Related Articles Columnist demeans firefighters’ work Editor’s note: This column has been updated to clarify the hours worked and hours off, and to correct the percentage of medical calls made by the department.

Several years ago I wrote a column entitled, “Why I want to be a firefighter.” The reasons were obvious – good pay and health and dental benefits, time-and-a-half for overtime, lots of vacation days and holidays — and the perk of sleeping on the job. Retirement pay includes lifetime health insurance for the firefighter and spouse and almost equals the working salary.

Yes, I’d climb ladders or drive hook-and-ladder trucks for this kind of work.

Well, guess what? The job benefits are even better now. Under a pilot program already embedded in the Palo Alto firefighters’ contract, there’s a new staffing schedule – two 24-hour working days and four 24-hour off days. It’s referred to as the 48-96 program. Cushy.

I know a firefighter’s work can be dangerous at times, especially when confronting blazes. But at least 60 percent of the calls the department now gets are for medical reasons – accidents, heart attacks, emergency transportation, etc. The rest are fires and hazardous materials calls. And thanks to smoke detectors, the number of big fires has substantially decreased here and around the country.

I talked to a few firefighters and so far they like this new schedule. It will be great when the Palo Alto City Council finalizes it, they said. One told me that if he works a day or two overtime, this four-days-off plan entitles him to more off time. Another pointed out it would cut his long commute to once a week — drive in for a 48-hour Monday-Tuesday shift, then home for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The plan also allows firefighters to swap days for their convenience.

Many other cities, including San Jose and San Diego, already have adopted similar schedules.

Of course, it’s the International Association of Fire Fighters that is pushing for 48/96 schedules, and cities apparently are going along with the flow. Why? The ditto effect. Firefighters in City X get this plush new schedule, and all of a sudden firefighter locals in other cities want to adopt it. City officials can encounter subtle threats if they don’t play, such as the standard line that all the great firefighters could leave for departments with greater benefits.

I talked at length to Rumi Portillo, Palo Alto’s new chief people officer, formerly known as the human resources director, who provided most of this information. She said some city administrators feel this new schedule will benefit cities more than firefighters because studies show overtime goes down when there are fewer schedule objections. Those studies show it’s good to have the same firefighting crew together for 48 hours, and it certainly reduces the commute time.

I can’t rationalize a 48-96; to me it’s ludicrous. But city councils seem to be blessing it. Spend on-the-job time buying groceries, sleeping in the station most nights, polishing up the fire engines, exercising, playing cards, and getting handsomely paid for all this.

Like I said, I want to be a firefighter.

Email Diana Diamond at DianaLDiamond@gmail.com.