Why do Firefighters work 24 Hour Shifts?

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24-hour shifts allow the firefighters to pursue their other interests and enable them to spend more time with their families, but they come with some downsides

Fire stations are a central part of public service. Hence, they must provide uninterrupted, top-class service 24 hours a day.

About two-thirds of the fire stations in the United States use the 24-hour shift or follow some form of that version.

why do firefighters work 24 hour shifts

In this post, we take a closer look on

  • The fundamental aspects of the 24-hour shifts
  • The reasons behind its popularity
  • A sharp contrast between its pros and cons
  • The simple strategy to deal with its downsides

So let’s dive right in.

Why are Firefighter Shifts 24 hours?

Firefighter shifts can vary depending on the fire department and its location. However, most of the fire departments in the USA abide by some form of the 24-hour shift. Therefore, we consider it a win-win situation, both for the fire department and the firefighters.

Running 24-hour shifts is financially favorable for the departments. It provides the firefighters way more free time than they would get on any other job related to public service.

  • By working 2 to 3 shifts within 6 to 7 days, the firefighters are more or less covering their needed quota of duty hours for the week.

They are free for the other 4 to 5 days by working in this manner.

On the other hand, departments will have to pay a lot more for overtime if the firefighters working on 8 hours or 10-hour shift basis gets a call at the end of their shift. Also, there will be the need to have 2 to 3 changes within the same day. So this model has a higher chance of extra payment owing to overtime work.

By keeping 24-hour shifts, the fire department nullifies the chances of paying overtime for many changes in a single day.

Continue reading: Do Firefighters Live at the Firestation?

Pros of working 24-Hour Shifts

For Spending Quality Time with the family

Working two shifts a week (sometimes 3) will allow the firefighters to have 4 to 5 days off, which means they can spend this time chilling with their families.

This downtime means more time for fun outings and making happy memories on the side.

To Recharge Mentally and Physically

Anyone working a 9 to 5 job will have only two days off, whereas, in this profession, you will enjoy weekends twice a week.

Depending on how busy your department is, you can have sleep deprivation during your shifts, but you can try to make up for that on these off days.

The 24-hour shifts allow you to have many days of leave, which is enough in most cases to rejuvenate your health and mind before the next one.

3. Time for Generating Side Income

In some cases, a 24-hour shift follows a 48-hour gap. Then, the next 24-hour shift follows a 48 to 72-hour opening.

This gap of many days between the shifts allows firefighters to run their businesses or do other part-time jobs on the side.

Continue reading: Can Firefighters Have Long Hair?

Downsides of the 24-Hour Shift

The Chances of Error and misjudgment are Higher

Humans are not nocturnal animals. However, due to evolution, we have always stayed up during the day and gone to sleep when darkness arrives.

In short, our body is biologically equipped to keep up with 17 to 15 hours of activity and 7 to 9 hours of absolute rest. However, 24-hour shifts go against this logic, and lack of sleep can impact your judgment. Therefore, it is crucial, especially for this line of work, where a small error can lead to extreme outcomes.

Extreme Sleep Deprivation for Years can Take its Toll.

If you are a part of one of the busiest fire stations, you will find it hard to rest between calls. At best, you can rest for an hour or so if luck permits, and soon again may need to hit the road.

You can sure make up for this lack of sleep on your off days, but it can take its toll on the body longer, especially as you get older.

Studies have shown that interruption of the normal sleep cycle or poorer sleep quality is related to many severe health issues, including cardiac arrests, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, low immunity, etc.

How to deal with the downsides of the 24-hour shifts as a firefighter

There is only one solution to this, get as much rest as possible between the calls. This advice is more straightforward, especially if your fire station gets numerous calls daily.

But in most fire stations, finding time to get a short 20-minute nap or a 2-hour nap between calls is not that hard.

Studies have shown that shorter naps can make you instantly feel energized and fresh. These naps will not only help minimize the chances of critical errors but will help in minimizing your sleep deprivation.

So when you have the time, in the evening and the night, instead of watching TV or doing other stuff, take a short nap. Your body will thank you for that.

Pros vs. Cons of 24-hour Firefighter Shifts

Pros of 24-Hour Shifts Cons of 24-Hour Shifts
It increases the department’s efficiency in firefighter availability and call volume. Firefighters working in busier fire stations can have serious issues related to sleep deprivation in the longer run.
Decrease in Sick Leaves as the firefighters get enough time to boost themselves up between shifts. It increases the probability of on-job injuries and mistakes due to excessive fatigue.
Allows for spending more quality time with the family or doing other side hustles. Deficiency in focus and alertness due to tiredness can lead to serious blunders.
Traveling or commuting for work reduces significantly. This reduction is vital if the firefighter lives far from the fire station. The sudden absence of a firefighter can have a significant impact, as the particular spot of that firefighter will be empty for at least 24 hours. In addition, this absence can impart extra costs to the fire station to quickly find replacements.
It helps to reach the weekly work quota in two to three shifts. If many calls occur at night, they will spend the break days compensating for your missed sleep.

FAQ

How many 24-hour shifts do Firefighters work?

This policy depends upon the fire station.

Some fire departments have 24/48 or 24/72 schedule patterns, which means a 24-hour shift follows a 48-hour or 72-hour gap. So this can call for two to three 24-hour shifts a week.

Many fire stations follow the California Swing Shift. Firefighters will have to do 24-hours shifts every alternate day for five days. Then after the change on the 5th day, they will get a break of 4 days.

Can firefighters sleep on shift?

Whether the Firefighters can sleep during their shifts depends on their fire stations’ busyness.

Some nights, they can get many hours of sleep without any issue, while others may hardly find any time to sleep. But in most cases, they commonly get the time to grab a quick nap of an hour or two between the calls.

Conclusion

24-hour shifts are pretty standard in many countries, including the United States, where most fire stations abide by some variations of the 24-hour shift.

It has plenty of benefits, allowing you to have more free time every week to spend time with your family and do a part-time job. This schedule is one of the prominent reasons why the 24-hour shifts are pretty popular among firefighters.

But it has its fair share of downsides, including severe ones. Sleep deprivation and extreme fatigue are some dire side effects of the 24-hour shift that, in time, can affect health.

Even though getting proper sleep while on duty won’t possible on many occasions, most firefighters can find a little time between calls to catch a quick nap. As a result, in most cases, the 24-hour shift will be followed by a gap of 2 to 3 days, where they can quickly compensate for the lost sleep.