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The Daily Insight

What kind of schedules do firefighters have?

Author

Abigail Rogers

Updated on March 02, 2026

Schedule Overview Firefighters generally work in long shifts that include weekends and holidays. These shifts might differ from one city to another. The two most common types of shifts for firefighters are 24 hours on followed by 48 hours off, or 10- to 12-hour shifts for three to four days in a row.

What is a Kelly schedule?

Kelly Shift Schedule. DESCRIPTION: It consists of a 9-day cycle where each team works one 24-hour shift, followed by 24 hours off duty, works another 24-hour shift, followed by 24 hours off duty, then works a final 24-hour shift, followed by 4 consecutive days off duty.

How is a fire department organized?

The organizational structure of a fire department consist of a chain of command. The chain of command creates a structure for managing the department and commanding fire ground operations. They coordinate and command fire ground operations. They also ensure that all companies are properly staffed for each shift.

Do firefighters get cheated on?

Again, it’s not a matter of convenience. So the cheating would happen inside or outside the firehouse. But cheating at the fire house DOES happen, especially because we know about 30% of relationships involve some form of cheating (like messaging, sexting etc).

Why do firefighters work 24 hour shifts?

24 hour shifts provide the most personnel on duty with the fewest number of actual employees, saving personnel costs on health care and retirement. 24 hour shifts also enable the members to complete projects without a daily deadline. The bottom line – firefighters working a 24 hour shift saves the public money.

What is the work schedule for a firefighter?

The work schedule of a firefighter consists of two 24-hour days per week, for an average of 8 days per month. With this schedule, a firefighter has an average of 5 days off per week.

What is a fire department “Kelly Day”?

A “Kelly day” is the occasional day off firefighters get to control budget-destroying overtime. The origin of the name is debated, but an often-repeated tale is of a Chicago mayor named Kelly who gave the firemen one day off after seven on duty, according to Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2.

How long are firefighter shifts?

Firefighters generally work in long shifts that include weekends and holidays. These shifts might differ from one city to another. The two most common types of shifts for firefighters are 24 hours on followed by 48 hours off, or 10- to 12-hour shifts for three to four days in a row.