East Hartford modernizes scheduling and cuts payroll processing
East Hartford Fire Department modernized scheduling first, cutting payroll processing from days to minutes while maintaining union trust and building toward future initiatives like NERIS, ePCR, and AI-enabled QA/QI.
"We cut a 16-hour task down to about 15 minutes. That’s 16 hours back every week."
Operational Impact & Key Outcomes
From 16 Hours to 20 Minutes
.svg)
Reduction in Pain Points
Built for Cooperation
.svg)
The Story
Background
East Hartford Fire Department knew it was time to modernize core operations. The most immediate pressure point was scheduling—paper processes controlled staffing, overtime, and payroll, creating constant friction and administrative lift.
Challenge
Scheduling impacts assignments and overtime, so the department needed a digital system that improved efficiency without breaking trust. The payroll workflow was especially burdensome, requiring extensive manual effort each week.
Solution
East Hartford implemented First Due Scheduling & Personnel by building workflows collaboratively with union representatives, officers, and members. The team mirrored the existing paper process first, then improved it with clearer rules, better visibility, and reporting. As confidence grew, the department expanded into Incident Documentation, Pre-Incident Planning, and Mobile Responder while preparing for NERIS and an upcoming move to ePCR.
Results
Payroll became the biggest measurable win. Shift codes map to pay types by default, reports pull directly from the live schedule, and errors are corrected quickly. What used to take two full days now takes about 15–20 minutes, freeing staff to focus on other administrative needs.
About
East Hartford Fire
Quick facts
.svg)
Share this story
Bring scheduling and payroll under control
Scheduling & Personnel can power accurate payroll, transparent staffing, and smoother change management with the right rules and collaborative workflow design.
In their own words:
- What was the tipping point to look for new software?
- Scheduling—moving from paper to electronic without breaking what already worked.
- How did you manage adoption when scheduling impacts pay and assignments?
- Workflows were built collaboratively with union, officers, and members, mirroring the paper process so it felt familiar on a phone.
- What’s the biggest measurable result so far?
- Payroll processing—what used to take two days now typically takes about 15–20 minutes.
- How has First Due helped with NERIS preparation?
- It reduced stress by enabling training environments and support-led coaching through workflows before go-live.
- What are you most excited about next?
- AI-supported QA/QI to check more EMS reports against protocols and standards with limited staff capacity.
Ready to modernize without breaking trust?
See how First Due helps departments streamline scheduling, improve reporting accuracy, and free up time for what matters most.
.png)