City Council approved a contract with the Plano Firefighters’ Association that will make Plano Fire-Rescue the first all-paid fire department in Texas to adopt a “24/72” shift schedule.
The new system will allow firefighters to work 24 hours on duty followed by 72 hours off, which is a change from the current 24-hours on, 48-hours off schedule.
The contract, which was approved by council members at their Sept. 16 meeting, will go into effect Oct. 1.
The gist
City Manager Mark Israelson said the new schedule will be implemented over the next five years, with 22 new personnel hired each year, totaling 110 planned new hires. The new staff will create a “D-Shift” that will account for the additional day off.
“This provides our firefighters with more time to rest and recover and puts them closer to being on par with the scheduled weekly work hours for the rest of the city,” Israelson said. “We are the first to be able to do this [in Texas].”
While the contract goes into effect Oct. 1, Plano Fire-Rescue personnel will transition to the 24/72 shift schedule around 2029 once staffing requirements are met.
According to the release, Plano Fire-Rescue has seen a 30% increase in service calls over the last 10 years, which has partially led to the shift change.
Plano’s department has a history of leadership on firefighter safety and well-being, Plano Fire Chief Chris Biggerstaff said in the release.
“One of the most recent movements in the Texas Fire Service has been with firefighter schedule, and [Plano Fire-Rescue] is leading the way,” he said.
Zooming in
As Plano Fire-Rescue implements these changes, residents will not see changes in service levels due to the stair-stepped hiring and transition process, according to city documents.
Hiring for new firefighters will begin in fall 2025, and firefighters will receive additional paid days off, called “Kelly Days,” to align workloads with the new staffing model.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Julie Holmer said the benefits of making the scheduling change significantly outweighs the potential costs.
“[This] ensures our first responders are rested, prepared and able to meet Plano’s increasing call volume while also making Plano more competitive in attracting and retaining the best talent,” Holmer said.
One more thing
The contract also includes a salary freeze while the new schedule is being implemented, but scheduled step raises will still be permitted based on years of service, according to city documents.
With the new schedule, firefighters’ average work week will decrease from 56 hours to 42 hours, which will allow for extra recovery time, according to the release.
