Firefighters across the country have been adopting new work schedules that provide them additional consecutive time off-shift, but often at the cost of additional consecutive days on-shift. The additional time on shift could lead to an increased accumulation of sleep loss. In the short-term, a reduction in total sleep time can increase rates of injury and accidents, and over the long-term chronic insufficient sleep can lead to disease, as well as work-family conflict. The physical, emotional, and cognitive stressors that firefighters face may worsen sleep and affect their ability to manage a healthy work-life balance.

Thus, this study aims to empower firefighters and other emergency service personal to use an evidence-based approach when considering a work design that most benefits the mental and physical health of firefighters, a high-risk occupation and a sector of public servants who carry a high burden of comorbidity.

To achieve this aim, this study includes participatory and research partnership with labor unions, with the primary research aims driven by their questions. In parallel the study has strong support from city bureau leadership (i.e., Portland’s Fire Chief, Safety & EMS Division Chief).

In the last six years the number of fire departments that have switched to a schedule that includes a two-day shift to accommodate three or more consecutive days off-shift has increased from 65 in 2015 to >300 in 2021. However, the efficacy of these schedules with regards to recovery and firefighters’ cardiovascular health have not been established.

More specifically, there are currently no reports or objective measures available regarding the 1/3/2/3 schedule, and thus, it remains unknown how changing to a 1/3/2/3 schedule influences health, well-being or safety compared to a more traditional 24/48 schedule. In March 2022 Portland Fire & Rescue adopted the 1/3/2/3 schedule from the 24/48 giving the study team the unique opportunity to take advantage of a naturally occurring schedule change to holistically examine the effects of a 24/48 vs. 1/3/2/3 schedule on the aforementioned outcomes. The study will also more broadly assess firefighters working a 24/48 or a 1/3/2/3 schedule across the state of Oregon to validate findings obtained with Portland Fire & Rescue.

This work was supported by the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center, a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Total Worker Health Center of Excellence [grant number U19OH010154]. This work was also partly supported by the Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at Oregon Health & Science University via funds from the Division of Consumer and Business Services of the State of Oregon (ORS 656.630).