consequences of a harmful action. ORM has compiled a list of “threshold incidents” and protocol to respond to such incidents in order to maximize employee safety, while minimizing the Department’s financial liability and exposure to costly litigation, thus improving departmental practices and providing consideration for the employee’s well-being. Policy concerning the risk management program is contained in General Order 100.86, Critical Incident Risk Management Response Protocol (pending final approval).

In addition, the Office of Risk Management is the Office of Primary Interest (OPI) for the following:

• HPM 11.1, Administrative Procedures Manual, Chapter 7, Reports of Accidents
• HPM 11.1, Administrative Procedures Manual, Chapter 8, Reports of Incidents – Potential Claims
• General Order 100.6, Special Relationships
• CHP Form 268, Potential Civil Litigation Report
• CHPForm 287, Claim of $1,000 or less

Office of Risk Management Resources:

ORM is comprised of uniformed and non-uniformed personnel including a staff attorney.

• legal consultation, counsel, and assistance on
  • civil actions filed against the Department
  • personnel matters and related disciplinary actions
  • employment matters (including unfair labor practices allegations,
    grievance appeals and discrimination complaints)
• the drafting and/or review of:
• policy and procedures
• legislative and regulatory proposals
• contracts and memoranda of agreement
• appropriate responses to:
  • subpoenas served on the Department
  • issues relating to the confidentiality of information
• advice on
• legislative changes
• the judicial and administrative interpretation of statutes
  and regulations

The Office serves as the Department's liaison on all legal matters
with the Attomey General's Office. It represents the Department in:

• selected administrative hearing proceedings
  (including the State Personnel Board,
  the Department of Personnel Administration,
  the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board)
• selected superior court proceedings

• Instructional Services Program
• Tactical Training Program
• Training Development Program
• Academy Services Program
• Operations Program
• Drug Recognition Evaluator Program

• Disability and Retirement Section is responsible for assisting commands in the role of proper injury and illness case management. This includes workers' compensation, return-to-work, limited duty, fitness for duty, medical personnel actions, retirement benefits, and reinstatement requests. In addition, the section is responsible for the Employee Assistance Unit which provides a number of services to departmental employees and their families.
• Personnel Services Section is responsible for providing personnel-related services to commands and departmental employees, and is responsible for administering policy and programs related to issues such as attendance, payroll, appointments, separations, uniformed transfer and promotions, employee benefits, position control, workers' compensation, and employee identification cards.
• Selection Standards and Examinations Section is responsible for coordinating the Department's recruitment, cadet selection, departmental examinations, selection research, selection development, and managing the Department's classification plan, Conflict of Interest Program, and competing personnel-related special projects.

Disability and Retirement Section is comprised of two units and two programs.

• Disability and Retirement Unit provides case management in areas of injury and illness, disability, limited duty, fitness for duty, medical terminations, workers' compensation, and retirement benefits; and serves as a liaison between the Department and the State Compensation Insurance Fund, California Public Employee's Retirement System, Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, Department of Personnel Administration, and the State Personnel Board.
• Reinstatement Program coordinates both permissive and mandatory reinstatement requests for uniformed members and reviews reinstatement requests for specific nonuniformed personnel.
• Return-to-Work Program coordinates departmental resources in response to employees who are medically unable to perform their usual and customary jobs, as well as provides assistance on a variety of medical personnel actions.
• Employee Assistance Unit
  The Department has the following programs to aid employees during difficult times, enhance their overall well-being, and reduce the potential for job-related problems that may result when an employee is distracted by personal or job-related difficulties. Each of the programs have a unique focus and is specifically designed to provide employees and their families with the appropriate type of assistance including, but not limited to: critical incident stress reactions; marital problems; illness or death of a friend, family member or coworker; depression; cancer survival; addictions; financial concerns; and spiritual matters.
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Peer Support Program
  • Critical Incident Stress Debriefings
  • Critical Incident Response Team
  • Employee Substance Abuse Program
  • Cancer Survivor Support Group
  • Volunteer Chaplains
  • Wellness Program

Personnel Services Section is comprised of the following eight units:

• Automation and Support Unit responds to requests for statistical reports regarding CHP personnel using the State Controller's Office's Management Information Retrieval System (MIRS); and provides services related to the maintenance of a variety of personnel data management programs.
• Special Projects/Position Control Unit maintains an automated departmental position control tracking system and completes staffing reports and special projects related to position control.
• Employee Benefits Unit reviews and processes health, dental, and vision benefits documents, as well as provides employee benefits program training to commands.
• Compensation Unit reviews and ensures prompt resolution of workers' compensation cases and performs liaison activities between Personnel Services Section and the Disability and Retirement Section.
• Transactions Unit provides assistance to departmental employees and commands regarding personnel policy, programs, and procedures; and processes personnel and payroll documents for a variety of personnel transactions including regular payroll, overtime an shift differential, appointments, separations, promotions and transfers, employee attendance and disability claims.
• Uniformed Transfers and Promotions Unit processes promotions for sergeants and higher classifications and all uniformed transfers; processes promotional certificates for uniformed employees; and processes Area assignments for all cadet classes.
• Roster Unit processes employee identification cards for all current and retired employees; processes promotional certificates for nonuniformed employees, retirement certificates and service awards; and fingerprints all new employee hires for headquarters commands.
• Clerical Services Unit acts as the main receptionist and processes mail for all of Personnel Management Division, and provides clerical support for Personnel Services Section.

Selection Standards and Examinations Section is responsible for one unit and five programs.

• Cadet Hiring Unit coordinates all aspects of the post “commitment to hire” testing phases for the Cadet, CHP, classification, which include the background investigation, medical examination, and psychological screening.
• Cadet Selection Program processes all cadet applications and schedules applications for the pre-“commitment to hire” testing phases for the cadet classification.
• Selection Research Program carries out departmental personnel research activities and maintains the automated State Traffic Officer Processing System.
• Examination Program oversees test development and administers open and departmental promotional examinations for 184 nonuniformed and seven uniformed classifications.
• Recruitment Program ensures qualified candidates are sought out and encouraged to apply for the Cadet, CHP, and Public Safety Dispatcher classifications.
• Classification, Hiring, and Validation Program approves/disapproves requests for the refill or reclassification of positions, out-of-class assignments, and training and development assignments; assists commands with nonuniformed hiring; and performs job analyses and oversees validation processes.

The economic and political pressures of today's society are driving government agencies to meet accelerating demands for service with ever shrinking budgets. Doing more with less is a necessity. The CHP has incorporated this principle within its Vision for the future with a strategy for implementing technology in a reactive operational environment. The Department will continue to incorporate open systems architecture and common support files throughout the state to support the officer in the field, staff in Communications Centers and Area offices, and administrative personnel in Headquarters facilities.

• Implementing and maintaining a durable technology infrastructure composed of equipment, software, policies and procedures, and trained support staff.
• Providing reliable communications to meet the needs of all CHP commands.
• Providing information system solutions to meet specific program requirements.
• Collecting data and preparing special reports and statistical analyses about CHP operations, traffic collisions, and pursuits in order to meet the needs of both public and private entities.
• Enhanced Radio System Unit - The California Highway Patrol Enhanced Radio System (CHPERS) project is a five year effort which will provide for the development and implementation of an enhanced statewide radio communications system in support of CHP's mission to provide the highest level of safety, service, and security to the people of California. The CHPERS project will employ modern strategies and technologies to enhance and leverage the existing infrastructure, meet future operational needs, as well as meet the goal of providing interoperability at the local, state, and federal levels.
  The objective of the CHPERS project is to address the CHP's deteriorating radio communications infrastructure and improve radio operability and interoperability. The continued development of this critical project will enhance public safety and protect the assets of the State of California.
  
  *For more information on the CHPERS project, please see the CHPERS Executive Presentation.

The PAD Commander is the designated Project Director for more than $50.5 million in federal grant projects and has direct liaison responsibility with the following:

• California Office of Traffic Safety regarding the Departmental Highway Safety Plan.
  
• California Office of Emergency Services regarding the State Strategic Committee on Terrorism.
  
• California Department of Transportation regarding issues relating to the Incident Command System and Transportation Management Centers.
  
• Chairperson of the California Motorcyclist Safety Program Advisory Committee.
  
• Coordination of the California Child Safety AMBER ALERT Network.
  

Additionally, the Division often responds to direct requests from Executive Management relating to specialized staff work, research projects, responses to special inquiries, or support for meetings and briefings. The PAD Commander also has direct responsibility for all aspects of the operation of the Headquarters Emergency Resource Center, Headquarters Emergency Notification and Tactical Alert Center, and Headquarters Library .

Enforcement Services Division is charged with policy development and program management responsibilities relating to commercial and specialized vehicle regulation, vehicular equipment regulation, transportation of hazardous materials and waste, vehicle theft, drug interdiction activities, narcotic and explosive canines, multidisciplinary accident investigation teams, Freeway Service Patrol, investigative activities, and other related matters.

In May 2005, Field Support Section´s duties were absorbed by Commercial Vehicle Section and Field Support Section (formerly Investigative Services Section). Additionally, Air Operations Section was transferred to the office of Assistant Commissioner - Field.The Commercial Vehicle Section Enforcement Unit´s responsibilites have been expanded to include the Department's Hazardous Material/Bio-Terrorism Unit.

• Business Services
• Facilities
• Fiscal Management
• and Fleet Operations.

ASD responsibilities include, but are not limited to, policy development and program management relating to accounts payable and receivable, travel expenses, departmental budget development, inventory management, contracts, purchasing, reproduction, mail services and supply services, departmental forms and Formflow development and revision, facilities acquisition, repair and maintenance, and vehicle/motorcycle acquisition, equipping and repair.

The Division is comprised of:

• Analysis Unit
• Investigations Unit
• Workers’ Compensation Fraud Investigations Unit
• Equal Employment Opportunity Unit
• Audits and Evaluations Unit
• Internal Affairs Investigative Templates