BILLINGS - Working an 8-hour day is tough enough but what about 24 hours straight? That's the reality for members of the Billings Fire Department.

From 7 a.m. until 7 a.m. the next morning, that's the schedule for Billings firefighters and while the hours sound long, firefighters say it's one of the best ways to cover the city at all times. "Going out on emergency calls with somebody having the worst day of their life and we've to go to be there to take care of whatever it is," said Billings Firefighter Chris Voller.

Sometimes those calls don't come when firefighters would like them to. They say it's pretty routine to receive a call at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. "You're fast asleep as soon as the tones go off you get a big adrenaline rush, it helps you wake up. You get out to the engine, you start going, your mind’s trying to catch up and you've got to start processing what’s going on, what you're planning on seeing, what you're planning on finding, and what you're planning on doing with it," said Voller.

Billings Fire officials say crews are scheduled 24 hours on, 48 hours off. They work 7 shifts and have an 8 day break.