What is a firefighters work schedule like?
Firefighters provide emergency services protection 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in what is called “continuous staffing.” To provide this coverage, each firefighter works a 48 hour shift followed by 4 days off. The cycle then begins again with another 48 hour shift and continues. This work schedule averages 56 hours per week. How many people are working each 24-hour shift? There are a total of 16 people on 6 pieces of apparatus. There are 4 on an Engine Company at Station One, 3 on an Engine Company at Station Two, 4 on the Engine Company at Station Three, 3 on the Truck Company at Station Two, a Battalion Chief, also housed at Station Two, and an engineer on a Four Wheel Drive Attack Pumper at Station Four. There are an additional 10 people who work in the Administrative offices at the Civic and Cultural Center. What do you do while waiting to respond to calls all day? Firefighters have a lot of other duties including fire prevention inspections of local businesses, public education
