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Bryan council hears proposal to pilot 48/96 firefighter schedule to curb turnover
Summary
Fire department leaders showed council data they say link the current schedule to higher turnover and asked to pilot a 48/96 shift to boost recruitment and retention; council asked staff for HR, risk and finance reviews and requested several follow-up reports.
Lieutenant Walter Norrell of the Bryan Fire Department urged the City Council to pilot a 48/96 work schedule, saying the change would give firefighters more recovery time, improve retention and help the department recruit fully certified firefighter–paramedics.
“We're here because Bryan Fire Department is hemorrhaging firefighter paramedics,” Lieutenant Walter Norrell said, laying out the task force’s findings and poll results. He said the department’s internal poll had an 80% response rate and that 79% of respondents favored the schedule change.
The presentation summarized the schedule’s mechanics—same total hours and pay but longer off-duty stretches that produce “61 extra wake-ups at home” annually and more full weekends off—and compared Bryan to nearby departments. Norrell said seven of eight comparable agencies…
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