Free shift pattern calendars and schedules

Firefighter Shift Schedule

Pick a start date to see which platoon is on duty each day in a 24/48, 24/72 or 48/96 pattern.

This free Firefighter Shift Schedule tool builds a day-by-day calendar for three widely used 24-hour and 48-hour shift rotations, showing which platoon is on duty each day. It also works out average hours per week, duty days per cycle, and the longest run on and off for each rotation. Everything runs in your browser, and there is no account or sign-up. The tool only does schedule arithmetic, so it shows the timing pattern, not what your department or any agreement allows. Pick a rotation and a start date, and the calendar and summary show the result. It shows all three platoons side by side for the months you choose.
Firefighter shift schedule example

How to use the Firefighter Shift Schedule

  1. Choose a rotation: 24 hours on / 48 off, 24 hours on / 72 off, or 48 hours on / 96 off.
  2. Enter the start date. The default is 5 October 2026, which is a Monday.
  3. If the calendar should begin part-way through the cycle, open the ‘cycle day of the start date’ select and pick that day. For example, day 2 of the 24/48 rotation puts platoon B on duty on the start date.
  4. Check the shift start time. The default is 08:00, and each duty day runs 24 hours to 08:00 the next morning. Change the time if your shift starts at a different hour.
  5. Set the number of months to show, from 1 to 12.
  6. Highlight one platoon to follow its duty days on the calendar.
  7. Read the comparison table, which lists platoons, cycle length, duty days, average hours per week, and longest run on for all three rotations.
  8. To put one platoon’s shifts in a calendar app, download that platoon’s .ics file. With the default 24/48 settings and 2 months from 5 October 2026, each platoon gets 19 events.

Use ‘Copy link’ to save your settings. It copies the page address, which holds every input in the ?s= part of the URL, so the same schedule reopens later. To print, use your browser’s print dialog, and choose ‘Save as PDF’ to keep a file.

Each rotation repeats a fixed cycle of duty (D) and off (O) days. Every platoon follows the same sequence, but each one starts a set number of days after the platoon before it. Exactly one platoon is on duty on each day, so the platoons together cover 24 hours a day, every day. The tool checks this coverage for every cycle.

The 24/48 rotation has three platoons and a three-day cycle. Platoon A works D O O, B works O D O, and C works O O D, so each platoon is one day behind the one before. The 24/72 rotation has four platoons and a four-day cycle, with each platoon starting one day after the previous one. The 48/96 rotation has three platoons and a six-day cycle with two consecutive 24-hour shifts. Platoon A works D D O O O O, B works O O D D O O, and C works O O O O D D.

Average hours per week come from the cycle. Multiply the hours in one shift by 7, then divide by the number of platoons. For 24/48 that is 24 x 7 / 3 = 56 hours. For 24/72 it is 24 x 7 / 4 = 42 hours, and for 48/96 it is 48 x 7 / 6 = 56 hours. The average hides the variation within a week, so the most any platoon can work in 7 consecutive days is 72 hours for 24/48, 48 hours for 24/72, and 72 hours for 48/96.

Duty days per cycle are 1 of 3 for 24/48, 1 of 4 for 24/72, and 2 of 6 for 48/96. The longest run on is 1, 1, and 2 days, and the longest run off is 2, 3, and 4 days.

Worked examples

InputResult
24 hours on, 48 off (3 platoons), start 2026-10-05, All crews56 h per week on average, 1 of 3 duty days per cycle
24 hours on, 72 off (4 platoons), start 2026-11-02, Platoon C42 h per week on average, 1 of 4 duty days per cycle
48 hours on, 96 off (3 platoons), start 2026-10-05, Platoon B56 h per week on average, 2 of 6 duty days per cycle

Calculated by the tool above; open it with the same values to see each step.

Frequently asked questions

Does the tool say which rotation my fire department uses?

No. It uses one widely used version of each of three 24-hour-shift rotations and does not claim that any particular fire department or service uses a given one. Check your own roster or agreement to confirm your pattern.

Can the calendar start part-way through a rotation?

Yes. The ‘cycle day of the start date’ select lets the calendar begin at any point in the cycle. Day 2 of the 24/48 rotation, for example, puts platoon B on duty on the start date.

Which rotation has the longest run off duty?

The 48 hours on / 96 off rotation has the longest run off, at four days. The 24/48 rotation’s longest run off is two days, and the 24/72 rotation’s is three days.

Does the tool check working-time limits or rest rules?

No. The page only does schedule arithmetic. It says nothing about working-time limits, rest, pay, or what any agreement requires.

Is 56 hours a week the most a platoon works?

No. 56 hours is an average. In the 24/48 rotation, the most any platoon can work in 7 consecutive days is 72 hours.

What does each .ics file contain?

Each .ics file holds the duty shifts for one platoon only. Every shift is a 24-hour event that ends the next morning, so with the default 24/48 settings and 2 months from 5 October 2026, each platoon gets 19 events.

Is this tool free, and is anything I type uploaded?

Yes, it is free and needs no account or sign-up. Everything is calculated in your browser, and nothing you type is uploaded.

Can I print it or share it?

Yes. Print / save as PDF prints the page as you see it; choose Save as PDF in the print dialog to keep a file. Copy link copies a page address that stores your inputs, so the same schedule can be reopened later or sent to someone else.