24 hour shifts. Need input before voting.

[polecat]

Our membership will soon be voting on changing our hours of work,from the traditional 2-10 hr. days / 2-14 hr. nights,followed by 4 days off, to instead ,24 hrs. on, 24 hrs. off, 24 hrs. on, with 5 days off. The members seem equally divided into two groups. There are those who would love to save the fuel with half the commutes ,and vote in favor of 24 hr. shifts. These members generally live the furthest from work. The members who are against 24 hr. shifts, typically are young dads,concerned they will have less opportunitys to coach their kids, and special occassions like birthdays and Christmas would be missed entirely.Myself,i'm worried about the few anal taxpayers who figure we're not working hard enough. I also recently heard that some of our local law enforcement officers are choked that we sometimes sleep on the job,and think the beds should be removed. Sure hope that topic disappears. Please weigh-in, I'd like to hear your views.

[medic27205]

We work straight 24 on and 48 hours off. I've worked this schedule for almost 19 years. Love the schedule. I find that I have plenty of time for all those activities because I only work 10 days a month. Yes, we work Christmas and other holidays but my family has learned to adjust easily, they just celebrate the day before or the day after. Usually if we work Christmas day, it has not been to hard to get someone to switch a few hours for me so I can be home in the morning for the Santa thing. I think you would find that it is not a bad schedule unless the call volume is so high that it doesn't allow much sleep time.

[polecat]

Yo bro. The only down side I can see with your schedule is that many of the boys and a few girls too,myself included, like an extended period of days off,so they can enjoy a roadtrip with-out arranging shifts off Other then that, I think your org. has an excellent schedule, one that I wouldn't mind trying. BCNU bro.

[polecat]

clarification

note to self;- stay off line ,when to heavily into the corn ,or else be sure to proofread what you write ,before clicking' Post.' I may of just implied that I'm a girl, in my last post. Yeah right! a girl named polecat! Hey,wait a minute??

[hwoods]

From Here.........

Common shift here is 24 on, 72 off. Take one shift off, and you have seven days off in a row. Not Bad. Folks here would never go back to anything less.

[hwoods]

From Here.........

Stupid Double Post............

[polecat]

I haven't done the math yet but i'm wondering, does your shedule add up to an 84 hr.pay cheque?The reason i ask is because one earlier respondent stated their dept. worked 24 on,48 off. One thing I know is that few members would take a cut in pay for more time off.

[KBRfiredog]

24-hr shifts are defintely a good thing. 24's are all ive worked but i dont think id like the feeling of coming in knowing i was leaving 10 or 14 hours later. i like knowing im gonna be there all day and night to be able to get more stuff done and have more time to relax.

[polecat]

My hats off to you brother

First off, how cool is this! One of our bravest checking in from Iraq! I'm so stunned (and half tanked) I can't remember what I was planning on saying? I think it had something to with 24 hr. shifts? doesn't matter, because i (kinda) met one of the bravest persons on the planet.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

There are those mutts who will look at the 24 hour schedule, do the math and say that "you are only working 90 days a year.. and the vacation days and personal days, and that can be cut down even further.. what are you willing to give up in your contract to get 24 hour tours?"

Nothing. All it is is rearranging the work schedule. You still put in the same number of hours each week.

Remind them that your 24 hour tour of duty is like them working 3 days, only you do it all at once. That usually shuts them up.

I also recently heard that some of our local law enforcement officers are choked that we sometimes sleep on the job, and think the beds should be removed.

They're just ****ed because they took the wrong exam. Most cops would be firefighters, except for that "fear of fire" and "fear of heights" thing....

[firedog21]

Polecat

I thought the Provincal Police, Fire, bargining act only allowed fire fighters to work 10s and 14s or (4, 10 hour day shifts ie day shift fire prevention). I might be wrong but you might want to check into that.

Cheers Firedog21
I.A.F.F. Proud

[KBRfiredog]

First off, how cool is this! One of our bravest checking in from Iraq! I'm so stunned (and half tanked) I can't remember what I was planning on saying? I think it had something to with 24 hr. shifts? doesn't matter, because i (kinda) met one of the bravest persons on the planet.

i appreciate it bro. we're doing the same job you all are doing, just a little further away from home. theres actually a bunch of guys from iraq on here. just check out the Americans Overseas forum.

if you're interested here's a link to a video made by one of our guys. it was done a couple years ago before i was here. only big difference is we don't use the iraqi fire trucks anymore. we have a fleet of Sutphen pumpers now...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz26ODGoQto

[gatoremt]

Thanks KBR,
That was to cool. Good luck and be safe over there.

[gatoremt]

On the 24 hr shift thing. I would do anything to be working 24/48 shifts again. I worked it for 5 years in EMS and I am not able to work it now in the Prison system. I loved the 2 days off.

[E229Lt]

Points to ponder:

Do you receive overtime for runs during shift change? If so, those OT runs are cut in half.
How about travel pay for details at the start of tours? Also cut in half.

Are you allowed to swap shifts: a day for a night and work a 24 when you want? If so why be forced when you can choose.

We work a 9-9, 48 off then 15-15, 72 off. The majority of our members wouldn't even allow our unions to talk about it, much less change it. And our city has been trying to sell us on 24 hour tours for some time.

If they want it that bad, it's good for them and bad for us.

If you do decide to change, bargain a productivity raise for it.