Greenville to consider moving fire rescue from 24/48 to 24/72 schedule, council to add item to agenda

Deputy Chief Jesse Harris told the Greenville Regional City Council at a Sept. workshop that fire rescue is proposing a phased change from the current 24/48 schedule to a 24/72 schedule to align staffing with the department’s EMS-heavy workload and to improve retention. “What we’re proposing is an adjustment to our schedule to bring us in line with an EMS schedule,” Harris said, citing that 83% of last year’s roughly 21,500 calls were EMS-related.

Harris and staff told council the proposed model would move the department from three shifts to four, introduce temporary “work group” days while additional positions are added, and hold annual salary steady while increasing hourly pay because employees would work fewer hours. Harris said the department has lost about 99 employees over four years and estimated about $100,000 in recruiting, training and overtime costs to replace a single departing firefighter. He identified March 1 as the target implementation date if council approves the plan and emphasized the need to begin recruitment quickly.

Council members asked about pay, overtime and staffing math, and several members urged faster hiring. Council discussion repeatedly returned to adding positions: staff noted the council has already approved 12 positions over the last two years that make the phase-in possible, and some council members urged adding 12 more in the next budget cycle rather than the six-per-year incremental plan to accelerate full implementation.

At the workshop the council moved to add the measure to the agenda for formal consideration and discussion at an upcoming meeting (the mayor and council referenced adding it to the Thursday meeting to allow a full presentation to the public). Council and staff also discussed public-notice and public-hearing requirements for any action on personnel and operating schedules.

Why it matters: Fire rescue leaders described the change as primarily a retention and safety initiative tied to the department’s EMS workload. Staff said the phased approach would reduce overtime over time, decrease academy and retraining costs, and give employees more recovery time between shifts.

Key details presented by staff

- Calls and workload: About 21,500 total calls last year; roughly 18,000 (83%) were EMS calls, the department said. - Turnover and cost: The department reported losing about 99 employees in four years and estimated replacement-related costs around $100,000 per employee (training, backfill and overtime). - Staffing and schedule mechanics: Current model described as 24/48 (work one 24-hour shift, off 48); proposed model 24/72 (work one 24-hour shift, off 72) with a transition period using “work groups” to cover shortfalls while positions are added. - Current staffing: Staff reported about 45–46 personnel per shift (about 138 operations). Under the long-term model the target would be about 40 per shift while increasing total roster size through annual hires. - Budget and timing: Staff said existing budgeted positions and the 12 positions added in prior budgets make the change possible to begin phased implementation, and recommended council approval to start a recruitment push so the department could aim for a March 1 implementation.

Next steps and council direction

Council asked staff to place the item on the agenda for a formal council meeting (the mayor and several council members cited adding it to the next Thursday meeting so the public could hear the full presentation). Staff said they would prepare the required notices and return with a plan update at the January plan session and bring any ordinance or formal personnel changes back for council action as needed.

No final personnel or budget action was taken at the workshop; council moved to add the item to the upcoming agenda for formal consideration and directed staff to return with the implementation plan and public-notice steps.

Speakers quoted or summarized in this article are those who spoke on this item at the workshop, identified in council records and the meeting transcript.