What made you start to go out and try to have these conversations in the 1st place? For example: why was it the right time?

There were several factors that pushed me to start these conversations. At Cedar Hill, we were reaching a critical point where our reliance on outdated systems was holding us back. One of the most frustrating challenges was our scheduling process, which was still rooted in Microsoft Outlook. We were using notepads on Outlook calendars, double and triple-checking everything in Excel. It was incredibly time-consuming and prone to errors, and it became clear that this was no longer sustainable.

Our chiefs were also facing significant difficulties with managing overtime fairly. The lack of an efficient system made it hard to notify everyone and ensure that the process was transparent and equitable. I realized that without a modern Records Management System (RMS) with an accessible user interface, we wouldn’t be able to implement the improvements we needed. That’s when I knew it was time to start exploring new solutions, like First Due, that could address these challenges and help us move forward.

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What was it like, and how was your experience bringing that back to senior command staff folks like Chief Dennison and having the conversation around moving in a new direction?

Bringing the idea of moving in a new direction to senior command staff was both challenging and exciting. Chief Dennison was already familiar with First Due, so I didn’t have to do much convincing with him—he was on board from the start. The bigger challenge was getting the other chiefs to see the value in it. Since we have a small department, it wasn’t about formal presentations or meetings. Instead, it was about having casual conversations, lobbying in a way, and showing them the practical benefits this system could offer, particularly in solving our ongoing overtime and scheduling issues. The turning point was the successful implementation of the scheduling module. Seeing it in action made it clear to everyone that this was the right direction for our department.

Can you talk to me a little bit about your experience and adoption of the reporting features in First Due, from scheduling to generating business value from those reports?

It all began with a need to modernize our payroll input process. We transitioned from manually verifying schedules in Excel to utilizing First Due's advanced reporting features. I took the time to learn the reporting module, aligning work types with our city's requirements. As I got more familiar with the system, I delved into ad hoc reporting, which was a challenging learning curve, but ultimately rewarding. Now, we can generate precise reports that detail exact dollars and cents, providing us with the data we need to justify our budget and operations to the city. The ability to produce these reports on demand has truly been a game-changer.

What do fire agencies need to do to inspire people to dig into their software like you have with First Due?

The motivation really stems from the understanding that the data we can harness is not just information—it's a powerful tool that can shape our future. My goal is to ensure that our department has data that's more accurate and comprehensive than what our city managers have at their disposal. This gives us the upper hand when it comes to justifying our needs and securing the resources we require. To achieve this, it's crucial that we focus on training and retraining our team to guarantee that every piece of data entered is accurate and consistent. By doing so, we ensure that the reports we generate are not only reliable but also compelling. When it’s time to present our case to the city, we’ll be armed with solid numbers and undeniable facts—this is what they pay attention to, and it’s how we make our voices heard.

Do you treat the training for First Due like you would any other piece of core fire or EMS equipment?

Absolutely. I was fully committed to the successful launch of the scheduler because its success was non-negotiable—it simply couldn’t afford to fail. To make sure everything went smoothly, I conducted multiple training sessions across all three shifts, ensuring that every team member knew how to use the features properly and confidently. The success of this implementation was crucial, and I knew that thorough training was key to making it happen. Now that we’ve seen how effective this approach can be, we’re prepared to apply the same level of dedication and rigor as we roll out other modules. It’s about setting the foundation right, so everything else can follow smoothly.