Kissimmee firefighters are starting a new work schedule on April 25 that will prioritize giving them time to recover after responding to emergencies and stressful situations, following a previous fire assessment study.
The new schedule is known as a 24-72 schedule. Firefighters work a 24-hour shift and have 72 hours off. On the former schedule, the first responders worked 24 and were then off 48.
To support this change, 42 firefighters have been hired to work for Kissimmee Fire over the past seven months. Thirty-three people will be sworn in on Thursday ahead of the schedule change into their new roles, including 15 new hires, 10 promoted engineers and eight promoted lieutenants.
Chief Jim Walls said he thinks they’re setting an example for other fire departments to adopt the 24-72 schedule. “We’re the first Central Florida fire department to implement that schedule. So, I’ve shared our studies with a lot of chiefs around here,” Walls said. “So, everybody’s looking at it. It’s a very competitive market right now.”
