Alexandria Fire Department Chief Felipe Hernandez Jr. has expressed approval for an agreement between the city and the department’s union to reduce AFD’s workweek from 49 to 46 hours.
Hernandez says he’s on a mission to eventually reduce the workweek for his first responders to a 42-hour industry standard. Already this year, AFD has shifted from a 56-hour workweek to 49 hours, a move that was lauded by the International Association of Firefighters Local 2141, the union representing the Fire Department.
City Council will review the tentative agreement in a public hearing tonight (Tuesday).
Hernandez said reducing the number of hours his staff work has been the largest initiative he’s tackled since starting work during summer 2024. AFD ended up replacing a 56-hour model with a “debit day” system, with first responders working 42 hours per week and then working an extra day every 24 days, averaging 49 weekly hours.
“The beauty of the schedule is that it allows them more opportunities to be off between shifts,” Hernandez said. “That’s the game changer, because that’s what’s allowing them the opportunity to recuperate and rest for the next time to come back to work.”
When formally adopted, the new agreement will be in effect from July 1 through June 30, 2029. The document provides a 1% annual pay scale adjustment for Fiscal Years 2027 and 2028, and increases the annual longevity bonus for employees at the top of their pay scale from $500 to $750.
The agreement also includes a deferred retirement option plan to allow employees with 25 years of service to retire within three years to calculate their benefits under the department’s pension plan.
Hernandez didn’t discuss specifics on his budget request to City Manager Jim Parajon, except to say that he didn’t ask for a reduction in staffing. Parajon, in November, asked department heads to present budgets with 1% in cuts.
“I will comfortably say we did not put in any type of reduction in staff,” Hernandez said. “I asked for what’s needed… We met the intent of the exercise, and then at the end of the day, it’s up to the City Manager to decide which path he moves forward.”
In the meantime, a number of aging fire stations in the city are in disrepair and years away from renovations. Station 205 (1201 Cameron Street) in Old Town, for instance, is slated to be replaced for $24 million in 2031, according to the City’s 10-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The city found that the station needed to be replaced in 2017.
“That stuff takes time, unfortunately,” Hernandez said. “It’s very expensive.”
The city is also looking at building a fire station in the former Landmark Mall property, with $19.4 million approved for FY 2028 in the 2026-2035 CIP. There are only three fire stations in the city west of Quaker Lane in the city, and the Landmark station would fill a coverage gap.
“We are looking at Landmark to possibly put a station there,” Hernandez said. “But we’ve got to see how this budget year comes out, to see if that changes. Obviously, I know it’s very important to firefighters. Obviously, we have to keep improving those conditions.”
Despite facing uncertain future budgets, Hernandez said that staff are happier to get more downtime with their reduced schedules.
“In their old schedule, they would work 24 hours on, 24 off, 24 on, 24 off, 24 on,” he said. “For example, the DCA crash — the anniversary of which is coming up in a couple of weeks — those individuals who responded, I believe it was around nine o’clock, most of them were there till seven o’clock in the morning and only had 24 hours off, and had to come back to work again.
How do you compensate? How do you go through the emotions of what you just experienced in 24 hours? You can’t rest. I can’t imagine going home, going to sleep. Your mind’s working, your mind’s thinking. I mean, you’re processing that major event.”
Hernandez said he plans to continue as chief for a long time and wants to get employee hours down to 42 per week.
“I have to work under the parameters of budgets and what’s happening,” he said. “But yes, that is my goal.”
City Council meets at 6 p.m. tonight for its first relocated meeting of the new year, in the Del Pepper Community Resource Center at 4850 Mark Center Drive.
