Jefferson City Fire Department firefighters will start new hours beginning in January. JCFD Fire Chief Matthew Schofield presented a few small changes to the new shift schedule to the Jefferson City Council on Monday. The goal of the new shift strategy is to balance the department's pay cycle policy with the Fair Labor Standards Act. Schofield said transitioning from a 27 day to a 24-day work cycle and keeping the current sleep exclusion hours will help keep schedules cost neutral. "To keep in a ratio that's consistent with what we do now," he said. "This is important so that there isn't additional hours of overtime achieved with the same number of hours worked." Firefighters will work 48.5 hours followed by 96 hours off with the new schedule. Currently, Jefferson City firefighters work a five-day stretch alternating 24 hours on and off, which is then followed by a four-day break.