During any 24-hour period, how many hours may deputies work in total, including off-duty and regularly scheduled duty, unless specifically approved?

• A. 15 hours
• B. 21 hours
• C. 17 hours (18 for detention deputies)
• D. 25 hours

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is fatigue management: within any 24-hour window, there’s a limit on how many hours a deputy can be on the job when you combine regular duty, off-duty work, and on-call time. This cap helps ensure deputies aren’t so fatigued that their judgment and reaction times suffer.

The standard limit is 17 hours in a 24-hour period. So, unless there’s a specific approval, the total of all work hours in that day should not exceed 17. For detention deputies, the limit can be 18 hours, but only with explicit authorization.

This policy aims to balance responding to duties with the need for rest and safety.