"D/FW Airport starts 24-hour firefighter shifts"

Monday, September 23, 2002 

D/FW Airport starts 24-hour firefighter shifts
The Dallas (TX) Business Journal


Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has begun 24-hour shifts for the
airport's 139 firefighters and paramedics, increasing the number of
personnel available at any time by 30 percent. 

The airport said the change in shift scheduling brings it in line with
traditional fire department scheduling of 24 hours at work and 48 hours
off duty. 

D/FW firefighters and paramedics will work an average of 52 hours
weekly. Before the change, they worked 40 hours each week on one of
three eight-hour shifts. 

The change allows for the staffing of a new mobile intensive care unit,
the staffing of an additional fire truck and increases in vehicle
staffing to four firefighters per unit without the need to hire
additional manpower. 

With the existing 139 firefighters and paramedics, coverage will be
comparable to having 180 personnel, D/FW said. 

"In response to these uncertain times, we felt it was necessary to make
the scheduling change as the best way to improve overall airport
coverage while increasing the personal safety of Fire Services Division
personnel," says Alan Black, chief of D/FW Airport Department of Public
Safety Fire Service Division. "When fire trucks are fully staffed with
four fire fighters, that unit is safer than having two or three
firefighters as we did under the former plan." 

The airport said the decision was influenced by The National Fire
Protection Association independent study that determined crews comprised
of at least four firefighters were safer than smaller crews. The NFPA
issued a new industry standard as a result of the findings. 

The D/FW Airport Board invested $6.9 million to remodel and expand the
four existing fire stations to accommodate the new shift schedule. Each
station was expanded to include living areas with sleeping quarters and
full-sized kitchens. A fifth station is under construction and is
scheduled to open in May 2003.


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