Brattleboro reduced overtime with automated shift fill and shared data
Brattleboro Fire Department (VT) moved from fragmented tools and paper workflows to First Due—unifying scheduling, response, and community data in one source of truth.
"It’s greatly reduced both the man hours… and reduced that mandatory overtime that nobody wants to do."
Measurable impact
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2 Systems to 1 Platform
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1 Automated Shift Fill Workflow
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1 Shared Response View With Occupancy Data
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The Story
Background
Brattleboro Fire Department needed to replace an aging reporting system after a vendor acquisition changed the landscape, and used the transition to find a modern all-in-one platform.
Challenge
Workflows were fragmented: separate systems for reporting and inventory, plus scheduling that depended on a shift-board approach supplemented by paper. Filling a vacancy could take the better part of a day as officers worked down a binder list before being forced into mandatory overtime.
Solution
Brattleboro adopted First Due as a single platform across daily modules including Scheduling, Events & Activities, Assets & Inventory, Responder, and Community Connect (excluding ePCR and investigations at the time of the interview). Call shifts aligned to union requirements automate outreach when captains post vacancies.
Results
Captains spend less time filling shifts and can reduce mandatory overtime, while crews and dispatch share occupancy details and contact information en route—improving transparency and helping the operational picture get better with every run.
About
Brattleboro Fire Department
Quick facts
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Fill vacancies faster—and cut down on mandatory overtime
First Due Scheduling & Personnel Management helps departments post vacancies, automate notifications, and run scheduling workflows that fit union and policy requirements—without relying on binders, callbacks, or paper workarounds.
In their own words:
- Why did Brattleboro start looking for a new platform?
- The department needed a replacement for an aging software system, and the Emergency Reporting acquisition prompted a search for an all-in-one solution.
- What did an all-in-one solution replace?
- At implementation, the department condensed from two softwares—one for inventory management and one for day-to-day reporting—into a single platform.
- What was scheduling like before First Due?
- A shift-board approach supplemented with pen and paper. Filling a vacancy could take the better part of a day as officers called down a binder list.
- What changed with Scheduling in First Due?
- Captains post vacancies and set call shifts based on union requirements, and call shifts handle outreach to reduce manual effort and avoid mandatory overtime.
- How are you using Events & Activities?
- As a ‘one place fits most’ log for station tours, school visits, rentals, apparatus use for classes, and maintenance reminders.
- Do crews feel more equipped with the platform?
- Yes—Responder and Community Connect improve transparency by making occupancy and contact information available while responding, and dispatch uses the same system.
- What was occupancy data like before?
- A mix of systems and manual inputs—often feeling like going in blind; now incident documentation can feed details into the occupancy workflow.
- What are you most interested in next?
- AI—especially to reduce time spent building reports and to help administration get the right information faster.
Ready to unify operations in one platform?
See how First Due can help your department streamline scheduling, improve response readiness, and reduce administrative lift.
