Matthew Harrison and Brian O'Connell are members of the Gainesville Fire Rescue in Florida which will be transitioning to the 24/72 schedule in August. Matt is a SWAT Medic and Brian in the Vice President of the FIrefighter's Union.
We discuss their journeys into the fire service, the mental and physical imact of shift work, sleep deprivation, the recruitment crisis, the money saved by this transition, how they overcame resistance at each level and so much more.
Matthew Harrison was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida. He has called North Central
Florida his home for his entire life, where he has worked for Gainesville Fire Rescue for the
better part of 17 years.
He is currently a Driver/Operator and Paramedic and spent 6+ years as a SWAT Medic.
Matt has his Bachelor’s degree in First Responder Management from Santa Fe College.
Matt participated in the Blue Sky Project, with the end-goal of "Building a Resilient Firefighter Community."
Matt and his wife Kat were co-founders of The Grit Foundation, a non-profit whose purpose is
to raise money in support of the local Fire, EMS, and law enforcement departments in North
Central Florida.
Brian O'connell was born in Ft Myers, Florida. He began his Fire/EMS career in Columbia county around 14 years ago.
He is currently a Driver/Operator and Paramedic with Gainesville Fire Rescue (GFR), and has been with them for the past 9 years.
Brian graduated with a BS degree in Emergency Management from FSU and has since earned a Master's degree in Exercise Science from Liberty University.
He will be promoted to Lieutenant this year when GFR switches over to the 24/72 shift model. Brian is the 2nd VP on the local 2157 union board and played an active role in the negotiations between the union and the city government.
Matt’s Instagram: Click Here
Brian’s Instagram: Click Here
Interview Transcript: Click Here