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It depends what one means by "shift". For example my brother-in-law is a firefighter. He spends 3/4 days straight in the firehouse and then comes home for 3/4

by zsmi 5y ago

It depends what one means by "shift". For example my brother-in-law is a firefighter. He spends 3/4 days straight in the firehouse and then comes home for 3/4 days and works something like 12 hours straight when he is on call and gets rest periods when not actually doing firefighter work. This is possible because the firehouse basically has a small dorm in it. When I ask him when he is going to work he says he has a three day shift coming up. Because he doesn't come home, my sister definitely considers it "non-stop". I can easily imagine health care workers being on-site for a few days at some sites, like a firefighter. Especially in areas where commutes could be prohibitive.

FireBeyond 5y ago
As a firefighter, even for firefighters that's beyond the norm. He's picking up extra shifts, there. The typical maximum scheduled is 48 on, 96 off. Around here (west coast) it's typically called a Detroit schedule (so not just west coast, I guess!)... 24 on, 48 off, but even more closely around here we use a Modified Detroit, which is a nine day rotation, where you work a 24 hour shift on days 1, 3 and 5 of the rotation, and have days 2, 4, 6-9 off.
- wheelinsupial 5y ago
  On the Canadian west coast, my brother works as a firefighter. Their schedule is 4 days of work. 2 day shifts followed by 2 night shifts. Day shifts are shorter than night shifts. I believe it’s 10 hours for the first two days (you’re off in your own home in the evening). The next two nights are 14 hours, and the fire fighters are in bed if there is no calls. I think day shift is 7 am to 5 pm, and night shift is 5 pm to 7 am. It’s amazing what type of hours Americans are doing.
- zsmi 5y ago
  Thanks for the comment. That is interesting. I'll be the first to admit I don't understand precisely what is going on or the challenges involved. Still, my understanding is that this scheduling is just for drivers. Overworking drivers is somewhat scary but necessary because their district has a severe shortage of them. It seems they're hard to hire because they need special certifications, training, and additional experience, and local firefighters have struggled to pass the necessary tests. Therefore, the city "asked" the existing drivers to do extra shifts while hiring new drivers. At least that is what they said about two years ago... Looking at the numbers a bit more closely. 48on 96off is 1:3 uptime per firefighter. 72on 72off is 1:2, increasing the uptime but also giving at least some amount continuous away time. Probably the odd 4 day shift is because of extract coverage days, like the fourth of July, or something. Or if a driver needs a vacation. Which is one nice thing they did. They did increase the amount of paid vacation the drivers get as a kind of compensation. Not enough to make up the difference of course, as that would defeat the whole point of the long shifts, but something.

by zsmi 5y ago

FireBeyond 5y ago

As a firefighter, even for firefighters that's beyond the norm. He's picking up extra shifts, there. The typical maximum scheduled is 48 on, 96 off. Around here (west coast) it's typically called a Detroit schedule (so not just west coast, I guess!)... 24 on, 48 off, but even more closely around here we use a Modified Detroit, which is a nine day rotation, where you work a 24 hour shift on days 1, 3 and 5 of the rotation, and have days 2, 4, 6-9 off.

wheelinsupial 5y ago
On the Canadian west coast, my brother works as a firefighter. Their schedule is 4 days of work. 2 day shifts followed by 2 night shifts. Day shifts are shorter than night shifts. I believe it’s 10 hours for the first two days (you’re off in your own home in the evening). The next two nights are 14 hours, and the fire fighters are in bed if there is no calls. I think day shift is 7 am to 5 pm, and night shift is 5 pm to 7 am. It’s amazing what type of hours Americans are doing.
zsmi 5y ago
Thanks for the comment. That is interesting. I'll be the first to admit I don't understand precisely what is going on or the challenges involved. Still, my understanding is that this scheduling is just for drivers. Overworking drivers is somewhat scary but necessary because their district has a severe shortage of them. It seems they're hard to hire because they need special certifications, training, and additional experience, and local firefighters have struggled to pass the necessary tests. Therefore, the city "asked" the existing drivers to do extra shifts while hiring new drivers. At least that is what they said about two years ago... Looking at the numbers a bit more closely. 48on 96off is 1:3 uptime per firefighter. 72on 72off is 1:2, increasing the uptime but also giving at least some amount continuous away time. Probably the odd 4 day shift is because of extract coverage days, like the fourth of July, or something. Or if a driver needs a vacation. Which is one nice thing they did. They did increase the amount of paid vacation the drivers get as a kind of compensation. Not enough to make up the difference of course, as that would defeat the whole point of the long shifts, but something.