Guthrie firefighters propose 48/96 schedule; council signals support for one-year trial beginning Jan. 2026

Lieutenant Drew Rupert of the Guthrie Fire Department presented a proposal from IAFF Local 2145 to change the department’s work schedule to a 48/96 rotation beginning January 2026, saying the change would be implemented as a 12-month trial monitored by administration and the union.

“We would like to start next year, 01/21/2026 January 1, sorry, of '20 '26 and continue for 1 year time with a new schedule,” Lieutenant Rupert said. He described the 48/96 schedule as “48 hours worked consecutively, followed by 96 hours off.”

Rupert said the department would prepare amendments to standard operating guidelines (SOGs) and identify necessary contract language changes before the trial. He said the schedule would not change total annual hours worked: “We're still working an average of 56 hours per week as we do now. We're still working 2912 hours average per year, and we're still averaging 121 shifts per year.”

City Manager Eddie Bollinger and Fire Chief Dayton Lawson told the council they support a trial so long as the city retains the ability to revert the department to its prior schedule if problems emerge. “We are supportive. Something I wanted to touch on on behalf of the fire department. This is coming from the members,” Bollinger said. Lawson and other council members likewise expressed general approval for moving forward to finalize policy and contractual language.

Council members and staff discussed why the union is pursuing the schedule change. Rupert cited reduced short-term and long-term fatigue, increased continuity for projects and training, and improved recruitment and retention. He said other departments — from large-city to small-town agencies — have used 48/96 successfully and that some agencies have reported lower sick-leave usage after switching.

Several council members asked about health research and the possibility that repeated abrupt awakenings contribute to cardiac risk. Rupert and Lawson replied that while it is difficult to isolate every causal factor, more frequent nights sleeping at home and longer consecutive rest periods were consistently cited in the materials the union reviewed as likely to reduce cumulative fatigue.

Council members did not take a formal roll-call vote on the schedule change during the meeting. Instead, members verbally signaled support and directed staff and the union to prepare required documents. City staff said the expected next steps are: finalize SOG changes and contract language by about Oct. 1, deliver those materials to the city manager for review, execute an MOU between the city and the union outlining a 12‑month trial with monitoring, and begin the trial on Jan. 1, 2026 if both parties approve.

The union and department leaders said they will monitor the trial and agreed ahead of time that the city may revert to the prior schedule under its management-rights authority if the trial adversely affects service delivery. Chief Lawson and union leaders said they expect to provide periodic reports to the council during the trial.

The presentation drew questions from multiple council members and staff about operational readiness during busy periods, sick‑leave trends, and how training continuity might improve under a stacked schedule. Council members expressed appreciation for the presentation and said they support moving forward with the preparation work required to implement a trial. The council did not adopt a policy or execute any contract at the meeting; it authorized staff to continue work toward the planned trial and to return final documents for council approval.