VIDEO: Starting in July, the Jeffersontown Fire Department will switch its firefighters and EMS to a new schedule. They will go from working 24 hours on and 48 hours off to 24 hours on and 72 hours off. It’s a switch Chief Mark Ohlmann says is going to be a game-changer. “This was one of those that, I think that is going to be, a big, big deal to be able to be off that extra day,” said Ohlmann. The move aims to combat high rates of burnout, divorce, PTSD, and other mental health challenges that firefighters and EMS often face. Because of this, Ohlmann says sometimes 48 hours off isn’t enough. “It takes you a minute to adjust to being home because you were in this mindset,” he said. “It’s a weird situation, especially depending on what kind of trauma you saw.” While other departments in the state offer this schedule for EMS workers, Jeffersontown Fire says it’ll be the first department in the state to offer this schedule for all shift employees, including firefighters.
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