One of the nice things about being a firefighter is that youвЂ™ll usually eat a prepared meal with your crew. Finally, you must complete the paperwork to show that you have gone through the equipment checklist to ensure everything is in order. YouвЂ™ll also need to check your protective equipment to ensure itвЂ™s in working order (full tank of oxygen, etc.). This checking includes everything on the truck (sirens, horns, fuel levels, oil levels, hoses, firefighting pumps, equipment, etc.) to ensure itвЂ™s clean, functional, and ready for use at a momentвЂ™s notice. It may seem overkill, but firefighters take daily equipment checks very seriously. Smaller units with fewer firefighters are likely to do a more informal changeover. For example, they might pass on some critical information about things going on at the moment and any vital information about the rig (that big red truck and everything on it) or something about operating procedures.ДЄ larger unit may have a formal morning meeting, including a discussion of assigned roles (вЂњriding assignmentsвЂќ) for the day or any pre-arranged events that will take place. This changeover is when the person ending their schedule will debrief the person about to begin. Still, thereвЂ™s no consistency here вЂ“ just anecdotally, it appears that many fire departments set up their schedule that way.ДЄlmost universally, a shift will begin with a changeover. It seems many firefightersвЂ™ shifts start around 7 am. So letвЂ™s begin at the start of the shift and work out way upwardsвЂ¦ 7 am вЂ“ Shift Starts & Changeover

But, the other people they work with quickly become family. This schedule means theyвЂ™re working long hours away from their families. So this may be вЂtypical,вЂ™ but itвЂ™s not the experience of every firefighter.ДЇirefighters usually do 24-hour shifts at their stations. ItвЂ™s important to note that different fire departments do things differently. Overview: Mornings usually involve shift changeover, equipment checks, and group breakfast. You need a lot of discipline and professionalism, and you need to be punctual.Д¬heck out these routines you might be doing on the job every day. You might be surprised to find a firefighterвЂ™s day is very busy.

Firefighter work schedule