Shift patterns

Kelly schedule

Also called the Kelly shift

The Kelly schedule is a 24 hour shift pattern used by fire departments. Three platoons, usually called A, B and C shift, each work 24 hours on, 24 off, 24 on, 24 off, 24 on, then have 4 days off. The cycle is 9 days, one platoon is on every day, and each works 72 hours every 9 days, 56 hours a week on average.

One cycle

• Day 1: on, day 2: off, day 3: on, day 4: off, day 5: on
• Days 6 to 9: off
• B shift starts 3 days after A, C shift 6 days after A

Platoons

3

Shift length

24 hours

Cycle

9 days

Hours a week

56 on average

Longest stretch

3 shifts in 5 days

Time off

4 days in a row, every 9 days

Make it your team's

1. Rename the crews to your people, in the list on the left (the menu button at the top left on a phone). Or open a shift and add more people to a crew.
2. Change a shift's hours or first day: every shift of that series moves with it.
3. Click Share and send the link, or print a month per page. It saves in your browser as soon as you change something, no sign up.

Questions

What is the difference between a Kelly schedule and 24/48?

On 24/48 each platoon works 24 hours and has 48 off, a 3 day cycle. The Kelly schedule groups three shifts closer together to give 4 days off in a row.

How many hours a week is the Kelly schedule?

56 on average: 72 hours every 9 days.

Other shift patterns

• 2-2-3 schedule
• Pitman schedule
• DuPont schedule
• 4 on 4 off schedule
• 9/80 schedule
• 3 shift system
• 2 shift system
• 4 crew 8 hour schedule