NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Fire-Rescue is adding a fourth shift to reduce mandatory overtime and improve firefighter health and safety — a move department leaders say will also make Norfolk safer for residents.
The city budget that began July 1 includes $1.8 million to create the fourth shift, which would reduce the average firefighter work week from 52 hours to 42 hours without a pay cut. The change follows a Virginia state law passed earlier this year pushing for fewer firefighter work hours.
Brett Russell, a Norfolk Fire-Rescue paramedic, spent 20 years as a firefighter before joining the EMS division. He says sometimes he barely had a day of rest in between shifts.
"You go home, you're exhausted. Mentally and physically exhausted. At that point it's how do I recover?," he said.
Like many other departments, Norfolk Fire-Rescue currently operates three alternating shifts of firefighters responding to fires, medical emergencies and other calls across 24 hours. By the end of the week, the average firefighter will have worked 52 scheduled hours.
But mandatory overtime has grown into a persistent problem, according to Deputy Fire Chief Wayne Watson.
"There's days where they are unable to go home so we can maintain our minimum staffing levels, and they're asked to stay an extra 12 hours," Watson told News 3, adding that it's not a Norfolk-specific problem. "It's with the surrounding cities and it's a national problem."
Mark Old, a Norfolk Fire-Rescue firefighter and president of IAFF Local 68, says the health consequences can be fatal.
"The number one cause of firefighter death is heart disease," Old said. "So that comes directly from being burnt out."
Norfolk's fourth shift requires the hiring of 34 additional positions. The department is actively recruiting to fill those roles, including through a lateral hiring process that closes at midnight on July 17. Firefighters who are already certified can be hired and working within three weeks, rather than going through months of training.
Old said Norfolk is leading the way in Hampton Roads.
"Norfolk, we're the first one in the region, second in the state (and the) largest in the state to actually take the initiative," Old said.
Watson said word about the fourth shift got out even before it was funded and attracted a lot of interest.
"Our application process that we opened up in the late winter early spring, that's the most applications we've had in years," Watson said.
The goal is to have the new shift operational by July of next year, though Watson said full implementation is expected to take up to four years. The department's EMS division has already transitioned to the new schedule. Russell, who moved to that division in October, said the change has made a big difference in his life.
"What it's meant for me is a couple extra days at home," Russell said. "The ability to recover, be a better dad, better husband and come back to work and be a better paramedic."
And, although he says the city's firefighters are always up to the job, Watson believes the new four-shift schedule will be a major positive for the people they protect.
"Yes, the city will be safer because they'll get a full recovery between shifts," Watson said.
Norfolk Fire-Rescue says anyone interested in joining the department can email fire-recruiters@norfolk.gov or scan the QR code below:
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