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How the proposed 'Garland schedule' would work: debit days, four shifts and a 28‑day FLSA cycle
Summary
Presenters outlined a four-shift model that uses assigned "debit days" (8-hour assigned days) to add temporary coverage, reduce recovery gaps, and leverage a 28‑day FLSA cycle to limit overtime burn.
Fire department staff walked the committee through the operational mechanics of the proposed schedule and how it changes daily staffing, recovery time and overtime calculations.
Bill Crews described the baseline staffing (285 authorized uniformed personnel, daily minimum staffing of 62) and said the plan redistributes existing personnel into four shifts; with nine already-budgeted hires, the staff-per-shift target rises to 66. "What we are proposing is that we rearrange our focus... initially, what that means is that we will have 64 people assigned to each shift... with the 9 new positions... now we would have 66 assigned to each shift," Crews said.
Key mechanics include assigned debit days — not overtime — which add roughly nine bodies on scheduled days and provide longer recovery windows (a 24/48 pattern with debit-day variations yields 72 hours off after some 48-hour duties). Presenters emphasized captains would monitor assignments and could reassign personnel to slower stations to avoid fatigue. Staff also said converting to a 28‑day FLSA cycle is necessary to align pay calculations and to control mandatory overtime triggers.
Committee questions focused on whether debit-day crews would be held to home-station assignments or used citywide for coverage. Staff answered that crews "will be where they need to be" and that captains are entrusted to balance operational needs and firefighter wellbeing. The schedule's implementers committed to close monitoring of crew fatigue and monthly reports on overtime.
