“Since switching to EMS Manager it’s made things a lot easier at our agency. It’s very affordable; the yearly subscription is paid for after only one or two calls. We love every aspect of it. Because it’s online, EMS Manager is wherever we want it to be...it’s everywhere...and we like that!”

1. Online Employee Scheduling & Workforce Management
- Try It You’ll Like It!
By: Kim Eby - Chief, St. Croix EMS & Rescue, Hudson, WI
Our agency, St. Croix EMS & Rescue, is located in Hudson, WI which is on the
banks of the scenic St. Croix River. We serve approximately 27,500 citizens and
we complete about 2,000 calls annually. Our agency is made up of four full-time
paramedics, 12 part-time/casual paramedics and 30 part-time/casual EMT’s.
Before Moving Online:
(To the Cloud)
In the “old days” - when I was the scheduler, I would sit down
with a legal pad of paper and write down all open shifts for
both the medics and EMT’s. From there I would email out all
the open shifts and wait for everyone to get back to me. Then
I would go through everyone’s availability and try to balance it
out, making sure everyone got a shift they requested. Finally,
I’d post it on a piece of paper and send it to the crews so
everyone knew when they were working for the month. If you
can relate, then you know exactly how time consuming it was
for me - and the staff!
That was just the scheduling portion of our process. If anyone
had a shift-trade, or needed time off, emails were being sent
out like crazy. There were times when people didn’t even
know who they were on duty with. And, if we left a message
for someone and they didn’t respond, we wouldn’t know if
anyone was going to show up or not. Our staff got tired of
emails coming out constantly and not knowing what was
going on with the schedule. And, I was tired of the stress
from managing the schedule, and dealing with our member’s
frustrations every day.
In addition, our staff didn’t think they really had a say in the
schedule. They weren’t really sure if they could make a change
even though they really wanted to. They felt it was a big hassle
to try to make a change so they wouldn’t do it; rightfully so,
they would get irritated.
Yes! We Put Our Heads In the Cloud:
The turnabout with our scheduling problems was when
we eliminated our old scheduling method completely
and subscribed to EMS Manager - Online Scheduling and
Workforce Management System. Since this web based
software system is online - or - in the cloud, all information is
stored and accessed through the Internet. Most of us at St.
Croix EMS & Rescue already had experience with cloud based
services...for banking, email services and social networking
sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. It just made sense that
public service agencies and businesses take advantage of the
quick easy access to online software too, so we jumped on
board!
Although any change in life, and in EMS, is often difficult
because once we get familiar with something, it’s hard to
change. The biggest hurdle we had when switching from
paper to our online EMS Manager system was making sure
everyone actually used it instead of reverting back to our old
paper method. At first it took a little time for people to get
used to it. The online process at work was something new for
them.

2. In addition to the online scheduling aspect of EMS Manager,
we use many of its other features and enjoy the associated
benefits of these as well:
• Certification Tracking
• Event Calendar
• Customized Reports
• Member Database
• Group Messaging
• Library
• Mobility
After just a few times of logging in to the system, they became
more comfortable and found it very easy to maneuver. Once
we got everyone in the habit of using it, everything ran very
smoothly and they really liked the new system.
Every month, our staff has to submit their schedule availability
on a certain date. Members can now go into the “Availability
Section” in EMS Manager and add their availability so our
staffing person can generate the schedule. From there, it takes
him only a couple hours to make sure everything is good to
go before he publishes it for all to see.
Members think it’s great to be able to
be in more control of their schedule and
know that they can pick up the shifts they
want, when they want, and they can do
it without having to call someone at the
office to try to put them on the schedule.
We aren’t fielding any calls, texts or emails
with questions as to what’s available. And in
turn, we aren’t trying to constantly find people to fill an open
shift. Obviously not everything is going to be up to them with
the schedule, but at least this gives them a chance to have
some control over what happens with their schedule. They
are notified through the system if there is a last minute shift
available and they can decide whether or not to sign up for it
without contacting the office. They are also able to see who
they were working with for every shift. Since putting EMS
Manager in play, shifts have filled up faster and we have fewer
holes in the schedule as well.
We find the overall favorite aspect of EMS Manager, for both
our administrators and our staff, is the mobility piece…the
EMS Manager System is available anywhere at any time. Staff
and management can login from any device that accesses
the Internet, be it a desktop computer, laptop, smartphone
or tablet. Members can see their schedule, who they are
scheduled with, request time off, or make a trade. Many work
at other agencies and/or have other jobs so this is extremely
important to them. As the Chief, it’s easy for me to jump
online and access our system and get done what needs to be
done wherever I am. I’ve found myself approving sign-ups and
approving time off more often while away from work because
I can do it from my smartphone. It’s so convenient!
My Conclusion:
After using EMS Manager
for three years, we’ve
found it’s become a very
important “member” of
our department. And it’s
very affordable; the yearly
subscription is paid for after
only one or two calls. Our
return on investment is
met right away, so it’s a no
brainer for us to renew every
year. No one at our agency
would be happy if for some
reason we had to revert
back to the old scheduling
process. We’ve loved every
aspect of EMS Manager, it’s
simply great!
Kim Eby
Chief, St. Croix EMS & Rescue
“Since switching to EMS Manager it’s
made things a lot easier at our agency.
We love every aspect of it. Because it’s
online, EMS Manager is wherever we
want it to be...it’s everywhere...and we
like that!”
Watch St. Croix EMS Video Customer Report and More Aladtec Videos at: www.YouTube.com/Aladtec