CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The Chesapeake Fire Department announced plans to move to a 42-hour work week for firefighters. The department plans to add a fourth shift and to hire roughly 140 new firefighters to make it happen.
The department currently operates on three rotating shifts, with firefighters working about 56 hours per week. On average, a firefighter works about 832 more hours per year than a regular 40-hour employee. Fire Chief Sam Gulisano said the fourth shift will spread those hours out, giving firefighters more time to rest and recover between shifts.
"So we're excited to announce that we're moving toward a fourth shift," Gulisano said. "So most fire departments across the nation work on a three-shift schedule. This initiative adds a fourth shift to our fire department."
Gulisano said the change will also help the department compete for talent in a tight labor market.
"Recruitment and retention is a critical aspect of our job and what we do," Gulisano said. "We're as good — our department is as good as it is — because we get the best people and we train them up, so this keeps us competitive in that market to continue to bring in the best people and provide the best services to our community."
Tom Bell is the president of the Professional Firefighters of Chesapeake IAFF Local 2449 and a lieutenant with the department. He has worked 56-hour weeks for nearly a decade and said the change will be significant for the department's more than 400 members.
"The end goal is to reduce our work week from 56 hours to 42 hours," Bell said. "So what that's gonna do for myself as well as the 400-plus members for the fire department is improve our work/life balance number one, improve our rest and recovery. It's going to reduce injuries, reduce illnesses."
Bell said firefighters currently working the three-shift schedule sometimes face what the department calls "Hump Week."
"We have something called 'Hump Week,' and that's where we're working four 24-hour shifts in a 7-day span," Bell said. "And when you're doing that every three weeks, every hump week is draining to you mentally and physically."
Bell said the fourth shift will eliminate that schedule. Moving toward the fourth shift plan includes the hiring of up to 70 new firefighters in 2027 during the first phase.
Firefighters are also exposed to occupational hazards — including carcinogens — that Bell said contribute to serious long-term health consequences.
"Cancer is actually the highest killer of firefighters right now, so 74% of line of duty deaths actually come from cancer," Bell said. "So by reducing our exposures over the course of an annual year and the course of a career, should be reducing the amount of cancers that we see moving forward."
Bell said the hours add up significantly over a career.
"When you look at the hours that we work over the course of a year, we're working 800 more hours annually than an average 40-hour employee," Bell said. "So when you compound that over a 25-year career, we're working 10 extra years on top of a normal employee."
The department needs to hire 139 firefighters to fully implement the fourth shift, though Gulisano said that number could increase slightly depending on additional factors. Support staff positions will also need to be filled.
Gulisano said the department may not wait until all positions are filled before launching the fourth shift.
"We're hopeful that we'll be able to do the fourth shift before we have the full 139, 140 people," Gulisano said.
The move follows action by the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year. Delegate Michael Feggans of Virginia Beach's 97th District sponsored House Bill 1333, which was signed into law and encourages fire departments in Virginia to implement work weeks that do not exceed 42 hours.
Chesapeake joins neighboring cities Norfolk and Virginia Beach in moving toward reducing firefighter work week hours. Norfolk committed $1.8 million to create 34 new firefighter positions as part of its own transition. Virginia Beach approved a plan to move forward in reducing their firefighter work week from 56 hours to 48 hours.
Watch related coverage: Virginia Beach firefighters push for fourth shift as Norfolk moves forward with hiring plan
Gulisano credited the collaboration between the fire department, Local 2449, city leadership, and city council for making the announcement possible.
Bell echoed that sentiment.
"We're excited with this change moving forward and looking forward to the work we can do with our city council and city leadership as well as the fire administration to make sure we're taking care of our members as well as the citizens," Bell said.
A department work group is still determining how the 42 hours will be structured across shifts. No target launch date has been set. Anyone interested in joining the Chesapeake Fire Department is encouraged to fill out an interest card.
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