During these shifts the teams would remain at the station for the duration of their shift, so the station will have to be renovated to allow staff to sleep at the station. Fire Chief Mark Morton says he hopes the program will improve the response time within the City’s service area and improve coordination among the personnel providing coverage. Firefighters working a 24-hour shift will be paid $75, fire engineer -- $90, and captains -- $115. Due to the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the City cannot pay volunteers regular hourly pay for duties also performed on a volunteer basis, but volunteers may be paid expenses, or reasonable benefits, without losing their status as a volunteer.

Department of Labor rules say that volunteers may be paid up to 20% of what the agency would normally pay a full time employee providing the same services. Because the City does not employ a full time firefighter, the Jackson Fire Department used a pay scale used at a fire district in Nevada County, which provides a service in a demographic area similar to that of Jackson’s. In looking at the proposal presented by the Fire Chief, Jackson council members deemed this program an opportunity not to pass up, saying that it may entice more young volunteer firefighters to work with the City. If the City decides to continue this program in the future, it’s estimated that a little over $29,000 would be needed to fund the program on an annual basis. City Manager Mike Daly is also currently working with the officers of the Jackson Volunteer Fire Department to find ways to fund a paid Fire Chief position.