Firefighter Overtime Calculator: The 212-Hour Work Period (2026)

Your Threshold Is Not 40

Fire protection personnel employed by a public agency may be paid overtime under FLSA Section 7(k): after 212 hours in a 28-day work period (or a prorated amount for shorter periods — a 7-day period triggers overtime after 53 hours). If your department has not adopted a 7(k) period, the regular 40-hour week applies. The police and fire overtime calculator handles both.

| Line | Amount |

| --- | --- |

| 248 hours worked in the 28-day period | 248 |

| Regular hours (threshold 212) | 212 |

| Overtime hours | 36 |

| Base rate $28.00 × 248 | $6,944.00 |

| Overtime premium (36 × $14.00) | $504.00 |

| Gross pay | $7,448.00 |

The department already paid straight time on all 248 hours, so the premium is half the base rate on 36 hours — not 1.5× on everything.

Sleep, Meals and Training Count Differently

Under 7(k), sleep time (up to 8 hours per shift), meal time and certain other scheduled periods may be excluded — but only when the schedule and agreement allow it. Sleep interrupted repeatedly for emergency calls may have to be counted in full. Training required by the department, drills and station duties are hours worked; a voluntary off-duty class generally is not.

What Belongs in the Regular Rate

Longevity pay, EMT or paramedic incentives, specialty pay and holiday premium all belong in the regular rate that drives the overtime premium. A stub that computes overtime on base rate alone underpays every period you work extras. The same blending rule is covered in the regular rate guide.

Comp Time Is Not Automatic Cash

Public agencies may offer compensatory time instead of overtime pay — 1.5 hours per overtime hour — but only under a prior agreement, and it caps at 480 hours for public-safety employees. You must be able to use it within a reasonable period. See comp time rules.

Check a Full Period, Not One Shift

Shift-based pay hides period-level errors. Pull the whole 28-day period, count every hour including holds and call-backs, and run it through the police and fire overtime calculator. Background: overtime rules for firefighters and police.