Anne Arundel Fire 911 Operators Fight Sleep Issues With New Shift

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD —In the hopes of helping fight fatigue, Anne Arundel County fire 911 operators now will be on call for 24 hours, a move that pulls them away from 10- and 14-hour shifts.

Anne Arundel County Fire Chief Trisha Wolford told the Capital Gazette that the operators themselves asked for the shift change. They had been working two 10-hour day shifts followed by two 14-hour night shifts, with 24 hours off between the day and night shifts. It had become difficult for them to rebound from a night shift to return to a day shift. The operators field approximately 400,000 calls every year, an average of 1,095 calls each day.

“The operators said (they) want to come off of 10s and 14s. They said they can’t get a sleep pattern and are exhausted,” said Wolford.

The new schedule will require overtime shifts however, at an additional expense to the county. Each four-day rotation will require seven overtime shifts to meet the minimum staffing. There also will be a one-hour break during the day and five hours at night during the 24-hour shift. Bunk rooms with two beds in each will allow operators to take a nap if needed.

“Our operators really are the first of the first responders. They really are the unsung heroes of public safety,” Wolford said. “They are doing so much the public does not realize.”