From FOP Magazine - Nov 2024:
On a watch selection form, you have four choices that can be made: 1st watch, 2nd watch, 3rd watch, and no bid. Although there are risks of placing a “no bid” choice, it remains a choice for you to make.
Officers should make their choices by prioritizing the watches, with the most desirable watch being designated as your first choice, followed by your next desirable selection, etc. Officers should complete all four choices but may not select the same watch for all four choices. Submitting a selection form in which all four choices indicate the 2nd watch is not only the wrong way to fill out the form, but if you don’t have enough seniority to achieve a 2nd watch seniority assignment, you have just opted out of the selection process and will be placed on a watch designated by the department. Use each selection once and only once. For example: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and no bid.
Here are a few examples and scenarios which I hope will assist you in deciding how to use the “no bid” choice. The Lodge is recommending that you use the slots (which are effectively empty) after your “no bid” choice to indicate to your commander what your least preferred watch is.
EXAMPLE #1: I am an officer who, although I do not have enough seniority to get on the 2nd watch, am confident (really, really confident) that the commander will use the department’s 20 percent to place me on the 2nd watch. I made out my form:
1st Choice: 2nd Watch
2nd Choice: No Bid
3rd Choice: 3rd Watch
4th Choice: 1st Watch
EXAMPLE #2: I am an officer who, although I do not have enough seniority to get on the 2nd or 3rd watch, am desperately trying to avoid the midnights and all I can do is hope and pray the commander may use his/her 20 percent on me, but I can at least indicate to him/her my preferences. I made out my form:
1st Choice: 2nd Watch
2nd Choice: 3rd Watch
3rd Choice: No Bid
4th Choice: 1st Watch
EXAMPLE #3: I am an officer who knows positively that the commander is not going to use his/her 20 percent on ME. I made out my form:
1st Choice: 2nd Watch
2nd Choice: 3rd Watch
3rd Choice: 1st Watch
4th Choice: No Bid
Officers, think wisely before submitting your watch selection form. Your decision may be with you for the full year.
Also, use each choice selection (1st w, 2nd w, 3rd w, or no bid) only once. Using any of them twice will not get you that selection.