In a small suburban town, firefighters work 8-hour shifts. Assume there are six shifts each day that are divided into six 4-hour
periods. The minimum number of firefighters needed on each shift is illustrated below.
Shift Number of Firefighters Needed
Midnight-4 a. m. 5
4 a. m.-8 a. m. 6
8 a. m.-Noon 10
Noon-4 p. m. 12
4 p. m.-8 p. m. 8
8 p. m.-Midnight 5
Firefighters must report to work at the beginning of the above time periods and must work eight consecutive hours. Use Excel to:
a) Formulate, and
b) Solve this labor planning problem to determine the minimum number of firefighters needed on each shift.