The chief of the fire department of each municipal corporation, township, or fire district employing three or more full-time paid firemen, unless exempt under this section, shall divide the uniform force into not less than two platoons, and where the uniform force is so divided into two platoons the said chief shall keep a platoon of the uniform force on duty twenty-four consecutive hours, after which the platoon serving twenty-four hours shall be allowed to remain off duty for at least twenty-four consecutive hours, except in cases of extraordinary emergency. Each individual member of the platoons in addition to receiving a minimum of twenty-four hours off duty in each period of forty-eight hours shall receive an additional period of twenty-four consecutive hours off duty in each period of eight days so that no individual member shall be on duty more than a total of seventy-two hours in any period of eight days. The chief shall arrange the schedule of working hours to comply with this section. The chief may, however, in cases of sickness, death, or on other necessary occasions, permit the exchange of working hours between members of the department. In each municipal corporation, township, and fire district all employees of the fire department shall be given not less than two weeks' leave of absence annually, with full pay. This section insofar as it relates to off duty periods does not apply to any municipal corporation, township, or fire district that adopts a forty-hour week or to any municipal corporation, township, or fire district which has a three platoon system the members of which work twenty-four consecutive hours immediately followed by forty-eight consecutive hours off duty, but the provisions relating to the two weeks' leave of absence do apply.

"Full-time paid firemen" as used in this section does not include volunteer firemen, or firemen who work part-time.

Effective Date: 11-19-1969 .