# How many hours / shifts do you work a week?



## MMiz (Apr 30, 2004)

I go to college full time (taking five courses), and then drive home every other weekend or so and work a midnight shift.  In general most EMT-Basics at my company are scheduled to work four shifts a week.  Most medics work 3-4.  Shifts for Basics are 12 hours, and medics work a 10 hours shift.

When it comes down to it, most people work the extra day so they can get overtime.  I can't see myself working more than five times a week, but some people work 60-70 hours sometimes.

That's a bit too much for me.


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## SafetyPro2 (Apr 30, 2004)

Little different situation here being a vollie. Varies depending on whether my crew's on or not. Weeknights (Tue.-Thur.) when we're on, I typically work two or three 12-hour shifts. Weekends, it's either a 36-hour shift (Sat. PM to Mon. AM) or a 24-hour shift (Fri. PM to Sat. PM) AND a 12-hour shift (Mon. PM to Tue. AM).

On top of that, since I work out of my house, I often take daytime duty as well. I'm in the middle of a big project right now, so I haven't been as I'm out in the field 3 days a week, but after next week, I'll probably start taking two 12-hour daytime shifts a week.

My max in month has been 172 hours of duty, and my lowest has been 109 (this month due to the project).


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## Chimpie (Jun 1, 2004)

My former employment was at the Toyota Motor Manufacturing plant in Indiana.  (The plant is a new plant.  It has only been in production for about 6 years now.)  We all were First Responders and some were EMTs and Paramedics.  Those with higher certs brought their certs with them.  All the FR were trained once we got hired.  When I left most of the guys were going through FF I & II.  They now have one pumper, one rescue and a brush truck and about 8 squads, a mixture of Sequoias and Tundras.  We also did the security for the plant, but were more recognized for the Fire and EMS aspect.

Anyway, as for the shifts, we worked 12 hours shifts.  The twelve hour shift is based on a 28 day calendar and works like this:

4 days on - night shift
4 days off
3 days on - day shift
24 hours off
3 days on - night shift
4 days off
4 days on - day shift
6 days off

That's right. Six days off in a row. Nice huh?

I miss that schedule and would do anything to have it back.

Chimp


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## SafetyPro2 (Jun 2, 2004)

Chimp, interesting schedule...you don't see that much rotation back and forth between days and nights. I worked for an oil company my last job, and the refinery fire brigade folks (the full time ones, that is), did about 3 months at a time on night shift, then rotated back to days for another 3 months, then back again.

BTW, my wife remembers when that plant was built...she was going to UE at the time. Her family's up in Fayette County.


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## huckleberry18 (Aug 7, 2015)

Our station Paramedics work 48-72 hour shifts the Emts work 24-48 hour shifts. Me as a collage student learning Emt-B i go to class for 3 hours and then I go to work at 7 pm till 11:30 pm so I work 4 1/2 hour shifts a day


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## Akulahawk (Aug 7, 2015)

I've been places that have had several different schedules...

One used a Kelly Schedule (1 on, 1 off, 1 on, 2 off, 1 on, 1 off, 1 on, 4 off). Another used a combination of 24's, 12's and 8's to reach 40/week. The weekly schedule for each employee was basically unique to that employee. My recent former employer (non-medical) had us working 40 hours and our schedule was again unique to each employee, but it was fixed, so we knew where we'd be 6 months or longer from now if we were still there. I worked all swing shifts, 5 days in a row. My current job, I work 36 hours/3 days per week. Usually it's 11a-11:30p or 2p-2:30a. Not a bad shift really.


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## teedubbyaw (Aug 7, 2015)

Excellent 10 year bump


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## Bullets (Aug 10, 2015)

huckleberry18 said:


> Our station Paramedics work 48-72 hour shifts the Emts work 24-48 hour shifts. Me as a collage student learning Emt-B i go to class for 3 hours and then I go to work at 7 pm till 11:30 pm so I work 4 1/2 hour shifts a day


Holy necropost batman!

we just do 12s, PD does 8s


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## johnrsemt (Aug 10, 2015)

I work 48 hours straight and 5 days off.  SO every week we get 5 days off,  and if you trade so that you work Sunday Monday first week,  Friday Saturday 2nd week, you get 10 days off with no leave used

Favorite 12 hour shift was:  Thurs- Sat,  off Sunday; Mon-Weds  then off 7 days


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## Docroth8404 (Aug 10, 2015)

Fixed 48. 2 days on 5 days off. With a little overtime mixed in. FirstMed


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## TransportJockey (Aug 10, 2015)

48-72. 24/48 Kelly schedule


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## Handsome Robb (Aug 11, 2015)

4x12s or 3x16s


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## rural medic (Aug 11, 2015)

48 on 48 offers no kellys


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## DesertMedic66 (Aug 11, 2015)

3x12s on week A and 4x12s on week B. Rinse and repeat.


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## Scott33 (Aug 11, 2015)

Same as DM66


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## Tigger (Aug 11, 2015)

24s XOXOXOOOO. I try to work at least 12 hours extra a week at a side job, the goal is 36 hours of extra work every pay period. One of my part time jobs is 24s, the other is mostly 12s.


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## CANMAN (Aug 11, 2015)

24 hour shifts, rotating schedule, 8 days a month at full-time job.

However, with part-time mixed in, I am typically 84 to 108hrs of work each week. I am a money *****, and have an expensive fiance


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## BillThompson (Aug 11, 2015)

Work for two squads; work set 24s on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and Friday.


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## Underoath87 (Aug 11, 2015)

24/48


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## shelvpower (Aug 11, 2015)

South Africa usually : 2 day shifts (7am-7pm) and 2 night shifts (7pm-7am) and then 4 days off


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## avdrummerboy (Aug 15, 2015)

72 hour shift here, three days straight, and I haven't known what a 'weekend' is in many months now lol


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## dalmain (Aug 19, 2015)

Without overtime or taking extra shifts I work 36 hours a week. Three 12 hour shifts a week.


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## EMT11KDL (Aug 20, 2015)

I have worked a few different shifts, I have done the 24/48, 48/96, 48 five days off(Sunday/Monday), set two 24's a week (Wed/Sat Every week).  Now I do 3 12's in a row.  Personally I liked 48 with 5 days off.


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## Jn1232th (Aug 20, 2015)

4 12's a week. But I pick up more when needed.


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## CALEMT (Aug 20, 2015)

I'm part time so I generally work whenever an wherever I want. Typically I'll try to do 48 hours a week (4 12's) but that doesn't always happen. I've also done 7 day stretches (7 12's) with 3 days off then another 7 (this is when its our "busy season"). 

Ive also worked 72 hours on 96 off (3 days on, 4 days off). My all time favorite was when I covered a couple shifts out in the boonies not to long ago. I did 48 on 120 off (2 on, 5 off) that was amazing, it was like a mini vacation every week.


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## YoungMedic (Aug 21, 2015)

FD 48hrs straight
ER 12hr x2
EKG tech 12x1

84Hrs a week for 2 weeks.
72Hrs 1 week
Repeat.


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## rescue1 (Aug 21, 2015)

Twelve hour shifts, 3 one week, 4 the next (with 8 hours of overtime built in). You could also work 4 10's if you wanted the daytime weekday extra truck. 
Overtime is plentiful, I probably only grab an extra shift once or twice a month though. I get paid enough as a basic to live comfortably without working my butt off.


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## ViolynEMT (Aug 23, 2015)

DesertMedic66 said:


> 3x12s on week A and 4x12s on week B. Rinse and repeat.



Same


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## Bullets (Aug 25, 2015)

3x12s at main job, urban city busy rescue craziness

1-2x12s at side gig, suburban college sport standbys drunks no calls in the summer with a few mutual aid rescue calls. its the most fun ive had doing EMS since i was new


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## Corey (Sep 4, 2015)

I have been with my ambulance company for close to three months, and I have worked over 700 hours. I am a full time employee and I have recently started school again. I averaged roughly 60 hours a week, and it honestly was not that bad. All my shifts are 10 hours long, 4 times a week. I have only been off on time a handful of times. I've been held over anywhere from 15 minutes to 4 hours. I'm also in the process of moving onto a 24 hr shift, so it would be 48 hour weeks, maybe grab an extra shift here and there if I get bored of my 24. This is the first time I have worked full time and gone to school part time. Normally, it was work part time and go to school full time, so it will be an interesting few months!


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