fire 24 hour shift schedules

[laddercaptain]

need info on 4 on every other day - 4 off, 4 on every other day, 6 off. fire 24 hour shift schedule. pros cons from firefighter view or fire chief view. our organization is evaluating this issue. i have no opinion on this yet.

tim

[elkhound]

It's nice.....you don't get too burned out after three shifts and the four day gives you time to do just about anything. I think you guys are on a 5-6 down there...seems like by the fifth shift you'd just be ragged. I think Kingman is on the 5-6 to and they seem to like it. It seems much better than the Phoenix system.

[efdtower1dr]

Have you guys thought of 24 hours on and 72 hours off? That's what we have been using for the last 3 years. We used to do three 10 hour days followed by 3 days off, then three 14 hour nights followed by 3 days off. We end up working either 7 or 8 days a month.

[firemangeorge]

How about 24 on, 48 off and a Kelly day. Here's how it works, 24 on, 48 off, six times, then (take a vacation, pal!)120 hours off. Everybody in the company has a different kelly day; for instance I never work on Friday. The cycle is three weeks, so every three weeks I'm off from Tuesday til Monday. Works out to 48 hours a week, or about ten tours a month. I hope that made sense.
ON-OFF-OFF-ON-OFF-OFF-ON-OFF-OFF-ON-OFF-OFF-ON-OFF-OFF-ON-OFF-OFF-OFF-OFF-OFF-START OVER

[proudfirefighter]

We used to be 24 on and 24 off with one kelly day ever there weeks but it came to a 72 hour work week. We had to go to a 24 on and 48 off with no more kelly days. (56 hours a week) more time off but less hours and less pay. We can't have it all!

[TailboardJockey]

My department uses the 4/6 schedule. Most of us are kinda burnt out by the 4th shift.

Some of us want to try out a 48/96 schedule. Two back-to-back 24's, then 4 days off in a row. That way there's less commuting time (it takes me 25 minutes to drive the 10 miles from home to work), and you don't have to do as much housework or as thorough of an apparatus check when that second 24 starts.

The downside might be trades or overtime, where you might be working 72 hours straight.

[ajr33]

[ 12-10-2001: Message edited by: ajr33 ]

[ajr33]

George
explain the Kelly day

Will this work with a 200 person department?

[quote]Originally posted by fireman george:
How about 24 on, 48 off and a Kelly day. Here's how it works, 24 on, 48 off, six times, then (take a vacation, pal!)120 hours off. Everybody in the company has a different kelly day; for instance I never work on Friday. The cycle is three weeks, so every three weeks I'm off from Tuesday til Monday. Works out to 48 hours a week, or about ten tours a month. I hope that made sense.
ON-OFF-OFF-ON-OFF-OFF-ON-OFF-OFF-ON-OFF-OFF-ON-OFF-OFF-ON-OFF-OFF-OFF-OFF-OFF-START OVER

---

[ajr33]

Ladder Capt.
We are looking at a 24 on 24 off 24 on 4 day off Schedule. Looks pretty good compared to our 4 on day 4 off 4 on nights 4 off which we have at this time

[Firemedic 61]

ajr33

We use the 24on 48off with the 3 week Kelly day. Every FD here in South Fla uses the system and it is great. Every 3 weeks you get a 5 day vacation. If you plan your vacation time right around your Kelly day or do shift swaps you can easily take a few weeks off.
This is also great for taking classes. I have a Tuesday Kelly day. That means I work Saturday and I'm off until Friday. I can take a Tuesday-Thursday class and only have to take off for one Thursday because I don't work on Tuesdays and only usualy only one Thursday a month will fall on my shift.
As for if it will work with a 200 member dept the answer is yes!!!!
We have some huge FD's down here like Metro-Dade, Ft.Lauderdale and Palm Beach County which all have mor than 200 members. Check it out, it's realy a great deal.

[Firemedic 61]

ajr33

We use the 24on 48off with the 3 week Kelly day. Every FD here in South Fla uses the system and it is great. Every 3 weeks you get a 5 day vacation. If you plan your vacation time right around your Kelly day or do shift swaps you can easily take a few weeks off.
This is also great for taking classes. I have a Tuesday Kelly day. That means I work Saturday and I'm off until Friday. I can take a Tuesday-Thursday class and only have to take off for one Thursday because I don't work on Tuesdays and only usualy only one Thursday a month will fall on my shift.
As for if it will work with a 200 member dept the answer is yes!!!!
We have some huge FD's down here like Metro-Dade, Ft.Lauderdale and Palm Beach County which all have mor than 200 members. Check it out, it's realy a great deal.

[carter]

We use a 24 on 24 off schedule with an evening relief time. Our work week is 56 hours. The cycle is three weeks which rotates days.
on-off-on-off-on-off-on-off-off-off-on-off-on-off-off-on-off-off-off-off-off
Our cycle starts on tues. evening and ends on a thurs. evening.

[Halligan1210]

My department works 24 on, 24 off, 24 on, 24 off, 24 on, 4 days off. This works out to be a 56 hour work week. All FLSA overtime is built into our checks. Overtime can get crazy, with the possibilities of 72 hours straight

--------------------
Stay Low and Stay Safe

[srob]

The 24 on 24 off 24 on 24 off 24 on and 4 days off is a great shift. 4 days off leaves lots of time to work part time or be with family.

[sdh134]

Our department works 24/48, 24 on 48 off in a 28 day schedule. We have one kelly day in that 28 day period. Mine is tuesday, so unless two tues are in a 28 day period, I don't work tuesdays. It's very easy to work around with other jobs.

[PFDE4]

We have the following , 4 platoon sched.
24 on 24 off 24 on 5 days off.
It works well, and we have appox. 230 people on the dept.

[Smoke286]

Once again, I LOVE 24/72

[firemangeorge]

I don't think I would survive a 24 on 24 off deal. We make 1300 runs a year on the truck, the engine makes 3500, and the rescue unit (als ambulance) makes 2400. Somebody leaves the house at least once an hour. I'd never get enough sleep to be back 24 hours later! Heck, I'm useless the first half of the First off day!

[whacker]

We are just going to a 24 on 48 off...we were working a 2on 2off 3on 2 off 2 on 3 off...but we just have 6 guys and its was meant to work for 8 guys on ...but due to township just not hiring at present time it was causing alot of O.T. and we were starting to burn out exceptly the guys who were being forced to stay over and cover empty shifts....the 24 on 48 off will do away with the O.T. and cause less stress on us...when we get the other 2 guys we well be going to 24 on 72 off and if less stress.....yes the O.T is now gone but if you need extra income it gives you the freedom to find part time job to make up for lost pay....or just ask for more money..lol....i enjoyed the other shift but i was not the poeple who were being held over either but in long run i will enjoy this just as much...and we find parttime work to cover lack of money.....and yes we dont do much work...so we can have time to rest and not get butts busted...that is one thing you will nedd to look into is it going to cause more stress due to the fact that its a longer shift.....thanks for giving me the right to speak....

[FitzBFDT2]

4154,

Do you have that in writing that you are going to go to a 24/72 system?

Are you running with a 4 shift system now or a 3 shift system? Not too many Jersey departments doing 56 hour workweeks. I can think of 3 off the top of my head and they are all down South Jersey(Vineland, Cherry Hill, and Ocean City) I don't know about Cape May.

You and the brothers in Pennsville should really push for the 24/72's.

Good Luck.