Over the years, the 24-hour duty schedule has been marketed as the most economical way to deliver fire and ems service, but is it really?

Most fire departments must confront this issue at some point, during either the budget process or labor negotiations, or as the result of citywide studies on efficiency and productivity. And many fire chiefs may find themselves defending this traditional schedule to elected officials, city managers and sometimes even taxpayers.

Although tradition plays an important role in the fire service, there are several reasons why departments should consider switching to a 10/14 duty schedule. The combination of a 10-hour duty day and a 14-hour duty night offers several benefits, including improved safety, sick leave reduction, increased productivity and more.

The 10-hour day and the 14-hour night shifts can be implemented in various duty cycles. (See chart at right.) The 10-hour day shift usually begins at 0800 hours and ends at 1800; The night shift stays on duty until 0800 the following morning. Traffic patterns and congestion may make it more practical for the day shift to begin at 0700 or 0600.

Scheduling trends Common throughout the South, Midwest and West, the 24-hour duty day originated in the early paid departments where firefighters had previously been on duty six or seven days in a row. Occasionally firefighters would get days off, and in some cases, meal breaks and family visits were given on a staggered schedule to minimize staffing shortages.

A commonly used duty schedule was the two-shift, 84-hour duty week, with one 24-hour duty shift followed by a 24-hour period off. Duty schedules were further reduced to 72-, 67- and 63-hour duty weeks designed using a combination of 24-hour shifts and days off.

The next trend was the 56-hour duty week, which provided for three shifts using the 24-hour duty day. Further reductions have occurred through the collective-bargaining process and the influence of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Although there has been a significant reduction in hours over the years, the 24-hour shift continues to be the dominant duty schedule.

Time for change? Government entities currently are under a lot of pressure. Along with taxpayer cynicism, they face increased pressure to do more with less, and the defeat of numerous bond and tax initiatives.

Under such demands, government entities must place all the issues on the table for discussion, and duty schedules should be among the relevant topics. Leaders should analyze existing duty schedules for efficiency, effectiveness and reliability of the local fire service delivery system. The costs and benefits of a split shift shouldn't be overlooked at this time.

Although it requires no additional staff, the 10/14 schedule offers a variety of advantages and opportunities.

Improved safety. Fatigue is a major factor in personnel safety. A physically and mentally challenging incident in the early hours of a 24-hour shift could subject fire personnel to injury or even death due to fatigue and decreased alertness at an incident that occurs later during the same shift. In addition, when personnel must handle multiple incidents during a single shift, the competence of the crews and the quality of service may be compromised. For example, is it in the best interest of someone needing sophisticated care to be the crew's 20th patient during a shift?

The 10/14 shift can provide relief for fatigued and extremely busy individuals and crews through proper rest periods at the end of the 10- or 14-hour duty shift.

Reduced sick leave time and overtime pay. Assuming that most employees are absent for a one-day period, implementing the 10/14 schedule can reduce sick leave time and overtime pay. On the first day of the absence, non-job-related illness and injury will result in a 10- or 14-hour absence from the scheduled work shift rather than 24 hours. If a department chooses to pay an employee overtime rather than run short, it will only have to pay for a split shift rather than a 24-hour one.

Improved quality of life for personnel. Employees who work the 24-hour shift often complain that the schedule limits family contact. The 10/14 duty shift allows more frequent family contact opportunities, including eating dinner together if travel time to and from work is minimal.

Increased productivity. Certain gains that aren't possible on the 24-hour shift can be achieved on the 10/14 duty schedule. With the exception of emergency response activities, the work day on the 24-hour shift terminates at 1700 and personnel go on a readiness/stand-by mode. Job-related activities from 1800 to 2200 hours, such as training, vehicle/building maintenance, code enforcement, public education, record-keeping and administrative tasks are an example of legitimate activities. There's no need for "make work" projects, as there's enough work to be done that will improve the organization.

Improved project management. A split shift offers more continuity than a day-on, day-off arrangement. Personnel can be scheduled for four consecutive days, allowing them to complete projects more quickly.

More opportunities for creative scheduling. Many suburban and rural fire departments experience a shortage in paid-on-call and volunteer members during week days. A split shift offers greater scheduling flexibility, allowing departments to have more people on staff during peak activity. With approximately 25% of U.S. fire departments being combination agencies, the fire service delivery system could be enhanced without adding new personnel. Better use of existing personnel should be explored.

To maintain the same staffing on the 10/14 duty schedule as exists on the 24-hour shift, no new personnel have to be hired. The 10/14 duty schedule retains the three-shift configuration using personnel who were previously assigned to the 24-hour system.

Challenges to change While proponents of the 10/14 duty schedule will point out other advantages, departments considering switching from 24-hour shifts may face a few obstacles.

The change to a 10/14 duty week is a break with custom and tradition for the vast majority of U.S. fire departments. A change in the status quo is disturbing to almost everyone, and the fire service is no exception. In fact, many would argue that the fire service is the most tradition-oriented of all municipal services, so expect a few naysayers. Listen to their arguments, and then share all the individual and departmental benefits with them.

One reason employees may fight the change to a 10/14 work schedule is that it will double their travel time to and from the fire station. When employees aren't restricted by a residency clause, commuting distances can be substantial. Travel costs, traffic congestion and pollution may be minimized through car pooling. Facilitating this requires assigning personnel to shifts and work sites by zip codes or other geographical boundary lines.

Making 10/14 work for you Agencies should change to the 10/14 schedule for the right reason, which has to be to provide the best delivery of the local fire protection system. The 10/14 shift shouldn't be used as a threat to keep the demands of labor at a minimum during the collective-bargaining process. Likewise, it shouldn't be used as a "gotcha" in retaliation for some action that's not popular with the governing body. Once an agency decides to introduce a 10/14 schedule, it should be presented based on factual, rather than emotional, arguments.

While the 10/14 duty schedule isn't a new and creative innovation, it can be an effective policy for many departments. Could your department benefit from a shift change?