Evaluating Firefighter Performance

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 fair, equitable, and defensible.  I know that HR issues make up the bulk of administrative work, and that poor policies contribute grreatly to that workload.  It seems to me that there has to be a way to effectively evaluate performance on and off the fireground, in such a way that both the organization and the individual benefit (or at least come to common ground.)

So far, we are not making much progress where I work, 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