MILTON, Ga. — In a move aimed at boosting firefighter well-being and recruitment, the City of Milton Fire Department will adopt a new 1323 shift schedule starting this October, becoming one of only a few departments nationwide to do so.
The city stated on social media that the new schedule has firefighters work one 24-hour shift followed by three days off, then work two consecutive 24-hour shifts followed by another three days off. This contrasts with the traditional 24-on, 48-off schedule used by most fire departments.
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According to Milton officials, the change offers numerous benefits, including:
- More time off for rest, family, school, or second jobs
- Improved physical and mental health
- Greater likelihood of having full weekends and holidays off
- Better continuity and communication across shifts
- Reduced commuting with 39 fewer trips to the station annually
Firefighters on the new schedule would have 11 full weekends off per year without using vacation time, a significant improvement over the previous model.
The schedule, first implemented by Portland Fire & Rescue in 2022, has gained traction among progressive fire departments. Milton will be the first in North Fulton and one of only a few in Georgia to adopt it.
City leaders say the change will make the department more attractive to potential recruits while helping retain current staff.
“Milton Fire-Rescue is a department that values our firefighters’ health, their work-life balance, and putting them in the best possible position to thrive on and off the job,” Deputy Fire Chief Richard Bushman said. “This new innovative scheduling approach helps in all those respects, while also serving the best interests of our department and the City as a whole.”
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