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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFIRE DEPARTMENT PROPOSED 48-HOUR SCHEDULEVirginia Beach Fire Department Work Schedule Change Proposal Fire Chief Ken Pravetz | September 8, 2026 1 Presentation Overview •VBFD Current Schedule and Workforce Context •Why Fire Departments are Requesting Schedule Changes •56-hour to 48-hour work week analysis •Cost & Implementation Timeline •Norfolk Fire Dept. 42-hour Recruitment Campaign •Council Decision Points & Questions 2 VBFD Current Schedule and Workforce Context •Traditional 56-hour average schedule •Local workload realities (vacancies, overtime, lost time) •Recent Council investments: staffing, apparatus, wellness •Scheduling pressures despite added positions •Current Sworn FTE Count: 583 •Current Sworn Vacancies: 24 •Average limited duty 47 people per year 3 Why Fire Departments Are Requesting Schedule Changes •National trend toward schedule modernization •Health & wellness research on extended-hour shifts •Recruitment and retention impacts •Annualized salaries based on 56-hour work week •Workforce expectations for sustainable schedules 4 Visual of hours scheduled over 25 years 5 Health and Wellness Impacts •Extended-hour schedules reduce recovery time between shifts •Cumulative fatigue can increase risk of injury and lost time •Industry research links long-duration shift systems to long-term health concerns •More sustainable schedules support workforce stability and retention •Aligns with national movement to modernize firefighter work schedules 6 48-hour work week analysis •Fully vetted staffing model •63 additional FTEs •All positions required in a single fiscal year •Why prior FTE additions did not reduce average weekly hours 7 Operational Impact of Adding 63 FTEs •Redistribution of workload •Increased scheduling flexibility •Reduction of forced overtime •Daily minimum staffing improvements •56-hour work week to 48-hour work week 8 COSTS AND IMPACTS of 63 FTE (48 Hours) •Year 1 Cost -$3.6 Million •Includes cost for gear and all new equipment expenses •Partial salary funding required for two Academies (Oct- 9 months and April- 3 months) •Year 2 Cost - $5.5 Million •Annualized cost of salaries, fringes, and OT requirements. •Cost offsets or Avoidance •Once the work schedule is implemented FLSA cycle pay will be eliminated •Lost time has decreased in departments that have implemented the change 9 48-Hour Implementation Timeline •If City Council approves the 63 FTEs in the FY28 Budget… •July 2027: $3.6 Million in Funding Available •July 2027: Recruitment and Hiring •October 2027: Academy Class Begins (33 FTEs) •April 2028: Second Academy Class Begins (30 FTEs) •September 2028:Schedule Modifications can begin 10 Norfolk Fire Recruitment Campaign •Norfolk has made the decision to add the 4th Shift •Targeted social media ads went out to recruit lateral transfers from other departments, namely those who are in the area 11 The Future of Fire Service Scheduling •National trend toward reduced workweeks •Phase One: move to 48-hour average •VBFD desires four shifts = 42-hour model •Four-shift rotation common in 24/7 ops •Staffing growth required over multiple years •Aligns with industry direction 12 Visual Representation of the 42-Hour Week 13 COSTS AND IMPACTS of 165 FTE (42 Hours) •Year 1 Cost - $5.2 Million (60 FTEs) •includes cost for gear and all new equipment expenses •Includes additional upline chain of command staffing •Partial salary funding required for two Academies (Oct- 9 months and April- 3 months) •Year 2 Cost - $10.5 Million (60 FTEs) •Adds 60 additional FTEs and two more recruit classes •Annualized cost of salaries, fringes, and OT requirements. •Year 3 Cost - $14.9 Million (45 FTEs) •Adds 45 additional firefighter recruits 14 Questions and Decision Points •Option 1: The Fire Department will submit a request in the FY28 Budget for an additional 63 FTEs to phase in the 48-hour work week •Year 1 Cost -$3.6 Million •includes cost for gear and all new equipment expenses •Partial salary funding required for two Academies (Oct- 9 months and April- 3 months) •Year 2 Cost - $5.5 Million •Annualized cost of salaries, fringes, and OT requirements •Option 2: City Council Alternative Recommendation •Option 3: Null Alternative – Status Quo 15