Pasco County leaders say the move will improve recovery time, mental wellness and work-life balance, while supporting recruitment and retention as overtime hours trend down

PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Pasco County Fire Rescue has officially launched a 24/72 shift schedule, a move officials say is aimed at improving firefighter health and strengthening emergency response.

The new schedule took effect at 8 a.m. on Jan. 25 after several years of planning, hiring and internal promotions to ensure adequate staffing, the county said in a statement. Pasco County said it is the first fire agency in the Tampa Bay area to transition to the 24/72 model.

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Department leaders said the change is intended to provide more recovery time between shifts, support mental wellness and improve work-life balance for firefighters.

“When you’re away from your family at 24, two years ago, 48 hours, at a time, that’s incredibly stressful on you and your personal life, and when you are at work, how can we expect you to give 100% of your work when you aren’t 100% at home,” Pasco County Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 4420 President Dixon Phillips told FOX 13 in August, when the department first started the shift schedule change. “So, having that work-life balance is incredibly important.”

Phillips said the move is also aimed at improving recruitment and retention, and early results show overtime dropping sharply, from 79,000 hours to nearly half that amount, even before the 24/72 schedule was implemented.

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