Georgia fire department changing shift schedules to reduce firefighter burnout

The Barnesville Fire Department is the latest Georgia fire department to change shift schedules for its firefighters.

Chief Kelvin Chute said the normal schedule consisted of 12 hours on, 12 hours off, Monday through Sunday, with work every other weekend.

"One week they work from Monday to Sunday, 12 hours, with only Thursday off and a half a shift off," Chute said. "Then the following week they'd work the half shift and the Thursday."

Chute called the schedule grueling and said it could be detrimental to firefighters who are already working hard under serious pressure.

"I mean, you work 12 hours, you leave, and you have 12 hours to get back, so everything you have to do in your own time is done in that 12 hours," he said. "It's tiring, especially the cumulative effects over time and over a career. The lack of sleep and lack of rest wears down firefighters physically and mentally; the mental alertness, the mental sharpness is not always there, and also the burnout."

The department will now operate on a 24-72 schedule, something Chute said will benefit them as a smaller department that still requires the same resources as any fire department in the country.

"They'll come in and work 24 hours from there, then they'll be off for a full 72 hours before they come back to work again," Chute said. "A house fire, three-bedroom, two-bath house burning in Barnesville, takes the same resources and same actions to put it out as a three-bed, two-bathroom house anywhere. Could be Buckhead, could be the Bronx or anywhere else. It's overall healthier for the employees, which in turn translates to better service for the citizens. This gives them more time at home and more time with their families and better rest."

Better rest and more family time is something firefighter Andrew Mercer said he's looking forward to.

"My wife definitely is on board with the changes," Mercer said, laughing. "As far as calls a year, we range from 200 to 300. Just depends on the year. It's going to be a lot better because you're going to be so recharged with 72 hours off versus coming in every day and then you get one day off during the long week."

Chute said this model is being adopted by fire departments across the state and the country, something he sees as the work model of the future for firefighters.

While the schedule changes were months in the making, the firefighters won't have to wait any longer. The change officially goes into effect on Friday.