Chief Todd Bowen of Bridgeton (NJ) Fire Department is involved in almost everything at his agency. As a result of a 44-person staff, responding to emergencies and putting out both literal (and figurative) fires are all within his purview. Ensuring his staff knows what's expected of them in the field by storing, editing, and disseminating crucial content is a big part of his job. Without a trusted system to facilitate and track policy sign-offs, there was no definitive way for the department's leaders to ensure employees were getting all the information they needed to perform their jobs with excellence.
Before PowerPolicy, when a policy needed to be created or revised, the administrators followed this process:
His new process consists of making the change electronically in PowerPolicy
and sending out the revised document with a few clicks. PowerPolicy automatically archives the previous file so nobody has outdated information.
Todd Bowen - Fire Chief, Bridgeton (NJ) Fire Department
Storing policies before PowerPolicy was very disorganized and "helter skelter" as the chief put it. Everything was printed three times, one copy for each massive SOG book at the agency. This didn't include the 44 extra copies printed for each employee.
Not only was the revision process a nightmare, but according to the chief, there was absolutely no definitive way to make sure employees had all the correct information.
Memos and directives lived on a bulletin board, and if the chief was lucky, he might get an attestation from all employees via a sign-off sheet that hung nearby.
But what about people on vacation or another shift? Additionally, how could he ensure staff who signed the documents understood them and acted accordingly when it counts the most?
This inability to measure accountability was a significant obstacle to the agency’s operational excellence.
"I don't think you'll find a department that has achieved operational excellence without accountability. PowerDMS makes that possible."
Chief Bowen understands accountability is not mainly about punishing wrongdoers. The primary objective is to have precise information available so fire personnel can perform their jobs with excellence.
“If it's clear, consistent, and easily accessible, that creates operational excellence. If there are questions about what to do in a certain scenario, they can jump on PowerPolicy and check. It's that easy.”
Accountability to civilians and outside entities is another thing that PowerPolicy affords Bridgeton Fire Department.
“If somebody outside the department asks for a particular policy we can quickly produce it,” Chief Bowen said. “If we need to go back in time to a particular event, PowerDMS archives every version of a policy.”
Chief Bowen’s primary goal for his staff is to have everything they need to do their job well. Clear information enables clear accountability. And accountability is a prerequisite for running a fire agency with excellence.
Todd Bowen - Fire Chief, Bridgeton (NJ) Fire Department
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