How many hours is your shift?

[WANTYNU]

Every time I log onto this board I learn more about my EMS family around the nation.

The biggest thing I have learned, is not to snap at somebody’s short, nonproductive quip, comments / posts, two negatives do not equal a positive exchange. In other words: Tolerance. I only ask that everyone here try exercising some...

I have searched this board for an answer to this question, but have not found it. If this is a repeat my apologies.

IMHO our work environment is so different from the rest of the country (the standard 8 hr day / 40 hr week) that it’s reasonable to investigate different options for how we work.

Hope you agree.

The last questions is about doubles (back to back shifts) in NYC we’re limited to 2 (16 hrs total) although it’s a little fast and loose, ( if they need you the rule is over looked) and the rule is also suspended in an emergency (aren’t they all?!).

Please only check this if this is the MAJORITY of your work week, i.e. two 16hr doubles and an 8hr shift for a 40 hr week, two 24's for a 48hr week. (Please do not count OT)

As an example:I work (not counting OT) three 8's and one double 16 hr, so I would check 8 for my "normal" shift. If I worked two doubles and an 8, my answer would be 8 double (16).

Thanks, this should be interesting.

So here goes:

[spenac]

I work 3 services. 2 of them are on 24 hour shifts by however many you want to do. The 3rd is on 12 hour shifts but can do up to 5 back to back 12's or 60 hours in a row.

Keep in mind these are small town where it is rare that you are actually in the ambulance most of each shift. Usually get plenty of sleep and eat time.

If you are somewhere that requires you to be in the ambulance all the shift or is a very busy service I really wish they would limit to 1 12 hour shift with at least 8 hours off the truck before you could get back on, for safety and medic health.

[WANTYNU]

As usual great reply spenac!

I know that a lot of us work two or more jobs, I'm trying to get better a picture of the variances in our work hours.

Ot is critical to us all, but for this poll, is it fair to limit it to our main job (the one we get our benefits from)?

This probably goes hand in hand with supporting / or not supporting a set of national skill standards, but Should we have national work / shift time standards?

Could a set of rules be drawn up that would accommodate us all?

(not counting indentured servitude...)

[spenac]

This probably goes hand in hand with supporting / or not supporting a set of national skill standards, but Should we have national work / shift time standards?

Could a set of rules be drawn up that would accommodate us all?

Don't think it would work to say noone can be on duty more than X number of hours. Maybe rules that state after X number of hours on duty with no sleep you must take X number of hours off before getting back on the ambulance. Like I mentioned previously, my jobs allow plenty of rest normally, and I am sure most other rural areas are similiar. At my primary service all of us got together and we now will shut our service down for 8 hours so we can sleep if we have gotten slammed. Our city don't like it but they are the ones that choose not to fund a second ambulance crew.

[JakeEMTP]

Our shifts are 24 on, 24 off, 24 on, 24 off, 24 on, 4days off 8). It's like a mini vacation every week. The added bonus ( if you can call it that ) is OT is already built into our scheduled hours. We work 48 one week, 72 the other with OT after 80 hrs for the 2 week period.

Since we are working 120 hrs in a 2 week pay period, 40 of it is at time + 1/2.

[ginpole]

I work 48 on one week, 48 on 48 off then 24 the next week, for a 60 hour ave per pay period.

[Novisen]

Between 7-36 hours. 45 hours a week.

[akflightmedic]

My schedule is 168 hours a week for 120 days straight followed by 10-15 days off, then repeated again...

[weasel 108]

I work 36 hrs a week. Wed 12hrs 07:00-19:00, and Thurs 24hrs 07:00-07:00. The other squad I work for I do another 36hrs a week. Sun 24hrs 06:00-06:00, and Mon 12hrs 18:00-06:00. So I work a total of 72 hrs a week.

[nsmedic393]

I work a 42 hour work week. 24 on and 72 off. Max shift time is 36 hours straight.