Grand Island council approves trial 48-on/96-off firefighter schedule under MOU with IAFF Local 647

Grand Island — The City Council on Oct. 28 approved a memorandum of understanding with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 647 to trial a shift schedule that would move firefighters from the department's current pattern to a 48-on/96-off rotation.

City staff presented the memorandum as a trial run to test operational efficiency, staffing coverage and employee wellness. “The memorandum of understanding before you tonight, is regarding a schedule change,” Mr. Schmidt said while presenting the item. He described the proposed schedule as a change “to 48 on, 96 off. So 2 days on, 4 days off,” and said the agreement was approved by the union side before coming to council.

The MOU would change an employee’s annual credited hours from 2,808 to 2,912 and would remove the contract’s existing Kelly day. Staff and union representatives who spoke said other municipalities use the model and reported recruitment and retention benefits in comparisons cited during the presentation. Zach, a department member taking part in the discussion, said departments that switched earlier “did not have any turnover during that time” aside from expected retirements.

Councilmembers questioned possible fatigue and family impacts from longer contiguous on-duty periods. Councilmember Hossy said he worried about fatigue during the second 24 hours of long shifts and asked whether the change would harm family life. Mr. Schmidt and union representatives said research shows trade-offs and emphasized that the union approved proceeding to a trial. The MOU also includes a clause allowing either side to withdraw with 30 days’ notice if the trial proves problematic.

The MOU is scheduled as a trial through the existing contract term ending Sept. 30, 2026; negotiators will revisit schedule choices during future collective bargaining, staff said. The council adopted resolution 2025-363 to approve the memorandum; the motion passed and the clerk recorded the result as “motion adopted.” The transcript does not include a roll-call tally.

Council direction: staff and the union will implement the trial schedule under the MOU terms, then report back during future contract negotiations or sooner if either side invokes the 30-day withdrawal provision.