24-48 Shift Pattern | 24/7 Shift Coverage

The 24-48 shift pattern uses three teams (i.e. platoons) and three shifts to provide 24/7 coverage. It consists of a 3-day cycle where each team works one 24-hour shift followed by 2 consecutive days (48 hours) off duty. This shift pattern is very popular with fire departments in the United States and is also known as ABC shift pattern.

24-48 Shift Schedule

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Characteristics
Plan ID C3TF24-4
Name 24-48 Shift Schedule
Applicability 24/7 operations
Teams Required 3
Shifts A (24-hr), B (24-hr), C (24-hr)
Repeat Cycle 3 days
Rotation Fixed plan, no rotation
Average Hours per Week 56
Staffing Fluctuation Balanced from shift to shift and day to day
Pluses
  • Personnel never work an entire weekend (Saturday and Sunday)
  • Personnel work a maximum of 3 days a week
Minuses
  • Not enough rest time between shifts
  • Potential for short term fatigue due to working long shifts
Common Usage Popular with fire departments and emergency medical services.
Notes – The US Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) compensation cycles are 28 days over which firefighters normally works either 216 hours or 240 hours. Hours worked beyond a base of 212 hours in a 28-day period are considered overtime. To avoid overtime, agencies typically use a rotating day off (Kelly day off) every 21 days.

 

-This plan requires living quarters for the employees to work and sleep during each 24-hr shift.