Can you sleep OTJ?

[Milla3P]

Just that.

I have always been able to sleep/nap/lounge during down time at work, but recently learned that there is an agency near me that requires their employees to be awake at all times with disciplinary action if found otherwise.

I've always believed that a well rested mind is sharper in stressful situations.
So can you sleep at work? If so what kind of accommodations do you have and what kind of response requirements do you have?

At my FT gig we have a bunk room with twin beds and crappy mattresses and are required to be out the door in 2 minutes. You?

 

[Tigger]

BLS crews are in the truck for the duration of the shift unless you are coming out of a small base, in which case you can post in quarters. Technically no sleeping is allowed for BLS, but that's not really all that enforced. As long as you answer the radio and are not blatantly sleeping in the public eye, it's not an issue.

Evening and overnight BLS are in the truck too, which sucks a lot.

Medics work 24s, are allowed in bed at 10 and in quarters after 4. After 10 they have three minutes to get on the road.

 

[Medic Tim]

Just that.

I have always been able to sleep/nap/lounge during down time at work, but recently learned that there is an agency near me that requires their employees to be awake at all times with disciplinary action if found otherwise.

I've always believed that a well rested mind is sharper in stressful situations.
So can you sleep at work? If so what kind of accommodations do you have and what kind of response requirements do you have?

At my FT gig we have a bunk room with twin beds and crappy mattresses and are required to be out the door in 2 minutes. You?

What are the shifts?
Where I work it is all 8 and 12 hour shifts. It is policy that we not sleep and we have to be enroute to a call within 1 min of page or call out.

That said if it is a slow night and we are in quarters the boots come off and we will nap on a couch or chair.

 

[phideux]

I work 24s, we have a station with a small day room, and a bunk room. As long as our station duties are done, which take less than an hr per shift, we can do as we please between calls.
The usual norm is napping on the couch in front of the tv between calls.

 

[medicdan]

Just that.

I have always been able to sleep/nap/lounge during down time at work, but recently learned that there is an agency near me that requires their employees to be awake at all times with disciplinary action if found otherwise.

I've always believed that a well rested mind is sharper in stressful situations.
So can you sleep at work? If so what kind of accommodations do you have and what kind of response requirements do you have?

At my FT gig we have a bunk room with twin beds and crappy mattresses and are required to be out the door in 2 minutes. You?

WHen I work 24s, in theory, I have a bed to go back to, and am permitted to sleep, but our call volume doesn't allow for much of that. We try to get to bed as early as possible (8, 9, 10, 11P), but often get 3-8 calls overnight, so it's all moot. Our bunkroom is not at quarters anymore, so we need to wake up early for shift change.

Although local laws and policies vary greatly, labor laws generally require crews to have access to a bed, shower, etc for shifts longer than a certain length (10 hours). Also recognize that EMS is often except from these laws.

 

[Milla3P]

What are the shifts?

7-3,3-11,11-7

8s, 16s and occasional 24s. I've had 18 calls on a 16 and one on a 24. So we aggressively nap when we can.

 

[DavidM]

We're allowed to do as we please in quarters. We have individual bunk rooms so each person gets their own bed, TV, and a closed door if they want it. We're not supposed to sleep on the couches in front of the TV but it still happens.

I generally try to get to sleep by midnight but if I'm up in the rotation I wait until the inevitable 1 am call to comes in before I turn the lights out.

 

[JPINFV]

Something to think about. Sleep rules, enforcement of sleep rules, and the practicality of being able to sleep (sure, you can sleep, but you're going to be running back to back calls anyways) are all different questions.

 

[Jon]

911, we've got bunks.

One of my jobs is "sleeping after your chores is OK". other job is "sleeping at NIGHT is OK".

For transport, there's no rule, except that we aren't supposed to sleep on the spare stretchers. I brink a camping mattress and sleep on the floor in the break room. Soda machine white noise for the win!

 

[NYMedic828]

Hard to get caught sleeping when your supervisor is out cold...


Just stay out of the public eye or it ends up on YouTube.

 

[medic417]

We're allowed to do as we please in quarters. We have individual bunk rooms so each person gets their own bed, TV, and a closed door if they want it. We're not supposed to sleep on the couches in front of the TV but it still happens.

I generally try to get to sleep by midnight but if I'm up in the rotation I wait until the inevitable 1 am call to comes in before I turn the lights out.

Really? Where you at?

 

[DesertMedic66]

Anything over a 12 hour shift and we are allowed to sleep.

On 12 hour shifts we are not allowed to sleep.... But it is not an enforced policy as long as the crews wake up when a post move or call comes in. Also we have to hide from the public if we want to sleep (hence the reason a lot of EMS people wear dark sunglasses).

 

[exodus]

we make a cave out of the rig! Sunshade and jackets ftw.

 

[DesertMedic66]

we make a cave out of the rig! Sunshade and jackets ftw.

Exactly. Cover up every window. People don't know if your asleep or watching a movie or dead haha

 

[TRSpeed]

Anything over a 12 hour shift and we are allowed to sleep.

On 12 hour shifts we are not allowed to sleep.... But it is not an enforced policy as long as the crews wake up when a post move or call comes in. Also we have to hide from the public if we want to sleep (hence the reason a lot of EMS people wear dark sunglasses).

Just gotta look for the right spots also refer to post below.

we make a cave out of the rig! Sunshade and jackets ftw.

It must be nice working out in the desert you guys actually have time put put all that up. 20 calls a day for your whole valley we will do in one MoVal shift lol

 

[DesertMedic66]

Maybe a couple of time a month will we only have 20 calls a day. My unit averages 10 calls per day for a 12 hour shift and that's only one unit.

 

[TransportJockey]

We can nap at my IFT job, but still have to be on the road within a minute. At my 911 job we work up to 48 hours shifts, so we can sleep when ever we have down time.

 

[TRSpeed]

Maybe a couple of time a month will we only have 20 calls a day. My unit averages 10 calls per day for a 12 hour shift and that's only one unit.

Send him back to Hawaii man. Lol it will lower your call volume.

 

[NomadicMedic]

On night shift we are allowed to sleep from 2200 to 0630. Most of our stations average 3 to 4 calls per 12 hour shift.

Sleep is a good thing.

 

[Wheel]

It depends on what kind of station you're working out of. Outlying shift, working 24s you can sleep whenever in between calls. City shift, working 12s you can nap in the truck, but you better answer the radio for a call or post change.