Firefighter Shift Calendar: 24/48, 48/96 and Kelly

Ready-made examples

• 24/48, Platoon A, from Jan 5, 2026

  1. F
  2. O
  3. O

  One 24-hour shift, two days off. Platoon A starts at 07:00 on Monday, January 5, and is back on Thursday, January 8.

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• 48/96, Platoon B

  1. O
  2. O
  3. F
  4. F
  5. O
  6. O

  Two 24-hour shifts back to back, then four days off. Platoon B takes over from A on Wednesday, January 7.

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• Kelly schedule, Platoon C

  1. O
  2. F
  3. O
  4. O
  5. O
  6. O
  7. F
  8. O
  9. F

  On, off, on, off, on, then four off. Platoon C starts its own 9-day cycle on January 11, six days after Platoon A.

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• 48/96 with an 08:00 handover

  1. F
  2. F
  3. O
  4. O
  5. O
  6. O

  The same 48/96 with shifts starting at 08:00 instead of 07:00, so the .ics events and printed calendar show 08:00 to 08:00.

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How to make your firefighter shift calendar

1. Pick the schedule. Choose 24/48, 48/96, Kelly or 24/72 from the pattern menu. Each uses 24-hour shifts marked F on the calendar.
2. Pick your platoon. Choose A, B or C (A to D on the 24/72). Your department may call them shifts or use colors; the order is what matters.
3. Enter your platoon's cycle day 1. With your platoon picked, enter a date your own platoon starts a tour — on 24/48 and 24/72 any shift you work, on 48/96 the first of your two shifts, on Kelly the first shift after your four days off. The other platoons are worked out from it; the hint under the field shows Platoon A's matching date.
4. Set the handover time. Under More options, set the start time your department uses — 07:00 and 08:00 are both common.
5. Print or sync. Print the year for the fridge, save a PDF or PNG, or download an .ics file so every shift is in your phone.

Three platoons, one on duty every day

Fire departments that staff stations around the clock usually split firefighters into three platoons — A, B and C — and work 24-hour shifts. Whatever the rotation, each platoon is on duty one day in three, which works out to about 2,928 hours a year and 56 hours a week on average. The schedules differ only in how the shifts and days off are grouped. The 24/72 is the exception: with four platoons, each works one day in four and averages 42 hours a week.

* Crew A in 2026 with overtime after 40 hours in each Sunday-to-Saturday week. Your employer's rule decides; set your own period and threshold in the hours panel above.

24/48 schedule: one on, two off

The 24/48 is the classic: FOO, one 24-hour shift then two days off, on a 3-day cycle. Platoon A works January 5, B takes over on January 6 and C on January 7. Because a week has 7 days, you work two shifts in most weeks and three in some — in every 3 calendar weeks there are 2 weeks of 48 hours and 1 of 72. Each platoon works 121–122 shifts in 2026 and gets 17–18 full weekends off.

48/96 schedule: two on, four off

The 48/96 joins two shifts into one 48-hour tour followed by four days off: FFOOOO, a 6-day cycle. Hours are identical to the 24/48, but you drive to the station half as often, and the four-day breaks give each platoon 25–27 full weekends off in 2026 instead of 17–18. In every 6 calendar weeks there are 2 weeks of 72 hours and 4 of 48. The cost is the second 24 hours of each tour, which can be hard after a busy first night.

Kelly schedule: on, off, on, off, on, four off

The Kelly schedule spreads three shifts over five days and then gives four days off: FOFOFOOOO, a 9-day cycle. No tour is longer than 24 hours, yet every platoon still gets a four-day break every nine days. It is the hardest of the three to keep in your head, which is exactly why a printed calendar helps. In every 9 calendar weeks there are 3 weeks of 72 hours and 6 of 48. The Kelly schedule page covers the cycle and the two meanings of "Kelly day" in detail.

Hours and overtime: the 7(k) work period

A firefighter averaging 56 hours a week works far more than 40, so how overtime is counted matters. Under US federal law, departments can adopt a 7(k) work period of 7 to 28 days instead of the 40-hour workweek; 29 CFR 553.230 sets the maximum for fire protection employees at 212 hours in a 28-day period, and proportionally fewer for shorter periods. As an example, Platoon A on a 24/48 works 2,928 hours in 2026: with overtime after 40 hours in each week that is 824 overtime hours, on a 14-day period with a 106-hour threshold it is 238, and on a 28-day period with a 212-hour threshold it is 144. Periods here start on Sunday, December 28, 2025; your department's own period start moves the figure. Your department's rules and your contract decide — this is not legal advice.

Set the same period, threshold and overtime rate in the hours panel of the generator, add your hourly rate, and it estimates your pay for the year; the estimate is worked out in your browser.

Pros and cons of each schedule

Which schedule fits your department?

Departments with long commutes often move to the 48/96 to cut travel; departments worried about fatigue on the second day of a tour stay on the 24/48 or try the Kelly. If you are comparing a proposed change, load each schedule in the generator with the same platoon and start date and look at the weekends-off and overtime figures side by side. For 12-hour rotations used by EMS or dispatch, see the 12-hour shift schedule guide, the DuPont, the 2-2-3 with its Panama variant, the Pitman, 4 on 4 off and the 8-hour Continental shift pattern.

Put your shifts on your phone

Download the .ics file to add every tour of the year to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook — each 24-hour shift becomes one event from your handover time to the same time next day. The Pro sync link updates by itself and can show all three platoons in one calendar, which is handy for officers and for families with two firefighters.

Who uses this calendar

Frequently asked questions

More shift pattern calendars

• Shift calendar generator

  Every preset and your own custom cycle in one generator.

• DuPont schedule calendar

  28-day 12-hour rotation for four crews, with a 7-day break.

• 2-2-3 schedule calendar

  2 on, 2 off, 3 on over 14 days; every other weekend off.

• Pitman (2-3-2) schedule calendar

  2 on, 3 off, 2 on, 2 off, 3 on, 2 off: a 14-day loop common in policing.

• 4 on 4 off shift pattern calendar

  An 8-day cycle whose days drift through the week.

Guides

• Panama schedule

  How the Panama name relates to the 2-2-3 and Pitman.

• Continental shift pattern

  8-hour earlies, lates and nights over 28 days.

• Kelly schedule

  The 9-day Kelly cycle and what a Kelly day means.

• 12-hour shift schedule guide

  Every rotating 12-hour pattern compared side by side.