West Jackson firefighters share their thoughts after the first year of working a new shift schedule.
On Dec. 31, 2023, the West Jackson Fire Department switched from a 24/48 schedule (1 workday followed by 2 days off) to a 48/96 schedule (2 consecutive workdays followed by 4 days off). The staffing change has improved the quality of life for WJFD firefighters, Chief Ben Stephens said.
The 48/96 schedule is gaining popularity throughout the United States. The longer stints at work and home are said to alleviate long-term fatigue and increase family time, Capt. Jordan Edge said.
“Time is the biggest thing it creates for me—time at work and time with family,” Firefighter/AEMT Casey Berryman said.
Chief Stephens said firefighters were surveyed monthly to identify pros and cons. Here are the reasons firefighters like working 48/96:
Quality time at home.
Firefighters wake up at home 60 more times a year under the 48/96 schedule versus the 24/48 schedule.
While working 24/48, “you never truly get to wake with your spouse and kids,” Fire Apparatus Operator/EMT Caleb Lee said.
Berryman said the consecutive days off allow him to be home with the kids on most school nights. He also has time to start and complete a major project around the house during his four days off.
Quality time on the job.
The volume of calls during any shift is unpredictable. However, during a two-day shift, Berryman said there is more opportunity and flexibility to complete tasks at the station. For example, a team could focus on one area of maintenance each day. Or they could focus on rest, training and meal prep one day, then knock out all their tasks in one strenuous workday.
Flexibility for part-time work.
Most firefighters work multiple jobs, either at another emergency services agency or in another trade. The 48/96 schedule makes it easier to work a part-time job and still get time off.
Reduced fatigue.
Firefighter/EMT Bill Smith worked 24/48 shift for 29 years before he retired from another fire department. Having worked at WJFD since February, Smith said he enjoys the change of pace. “It’s like a mini vacation,” he said of having four consecutive days off. Smith’s wife enjoys having him home to help with the grandkids, he said.
Proponents of the 48/96 schedule tout long-term health benefits. Cortisol (the stress hormone) levels have time to return to normal before the next shift, and sleep is less disrupted.
Time for vacation.
Lee recognized another benefit of the new schedule after a recent vacation to Florida. He didn’t have to take time off work or scramble to get his shifts covered.
“I actually had time to go down there, get back, and feel rejuvenated,” he said.
A full weekend off.
Under the old 24/48 schedule, firefighters never had a true weekend.
"If you work on Friday, you wake up at the station and can't get your weekend started until after shift change. The only way to actually get a Friday evening until Monday morning typical weekend is by taking vacation or swapping a shift," Chief Stephens said.
Under the 48/96 schedule, staff members enjoy 3 full weekends off in a 6-week period. The trade-off is one working weekend during the same period.
Overall the schedule change is a resounding success that has increased quality of life for the firefighters at WJFD.
“I love it. I would really have a problem going anywhere else that didn’t have it,” Berryman said.
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