Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Firefighter Schedule topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Live Oak firefighters ask council to allow six-month trial of 48/96 shift schedule
Summary
Tyrus Anderson, representing the Live Oak Fire Department union, asked the council to allow a six-month trial of a 48/96 shift schedule, saying it would improve firefighter health, family time and recruitment; council requested finance run fiscal estimates before any contract amendment.
Tyrus Anderson, speaking as the union representative for the Live Oak Fire Department, asked the City of Live Oak council on March 10 to allow a six-month trial of a 48/96 shift schedule for firefighters.
"We work a 24/48 schedule right now," Anderson said. "The 48/96 schedule is still 10 days a month. We're still working 2,880 hours minimum. We're just doing it lumped up. It helps us live longer, to last longer, to serve the public better." He told the council his department has 100% support among personnel for a trial and that other jurisdictions' experience showed declines in sick leave and PTO usage.
Anderson said the change would not increase annual hours but could carry modest built-in overtime costs. He and other speakers gave rough estimates: "probably $300 per person" in additional built-in overtime in some scenarios and no more than $400–$500 in transitional checks, while earlier remarks referenced per-person effects in the low hundreds. Anderson said larger schedule changes (for example, switching to a 24/72 or adding extra shifts) could be far more expensive and were not part of this request.
Council members and staff pressed for fiscal clarity. A council member asked finance staff to run numbers on the timing and budget impact given the city’s fiscal-year calendar; Anderson agreed the department’s calculations were informal and that "Tammy would have to run the numbers in finance." The council did not vote on a scheduling change during the meeting; members discussed that, under the current contract, amendments can be made if both the union and the city agree and there are no active grievances.
Supporters on the dais argued the schedule could improve retention and recruitment. An attendee who said departments such as Swan County Fire Rescue had adopted 48/96 reported improved recruitment and lower turnover. Anderson also noted operational safety constraints: the department must maintain minimum staffing levels and National Fire Protection standards; any scheduling plan must ensure required four-person minimums per shift.
The council directed staff to evaluate budget impacts and the negotiation pathway; no formal contract amendment was approved at the meeting. The matter was left for further staff analysis and potential future council action.
