The grids below are printed in the page itself, with no download and no app needed, and they work for any year: line up one date you know your platoon works and the rest of the calendar follows. If you want every date written out for next year, use the 2027 firefighter shift calendar instead.
What is a fire shift calendar?
A fire shift calendar, also called a firefighter shift calendar or a fire department shift calendar, is a color-coded calendar that marks which platoon is working each day. A 24-hour rotation needs three platoons to cover every day, US departments commonly name them A, B and C, and the calendar is how you, your family and your station know who is on.
The calendar follows the rotation. The two you will see most are the 24/48 (one 24-hour tour, then 48 hours off) and the 48/96 (two 24-hour tours back to back, then 96 hours off). Both use three platoons and both average 56 hours a week before any Kelly days.
24/48 firefighter shift calendar: the 3-week grid
On a 24/48, A works, then B, then C, then A again. Seven days a week divided by a 3-day cycle means the platoons drift through the weekdays and only line up again after 21 days. So three weeks are the whole calendar:
| Week | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | B | C | A | B | C | A |
| 2 | B | C | A | B | C | A | B |
| 3 | C | A | B | C | A | B | C |
To read it, find a date you know your platoon works and match it to the same weekday in the grid where your letter appears. Every week after that follows the next row, and after week 3 you go back to week 1. The same grid works for any month of any year.
48/96 fire department shift calendar: the 6-week grid
On a 48/96 schedule, each platoon works two consecutive 24-hour tours. The cycle is 6 days long, so it lines up with the weekdays every 42 days, which is six weeks:
| Week | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A | A | B | B | C | C | A |
| 2 | A | B | B | C | C | A | A |
| 3 | B | B | C | C | A | A | B |
| 4 | B | C | C | A | A | B | B |
| 5 | C | C | A | A | B | B | C |
| 6 | C | A | A | B | B | C | C |
In this grid, the first A on Sunday of week 1 is the first day of A's 48. If your department's 48 starts on a different weekday, slide your starting row until the pair lines up with your first tour.
How to find which platoon works on any date
You do not need the grid if you know one date your platoon worked. Count the days between that date and the date you want.
On a 24/48, divide the number of days by 3 and keep the remainder:
| Remainder | Platoon on duty (if A worked the known date) |
|---|---|
| 0 | A |
| 1 | B |
| 2 | C |
For example, if A works today, then 10 days from now gives 10 ÷ 3 = 3 remainder 1, so B is on.
On a 48/96, divide by 6 instead, counting from the first day of A's 48: a remainder of 0 or 1 is A, 2 or 3 is B, and 4 or 5 is C.
A, B and C shift: what the letters mean
A, B and C are platoon names, not ranks or start times. Every platoon works the same hours on the same rotation, just offset by one tour (24/48) or one 48 (48/96). Departments name platoons their own way, so if your station uses colors or numbers, swap them in for the letters in the grids above.
When someone says "I'm on B shift," it means they work every day the calendar shows B. On a 24/48 that is every third day, and on a 48/96 it is two days on, four days off.
How many days a year each platoon works
A 365-day year is 121 cycles of 3 days plus 2 extra days. On a 24/48 that gives two platoons 122 tours and one platoon 121, depending on which platoon starts the year. A leap year has 366 days, exactly 122 cycles, so every platoon works 122.
| Rotation | Tours per platoon, 365-day year | Tours per platoon, leap year | Hours per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24/48 | 121 or 122 | 122 | 2,904 or 2,928 |
| 48/96 (24-hour duty days) | 121 or 122 | 122 | 2,904 or 2,928 |
Those figures are before Kelly days, vacation or trades.
Hours on a fire shift calendar and the FLSA limit
Both the 24/48 and the 48/96 average 56 hours a week, or 224 hours in an average 28-day stretch. The federal overtime limit for fire protection under 29 CFR 553.230 is 212 hours in a 28-day work period. The U.S. Department of Labor explains that this Section 7(k) exemption lets a public agency use a work period of 7 to 28 days and owe overtime only after the proportional limit.
That 12-hour gap is why some fire shift calendars carry a fourth mark: the Kelly day.
Where Kelly days fit on the calendar
A Kelly day is an extra scheduled day off that replaces one of your tours on a fixed interval, so your average hours come down. On the grid, your platoon letter still appears on that date; you personally are off.
There is no single interval. Polk County, Florida announced a Kelly Day every seventh shift on a 21-day cycle under its 2025 to 2028 firefighter agreement. On a 24/48, that takes one platoon from 168 hours to 144 hours per 21 days. For the full rotation with Kelly days and a year of dates, see the 24/48 schedule with Kelly days.
Dated calendars for 2027
The grids on this page never expire. When you want each date spelled out for one year, these pages list them:
- Firefighter shift calendar 2027: 24/48, 48/96 and Kelly platoons in one place.
- 24/48 shift calendar 2027: printable A, B and C dates.
- 48/96 shift calendar 2027: A, B and C pairs for the year.
- Shift calendar maker: build and print a calendar for any rotation.
Put your platoon's calendar on your phone
A grid on a web page is fine for a quick check. A phone calendar is better for the tour you are about to work.
- Add a 24-hour shift type and an Off type in BoardSpy.
- On the rotation screen, tap 24/48 or 48/96 under Presets.
- Set the start date to a day your platoon works.
- If your department uses Kelly days, type the interval in the Kelly day every ___ shifts field (2 to 30; 0 leaves it off). Only working shifts are counted.
The app fills the next 120 days. With your station saved, each tour gets a leave-by alarm that rings at your shift start minus the live-traffic drive time plus a 5-minute buffer; your chosen lead time is only a fallback when there is no drive time. During the 7-day trial you get 1 calendar alarm a day, alarms pause on the free plan after the trial while the calendar stays, and Basic and above get unlimited alarms. The free plan includes one shared calendar for 2 people, you included, so your partner can see which days you are at the station. A third person needs Pro.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fire shift calendar?
A fire shift calendar is a color-coded calendar that marks which platoon, usually A, B or C, is on duty each day. It follows the department's rotation, most often a 24/48 or a 48/96, and it repeats, so one known tour date tells you every other date.
How does a 24/48 firefighter shift calendar work?
Each platoon works one 24-hour tour and then has 48 hours off, so A, B and C take turns one day each. The pattern repeats every 3 days and lines up with the same weekdays every 21 days, which makes a 3-week grid the whole calendar.
What do A, B and C shift mean in a fire department?
They are the names of the three platoons that share a 24-hour rotation. Each platoon works the same hours on the same pattern, offset by one tour. Being on B shift means you work every day the calendar marks B.
How do I know which platoon is working today?
Count the days since a date you know A worked. On a 24/48, divide by 3: a remainder of 0 is A, 1 is B and 2 is C. On a 48/96, divide by 6 from the first day of A's 48: 0 or 1 is A, 2 or 3 is B, 4 or 5 is C.
How many days a year does a firefighter work on a 24/48?
Before Kelly days, vacation or trades, each platoon works 121 or 122 tours in a 365-day year and 122 in a leap year. At 24 hours each, that is 2,904 or 2,928 hours.
Can I get a fire department shift calendar on my phone?
Yes. In BoardSpy, tap the 24/48 or 48/96 preset, set one date your platoon works, and add your Kelly interval if you have one. The app fills the next 120 days and adds a leave-by alarm timed to live traffic before each tour.