Personnel Management

Explore by category: Personnel Management
DOCUMENT

Americans with Disabilities Act

Recommendations to help ESO leaders adhere to the Act and implement best practices.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Background Screening through IntelliCorp

VFIS clients have access to discounted background screenings through IntelliCorp.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Behavioral Health Concerns for Fire & EMS Personnel

This booklet discusses behavioral health risks, concerns and best practices.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Conducting Junior Fire & EMS Camps

This booklet outlines safety and logistical precautions for junior member camps.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Determining Discipline: Checklist

This checklist can assist management with reaching disciplinary decisions for members.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Drug and Alcohol Policies for ESOs

Examples of guidelines and policies to help mitigate substance abuse and related risks.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Electronic Communication Use Policies

Policies to help prevent technology abuse and reduce exposure to personnel-related claims.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Emergency Communications Center Staffing

Considerations and variables to help guide your staffing levels and requirements.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Employment Practice Exposure - EMT Position Description

How to create or modify your EMS job descriptions to follow best practices.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Employment Practice Exposure - Firefighter Position Description

How to create or modify your firefighter job descriptions to follow best practices.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Employment Practices Liability (EPL) Self-Assessment

A questionnaire to help assess your employment practices and policies.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Overview

What you should know if there's an EEOC charge lodged against your organization.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Exit Interview Procedures

How to use employee separations to learn about your current work environment and policies.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Family Medical Leave Act

Important aspects of FMLA and tips to help ensure your ESO adheres to it.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Harassment and Discrimination Prevention Training

Tips for hosting effective training sessions to help prevent these harmful actions.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Investigating Workplace Misconduct

Steps to help you investigate harassment, theft and other workplace wrongdoing events.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Junior Member Programs Policy Outline

Considerations to help protect your junior members, adult advisors and organization.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Live Fire Training Checklist

Tips to help you address the liability and safety concerns of live fire trainings.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Medical Evaluation Programs

Why medical evaluation programs are important and tips to help your ESO implement one.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

North Carolina Transportation Notification System (NC TNS)

Information about the NC TNS and tips to help your agency gain access to the system.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Performance Management and Evaluations

Tips to help your organization administer and document performance evaluations.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Personnel File: Personal Contact + Information Sheet

This printable personnel file can help you maintain important member-specific information.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Personnel Self-Assessment: Annual Medical Status Overview

This form can be used to help education ESO leadership on their member's medical history.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Personnel Termination: Meeting Checklist

Checklist to assist in facilitating uniform and equitable termination meetings.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Preventing Workplace Violence + Threats of Violence

Best practices and a sample policy to help you proactively mitigate workplace violence.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Progressive Discipline and Terminations

Best practices to help your organization with the disciplinary or termination process.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Return to Work Considerations

Factors to consider when determining an individual's readiness to return to full-duty.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Sample Workplace Wrongdoing + Whistleblower Policy

Educate your team on the importance of reporting wrongdoings and how to do so.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Sample: Sexual Abuse and Misconduct Prevention Policy

A sample policy to help educate your team on this risk and your organization's policies.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Sexual Abuse & Misconduct: Protecting Minors

Suggestions to help protect minors and your organization from sexual abuse risks.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Sexual Harassment: Guidelines, Procedures + Sample Policy

Best practices and sample policy to help create a harassment-free environment.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Social Media: Personnel Guidelines

How your ESO could be liable for what your members post on their personal social pages.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Staffing for Crisis

How you can begin to prepare for potential staffing issues during crisis situations.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Standardizing the Application + Hiring Processes

Application and hiring suggestions to help protect your ESO from legal action.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

State MVR Check Procedures

What state-specific procedures to follow to obtain the driving records of your members.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

A summary of this Act and how ESO leaders can help ensure they are adhering to it.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act

A summary of this Act and how ESO leaders can help ensure they are adhering to it.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Weapons in the Workplace

Sample guidelines to help prevent workplace violence and weapon use.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Workplace Discrimination Based on Language and Accents

What unlawful national origin discrimination is and how to help prevent these acts.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Workplace Grievance + Complaint Procedures

Guidance to help your team identify, investigate and report complaints and grievances.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Workplace conduct: harassment or locker room talk?

Don't let locker room talk, just having fun or rites of passage plague your ESO.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Increased exposure to personnel litigation

Personnel-related lawsuit risks and how to help prevent related misconduct.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Retaliation in the Workplace: Guidance from the EEOC

Guidance and best practices for investigating and preventing retaliation claims.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Why 2016 is high-risk for workplace discrimination claims

Preventing emotionally-charged conversations from turning into conflict and lawsuits.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

The role of diversity in serving multicultural communities

How you can create a better appreciation and understanding of diversity in your ESO.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Risks You Face in a Wireless World: Camera phones, emails and Iinternet

How technology abuse can lead to violations of privacy.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Workplace Retaliation Claims on the Rise

The significant risk of retaliation claims and steps to help prevent them.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Conducting internal investigations

How leaders can help ensure consistent and fair internal investigation.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Job Descriptions: Develop, integrate and update

How to use job descriptions to help you manage your team beyond the hiring process.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Performance Evaluations: Ten tips for improving your system

Best practices to help leaders make the most of performance evaluations.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Supreme Court Finds: Firefighters were subjected to reverse discrimination

What Ricci v. DeStafano means for ESOs who are instituting affirmative action initiatives.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Pranks, hazing & harassment

Assessing "jokes" and other behavior to see if a line has been crossed.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Successfully managing difficult personnel

Tips to help leaders guide, teach and counsel members with negative attitudes.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

How solid is your drug and alcohol free workplace program?

Best practices for implementing a comprehensive substance abuse program.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Understanding workplace harassment myths

See if these myths live in your ESO and take steps to help protect your team.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Social Media: Postings may compel ESOs to take disciplinary action

Guidance on implementing social media policies and discussing social media in your ESO.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Human Resources in Emergency Services: Undervalued and Underutilized?

Human resources 101: the basics ESO leaders should know.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Retaliation and Wrongful Termination: Links to liability

This article details the importance of analyzing and documenting support for termination.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

"Rightful" Personnel Terminations: Breaking up is hard to do

Tips to help managers terminate personnel in a considerate, consistent and legal manner.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Personnel policies uniformly administered? Exceptions shouldn't be the rule

Why you should assess, track and monitor what your members are being disciplined for.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Job Descriptions: Accurate and fully utilized?

How an effective job description can be used far beyond the application process.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Enforcing Policies and Procedures: Actions speak louder than words

The liability risks of not having policies and procedures - or not following them.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Personnel Law Alert: Lack of supervisory training can lead to liability

How you can train your supervisors to effectively manage personnel-related issues.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

EEOCA's guidance on criminal background checks

Assessing the possibility of discrimination while utilizing criminal background checks.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

You asked what? Questions may lead to discrimination claims

How your means to build rapport during interviews could actually be a legal exposure.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Help avoid mistakes that lead to retaliation claims

An overview of legally protected acts that are typically involved in retaliation lawsuits.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Limiting exposure to constructive discharge claims

The importance of avoiding behaviors that lead employees to feeling “forced out”.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Options other than termination?

Why termination isn't always the best option - professionally or legally.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Lessons on risk management

Tips for preventing, discovering and stopping workplace wrongdoing.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Promoting diversity & avoiding discrimination in hiring claims

The importance of diversity while hiring employees and selecting volunteers.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Building confidence for discipline and termination decisions

Recommendations for making equitable and legally defensible disciplinary decisions.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Workplace romance and liability risks

Best practices to help leaders manage personal relationships in their ESO.

Open resource
DOCUMENT

Member Family Assistance Program

Services designed specifically for Emergency Service Organization personnel and their families.

Open resource
ONLINE TRAINING

Leadership

Discuseses leadership and shares different perspectives and applicable situations

Open resource
ONLINE TRAINING

Sexual Abuse and Misconduct

Discusses child sexual abuse and ways to help prevent it in the fire and EMS workplace

Open resource
ONLINE TRAINING

Social Media

Discusses issues, concerns, and necessary actions to manage social media

Open resource
ONLINE TRAINING

Respectful Workplace Employee

Harassment prevention training for staff

Open resource
ONLINE TRAINING

Respectful Workplace Supervisor

Harassment prevention training for supervisors

Open resource
ONLINE TRAINING

Workplace Violence

Discusses awareness, prevention techniques, and actions necessary when events occur.

Open resource
IN-PERSON TRAINING

Differences without Division (Course)

This 2-hour VFIS instructor led program focuses on anti-bias trainng for fire and EMS

Open resource
AUDIO

VFIS University with Maria Lichty

In this episode, Maria Lichty reviews some recent changes to VFIS University

Open resource
AUDIO

Peer Support with Bryan Duquin and Chaplain Jimmy Fannin

VFIS’ Bryan Duquin and Chief Chaplain Jimmy Fannin of Chaplains Corps of Lancaster County join the program to offer suggestions for providing peer support to ESO members

Open resource
AUDIO

Recruitment and Retention with Tracie Young-Brungard

Tracie Young-Brungard BS, EMTP, RRC, Recruitment & Retention Administrator for the Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner joins the discussion on retention and recruitment of personnel in emergency services

Open resource
AUDIO

Chaplains in the Fire Service with Jimmy Fannin

Helping the responder process and manage the emotional trauma they see every day

Open resource
AUDIO

HR Suggestions for ESOs

Who is responsible for making HR decisions in your organization? In this episode, we talk

Open resource
AUDIO

Rethinking Volunteer Retention and Recruitment

Volunteer recruitment and retention are among the top issues facing volunteer Fire and EMS

Open resource
AUDIO

Recruitment and Retention Using Social Media

"Keep your brand in your voice" as this is the identity of your department. Jenny Bragiel

Open resource
AUDIO

Risk Control for Mid-Level Management Update

In this episode, we revisit with VFIS Emergency Services Specialist Blair Tyndall and disc

Open resource
AUDIO

Encore Episode: Fatigue Management Part 2 with Chesterfield Fire & EMS

The Don't Risk It podcast team is taking a well-deserved break this summer, but we will be

Open resource
AUDIO

Encore Episode: Fatigue Management Part 1

The Don't Risk It podcast team is taking a well-deserved break this summer, but we will be

Open resource
AUDIO

Encore Episode: Incident Stress Management

The Don't Risk It podcast team is taking a well-deserved break this summer, but we will be

Open resource
AUDIO

Differences without Division (Podcast)

Implicit and explicit biases can greatly impact the culture of an emergency service organization

Open resource
AUDIO

Incident Stress Management with Dr. Kathy Jansen

Critical incident stress can have a lasting effect on emergency responders; yet, the stigm

Open resource
AUDIO

Fatigue Management with Chesterfield Fire & EMS

Fatigue impacts personal health as well as a responder's ability to perform key functions

Open resource
AUDIO

EPL - Sexual Harassment & Discrimination Prevention Part 2

Sexual harassment continues to be a hot topic for business and organizations. What can EMS

Open resource
AUDIO

EPL - Sexual Harassment & Discrimination Prevention Part 1

Sexual harassment continues to be a hot topic for business and organizations. What can EMS

Open resource
AUDIO

Electronic Devices & Social Media p2

Emergency responders are utilizing social media at a rapid pace. EMS employees' usage, wri

Open resource
AUDIO

Electronic Devices & Social Media p1

Emergency responders are utilizing social media at a rapid pace. EMS employees' usage, wri

Open resource
AUDIO

Risk Control for EMS Mid-Level Managers

Risk Control for Mid-Level Managers is a program developed by John Kottmyer, Director of V

Open resource
Article

Is your fire department exclusive or inclusive?

How the cumulative effects of exclusionary behavior could negatively impact your volunteer and employee retention rates, and 7 ways leaders can promote a more inclusive culture.

Open resource
Article

9 Lessons your emergency service organization doesn't have to learn the hard way

Challenges other fire departments, EMS agencies and 911 centers have faced—and how you can help avoid them.

Open resource
Article

Providing Meaningful Support to Your Firefighters + Their Families

Check out this program that's designed to support the health and wellness of first responder employees, volunteers and the workplace.

Open resource
Article

Employment Practices

It’s crucial to understand the fundamentals of employment practices, why they’re important and ways you use them to help protect your organization and your most important asset, your people

Open resource
Article

8 Dimenstions of Wellness for Firefighters, EMS Personnel + 911 Dispatchers

Consider this multi-faceted approach to help your emergency services personnel prevent, cope with and recover from behavioral health concerns.

Open resource