NYFD Fire House Shifts

[Guest]

Hi all,

Just a Question on the Shift System in the NYFD from an Australian Firefighter.

Please excuse me for asking, but I know many NYFD Fire Houses do well over 1500 calls per year, so what type of shift systems (24hr Shifts etc) do the NYFD Firefighters & EMS Staff work? I think many do 24hr shifts, but do all NYFD Staff work the same shift system or are there different shift setup’s based on the annual callout rate for each fire houses or section etc.

Here in Australia, most Full-time Firefighters work a 10/14 shift system as I do with the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB).

e.g.

2x 10hr Day Shifts followed by

2 x 14Hr Night Shifts followed by

4 x Days Off.

In most Fire Stations in Sydney that I work at, these Stations do on average around 1200ea call-outs each year and the 10/14 Shift system seem suitable for our work load. (Most of the 100 odd Sydney Stations are single Pump Stations, crewed by an Officer and 3 Firefighters)

There has been talk of management wanting to switch to 24hr shifts, as this would free up 1 whole shift (Platoon) of over 1000 Firefighters that could then be used to man new Fire Stations (Fire Houses) or provide a Country Relief Corps for our Retained (Part-time) firefighters, as Retained unavailablility is becoming a major problem for management, making up some 45% of the Brigade overtime ($$$$) bill.

Most of us see a 24hr shifts as posing major problems when it comes to managing firefighters fatigue, now knowing most NYFD Fire Houses do well over our 1200 odd callouts each year, how does your shift system work and the con's & pro's if you work 24hr shifts.

NSWFB Stats:

Primary Urban Fire Service

Career Firefighters: 3000+

Retained Firefighters: 3200+

Career Staffed Stations: 150 (approximately)

Retained Staffed Stations: 192

Total Number of Fire Stations: 342 (Total State wide)

[lad12derff 283]

Grant209

I feel it would be safe to say about 60 to 70 percent of fire depts in the states work a 24 hour shift. I was fortunate enough to work the 10 hour day/ 14 hour night tour shift for 8 years with my fire dept before switching to a 24 hour tour. I think this is a great shift to work for alot of reasons. Less comuting, never working an entire weekend again, less time away from your family in a row( 3 night tours + working our side jobs in the day) . The problems that do arise are working holidays if you start your tours "up" which is a day start. More time with your wife and kids for some guys . My company does 1200 + runs a year now so that was never an issue. I do not understand though how this would free up 1 platoon. If you have 1000 guys working 2 shifts now (500 for day tours and 500 for night tours) than the numbers will stay the same. You will still need 1000 guys to cover your tour. And by the way FDNY does not work 24 hour tours by contract, they have "mutual partners" to work that 24 hour tour. The members that I know are against 24 hour tours by contract they are very happy with the way they do things now. Hope this was helpful and stay safe Brother.

+

Hi all,

Just a Question on the Shift System in the NYFD from an Australian Firefighter.

Please excuse me for asking, but I know many NYFD Fire Houses do well over 1500 calls per year, so what type of shift systems (24hr Shifts etc) do the NYFD Firefighters & EMS Staff work? I think many do 24hr shifts, but do all NYFD Staff work the same shift system or are there different shift setup’s based on the annual callout rate for each fire houses or section etc.

Here in Australia, most Full-time Firefighters work a 10/14 shift system as I do with the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB).

e.g.

2x 10hr Day Shifts followed by

2 x 14Hr Night Shifts followed by

4 x Days Off.

In most Fire Stations in Sydney that I work at, these Stations do on average around 1200ea call-outs each year and the 10/14 Shift system seem suitable for our work load. (Most of the 100 odd Sydney Stations are single Pump Stations, crewed by an Officer and 3 Firefighters)

There has been talk of management wanting to switch to 24hr shifts, as this would free up 1 whole shift (Platoon) of over 1000 Firefighters that could then be used to man new Fire Stations (Fire Houses) or provide a Country Relief Corps for our Retained (Part-time) firefighters, as Retained unavailablility is becoming a major problem for management, making up some 45% of the Brigade overtime ($$$$) bill.

Most of us see a 24hr shifts as posing major problems when it comes to managing firefighters fatigue, now knowing most NYFD Fire Houses do well over our 1200 odd callouts each year, how does your shift system work and the con's & pro's if you work 24hr shifts.

NSWFB Stats:

Primary Urban Fire Service

Career Firefighters: 3000+

Retained Firefighters: 3200+

Career Staffed Stations: 150 (approximately)

Retained Staffed Stations: 192

Total Number of Fire Stations: 342 (Total State wide)

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[e92l44 0]

FDNY SCHEDULE IS:

2 days 9am x 6am then off 48 hrs....

then 2 6pm x 9am tours followed by 72 hrs off.....

There is a group chart of 25 FFs and each FF is assigned a number from 1-25.

The 24 hour shifts come about like this.....

The person who is either 11, 12, or 13 numbers away from you will be doing the 2 9x6s when you are doing the 6x9s and vice versa....You each work a tour for each other and you have a 24.

i.e. I am in Group 4, working Monday 9x6 and Tuesday 9x6 then my partner in group 16 is working Sunday 6x9 and Monday 6x9......I work his Monday 9x6 and he works my Monday 6x9....I work 24 hours Sun 6x9 and Monday 9x6...he works 24 hours Monday 6x9 and Tuesday 9x6............That is the simplest way to explain it......However there are other slighy modifications that may take place.

[Guest]

lad12derff,

[i do not understand though how this would free up 1 platoon. If you have 1000 guys working 2 shifts now (500 for day tours and 500 for night tours) than the numbers will stay the same]

We work the 10/14 with 4 Platoons (Shifts), it was stated by one of our Officers that if we went to a 24hr shift system, that we would only need 3 Platoons to work the 24hr Shifts, freeing up 1 Platoon of Firefighters.

[antiquefirelt 994]

We work the 10/14 with 4 Platoons (Shifts), it was stated by one of our Officers that if we went to a 24hr shift system, that we would only need 3 Platoons to work the 24hr Shifts, freeing up 1 Platoon of Firefighters.

←

This will cause a reduction of 25% of your career forces! You'll be working 24 on 48 off as we are where I am. Our station did 2500+ runs (including medicals) last year. Its not so bad but a 4 shift system of 24 hrs would be much better. The dept.s that I know that have switched from 10/14's to 24 hrs. work a shift like this: 24 on 24 off, 24 on 5 days off. If your dept. was to go to this and make you be available as part time (retained) during some of you off time, it would be better than switching to a 3 shift system. The three shift system averages 56 hr weeks vs. the 42 hr week with four shifts. Here in the States there are not many places that force you to be a part time firefighter on you "days off", becuase they'd have to pay you overtime per the Federal Fair Labor Standars Act. It has actually been used to force firefighter to not volunteer in many areas.

[Guest aussiegeorge]

lad12derff,

[i do not understand though how this would free up 1 platoon. If you have 1000 guys working 2 shifts now (500 for day tours and 500 for night tours) than the numbers will stay the same]

We work the 10/14 with 4 Platoons (Shifts), it was stated by one of our Officers that if we went to a 24hr shift system, that we would only need 3 Platoons to work the 24hr Shifts, freeing up 1 Platoon of Firefighters.

←

grant209 i thought i was the only aussie here,24 hrs shifts i've heard that talked about,boy imagine being stationed at #1 stn with the flyer1 responding 7958 times last year,there a quiet a few cmpanys doing a lot more than 1200 runs a year and remember all the talk about doing first responder which as you know we don't do yet will add heaps of runs to most companys so i say keep the 4 tours on 4 days off ,i for 1 would not want to be at a busy house for 24 hours then having to sleep my first day off.

[Guest]

aussiegeorge,

I would have to agree with you there with regards to the 10/14. I believe there are some changes in the pipe works, just a matter of time.

I do think we will take on First Responder duties once all the upgrade First Aid training is complete, how many more calls it will add, don't know. And look at our Type 4 & 5 Pumps, all the Type 4 & 5 Pumps have had their Stowage changed to the same stowage plan/layout as the Type 3 Pump/Rescue's.

Makes you wonder.

[lad12derff 283]

[Grant,

we switched to the 24 hour tour and continued with the 4 squad rotation 1 day on 3 days off. The 1 day on 2 days of is crazy. The point that I was making about the numbers is about staffing numbers not tours worked per week. If you now work with 500 men per tour those numbers should not change be it 10/14 shift or 24 shift. The amount of tours could change if you allow it but what would the job gain? nothing but added work load. You need to switch straight up and keep 4 groups and the same amount of hours worked. Sorry for the confussion brother. I screwed up with the origanal numbers by adding them.