To ensure the most effective service at the time of an emergency, our crews must remain in the designated response territory with their fire trucks during their entire 24-hour shift. Our firefighters work 24-hour shifts with no scheduled breaks and meals are not provided by the city. We respond to calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Many times, firefighters work 48, 72, or even 96 straight hours without the ability to leave the fire station due to varying situations. Personnel on each shift must purchase their own food and prepare their meals. In many cases, the crews eat together. In addition, this allows for driver training and a lot of public educational opportunities with our citizens.
Whether it’s at a grocery store or some other business, fire crews do not physically have to be at the fire station to be dispatched for an emergency call. Since all city fire trucks maintain constant radio contact with the 911 Communications Center, they are always ready to respond to any emergency regardless of their current location. One may be surprised, but our firefighters spend long periods of their day running calls, without returning to the station or stopping to eat.