Evaluating personnel

While I have had to formally evaluate people since I was first promoted, the importance of the process (or maybe the potential importance) never really hit me until I became a Battalion Chief.  Now I think a lot more about developing personnel at all levels, and I am always looking for tools to help.  Our particular evaluation process is not helpful at all, and might even be considered counterproductive by some of our personnel.

I realize there are workplace realities that must be dealt with, and that policies must be fiar, equitable, and defensible.  So far, we are not making much progress so for my first EFO assignment I thought I would see what others are doing. 

I am gathering information on methods municipalities and other organizations use to evaluate the performance of uniformed fire department employees (field personnel).

If your agency (any fire department) BOTH evaluates personnel on a yearly or other periodic basis AND employs some type of form or other structured tool (“instrument”) to conduct and document those evaluations, I would greatly appreciate your responses to a brief questionnaire.

You will be asked a maximum of 15 questions, mostly check boxes (with the option to comment if you wish).

The questionnaire is here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/firefighter_performance_evaluation

Your answers will be used in a research project for the Executive Fire Officer program and available at the National Fire Academy for anyone interested. I will also be glad to share all I learn directly with any and all respondents.

Thank you,

Ryland Kendrick
Battalion Chief
Fairfax County (VA) Fire Rescue Department
ryland.kendrick@fairfaxcounty.gov