Thunder Bay firefighters try out 24-hour shifts

Thunder Bay firefighters will be switching to 24-hour shifts starting in the new year.

Coming out of a proposal from the Thunder Bay Professional Fire Fighters Association (TBPFFA), the new schedules will see firefighters work a 24-hour shift, have a day off, work another 24-hour shift, and then have five days off.

"They'll work the same number of hours per year," Thunder Bay Fire Chief John Hay said. "Their time at work will be compressed, and their time off will be slightly expanded."

"Hopefully there's no change to how we operate and the service we're able to provide, and we're going to measure those shifts with performance indicators to help us make sure that that's going to be the result."

The new schedules were proposed by the TBPFFA during recent collective bargaining talks.

"The shift trial was awarded by an arbitrator," Hay said. "We were asked to get it done by January 1, and with the cooperation of the association, we were able to do that."

The change will affect the local fire department's 192 fire suppression staff.