Local News
Lubbock passes trailblazing firefighter agreement
Lubbock City Council unanimously ratified a meet-and-confer agreement with the Lubbock Professional Firefighters Association on Tuesday, clearing the way for the city's firefighters to move to a 24-hours-on, 72-hours-off work schedule. Right now, Lubbock Fire and Rescue crews work under a schedule that gives them less recovery time between shifts.
Right now, Lubbock Fire and Rescue crews work under a schedule that gives them less recovery time between shifts. The new agreement adds an extra day of rest between each rotation, a change the firefighters association had been pushing for.
For the people those firefighters serve, this matters more than it might sound. Rested crews respond better. Whether a call comes in near the South Plains Mall or out toward the edges of the city, the quality of that response is directly tied to how worn down the person answering it is. Fatigue in emergency work is not abstract, and departments across the country have been moving toward longer rest cycles for exactly that reason.
Lubbock now joins a growing number of Texas cities that have adopted the 24/72 model, which has become something of a standard ask in firefighter labor negotiations statewide.
Common questions
What is the new firefighter schedule Lubbock just approved?
- Lubbock firefighters will now work 24 hours on and 72 hours off, adding an extra day of rest between each rotation. Previously, crews had less recovery time between shifts. The Lubbock Professional Firefighters Association had been pushing for this change.
Why does the new firefighter schedule matter to Lubbock residents?
- Fatigued firefighters respond less effectively to emergencies. With more rest between shifts, Lubbock Fire and Rescue crews are better prepared when a call comes in, whether near the South Plains Mall or anywhere else across the city.
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