Working as a Raleigh Firefighter

Schedules and Shifts

Raleigh Firefighters are on duty for 24-hour shifts beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 8 a.m. the following day. Firefighters assigned to a piece of apparatus are called a Company.

• Rotating schedule of "on-off-on-off-on-off-off-off-off".
• There are three platoons of personnel, named “A”, “B”, and “C”.
• Firefighters eat and sleep at their assigned stations (firefighters do not receive supplemental pay for their meals).

In addition to responding to emergency calls, line personnel has a set schedule. The typical 24-hour day starts with an exchange of information from the previous day followed by a morning check off of fire apparatus and personal protective gear.

Daily Tasks and Responsibilities

Other daily tasks and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• cleaning the fire station and equipment, completing any station projects,
• territory pre-incident surveys, hydrant maintenance,
• fire prevention, and public relation activities,
• company training and physical fitness (Firefighters are required to complete an annual physical fitness evaluation).

Slideshow: Snapshots from a Firefighter's Day