Introduction
Myrtle Beach Fire Department, located in South Carolina, is committed to delivering the highest standard of emergency services through advanced training programs. This forward-thinking department had long-been delivering cutting-edge training opportunities and tracking everything from task books, training events, certifications, awards and performance documents for their 200+ personnel. The problem? It was mostly on paper.
The Challenge
Leaders of the department, including Deputy Chief Brad Kempf, were eager to help usher in a new solution. The reliance on paper-based systems led to bottlenecks in workflow, incomplete recordkeeping, and unnecessary redundancies that were costing the department resources. A new digital solution could streamline their processes and enhance operational efficiency, but the right one would require support for things they were already doing, and more. “We needed a system that could manage our extensive training requirements and support future growth,” Deputy Chief Kempf explained.
CEO Scott Monroe knew that Essential Personnel was up to that challenge.
Implementation of Essential Personnel
The Myrtle Beach Fire Department chose Essential Personnel (EP) to address the complexities of training management. With its suite of features, EP’s Training Module was tailored to meet the specific needs of the public sector, especially public safety agencies.
Key Features and Benefits
- Individual Profiles: Each member of the department now has a dedicated profile that provides an at-a-glance view of all specialty certifications, team involvement, qualifications, and training records. “Having this level of visibility is crucial for us,” Kempf noted. “It enables our leaders to assess an individual’s overall competency quickly.”
- Roster Management: The solution allows leaders to easily identify personnel with specific credentials, streamlining the process of assembling teams for various operations. “We can now put the right people in the right roles without the guesswork,” said Kempf.
- Certification Tracking: Essential Personnel automatically tracks certifications and their expiration dates, sending timely notifications to personnel. “This has reduced the risk of lapses in certification significantly. We can focus on readiness rather than paperwork,” Kempf shared.
- Digitized Task Books: The software simplifies task book management and skills check-offs, eliminating the paperwork burden on operators and trainers. “Our trainers can now concentrate on delivering quality training instead of being bogged down by administrative tasks,” Kempf remarked.
- Coaching and Mentoring Notes: The platform includes a feature for leaders to document coaching, counseling, and mentoring interactions. “Being able to offer timely feedback to trainees and gather instructor reviews has improved our training quality immensely,” Kempf stated.
- Training Events: Create tracking events, set class sizes and manage requests/approvals while tracking all your costs. “Efficiently managing our training events saves time and ensures our team is always prepared, allowing for strategic investment in their development,” Kempf shared.
- Awards: This feature simplifies the creation and approval of awards, making it easy to recognize outstanding service. “A streamlined awards process allows us to celebrate our firefighters’ hard work and achievements without unnecessary delays,” noted Kempf.
Results
Since implementing Essential Personnel, Myrtle Beach Fire Department has seen significant improvements in their training management processes, without compromise. “We’ve been able to customize templates to meet our needs, reducing administrative overhead and improving compliance, which is the real value for us,” Kempf said.
Since launching in 2023, the Essential Personnel system has helped Myrtle Beach Fire Department process and track:
- 1,400 Certifications
- 1,100 Leaders’ Notes
- 600 Qualifications & Task Books
- 400 Awards
- 145 Training Events & 580 requests to attend training
The EP platform is critical to the work they do and the level of service they provide. “With less time spent on paperwork, our instructors can focus on what they do best—teaching,” Kempf emphasized. The accessibility of individual profiles and completion tracking has fostered a culture of accountability and proactive learning.
Conclusion
Myrtle Beach Fire Department has embraced innovative solutions like Essential Personnel, which has led to transformative changes in how they approach training management. Deputy Chief Brad Kempf and his team have not only enhanced their training curriculum but have also set a benchmark for operational excellence in emergency services. “With Essential Personnel, we’re equipped to go above and beyond in our mission to serve the community effectively and efficiently,” Kempf concluded.
