Norfolk Fire-Rescue is adding a fourth shift to reduce mandatory overtime and improve firefighter health and safety — a move department leaders say will also make Norfolk safer for residents.
The city budget that began July 1 includes $1.8 million to create the fourth shift, which would reduce the average firefighter work week from 52 hours to 42 hours without a pay cut. The change follows a Virginia state law passed earlier this year pushing for fewer firefighter work hours.
Brett Russell, a Norfolk Fire-Rescue paramedic, spent 20 years as a firefighter before joining the EMS division. He says sometimes he barely had a day of rest in between shifts…