For Manassas Park Fire & Rescue, managing 24/48 shifts across a team of 30 professionals was a daily balancing act. Schedules were built through manual effort, oversight was spread across multiple leaders, and even small changes took time to resolve.
The department tried other scheduling software, but the challenges remained. Moving away from spreadsheets helped, but it didn’t solve the deeper issues of visibility, consistency, and scale.
A turning point came through a capstone project with a local university. That partnership led Manassas Park Fire & Rescue to Aladtec — bringing simpler scheduling, centralized oversight, and the confidence to grow without adding administrative strain.
Manual processes and ineffective software made scheduling a burden
Until 2019, Manassas Park Fire & Rescue relied on Excel spreadsheets to build schedules by hand. The process was tedious and left little room for flexibility. When the department transitioned to employee scheduling software, expectations were high, but the solution they chose still fell short.
“Even after we moved away from manual scheduling in Excel spreadsheets… it still wasn’t easy to manage,” said Deputy Chief Adam Jones.
Scheduling remained fragmented, and shift officers were responsible for monitoring and approving changes during their assigned days. The lack of centralized oversight made it harder to maintain consistency and added administrative strain across the department.
A turning point came through an unexpected partnership. As part of a capstone project, a group of local university students worked alongside the department to evaluate its scheduling workflows, identify bottlenecks, and assess alternative solutions.
Among the solutions reviewed, Aladtec stood out as the best fit for the department’s needs.
Centralized control with visibility and automation
Once Aladtec was in place, adoption happened quickly. Within two months, staff responsible for building schedules had settled into a consistent workflow, and the rest of the department adapted easily to viewing and managing schedules in the system.
One of the most impactful changes was the decision to appoint a dedicated staffing officer.
A single point of accountability for scheduling
Before Aladtec, scheduling oversight rotated among shift officers, creating inefficiencies and inconsistent approval processes. With Aladtec, a Battalion Chief now serves as the department’s centralized scheduling lead, responsible for monitoring coverage, approving leave, and ensuring units are properly staffed.
“Previously staff had to submit leave requests directly to me for approval, which was not sustainable,” said Jones. “Now we don’t manage any of that directly — we have rules built out to automate leave request approval.”
This shift reduced the administrative burden across the department and gave leadership clearer visibility into staffing at all times.
Smarter rules and real-time alerts
Aladtec introduced structure where manual oversight once dominated. The department now relies on automated rules to support scheduling decisions and prevent issues before they escalate. These rules help:
- Track Kelly Days with full backend visibility
- Alert supervisors when someone is scheduled to work more hours than allowed
- Require managerial approval for schedule exceptions
Instead of reacting to problems after the fact, supervisors can address issues in real time, saving hours of follow-up and correction.
A mobile experience crews actually use
From mobile shift swaps to signing up for overtime, the Aladtec employee experience is built for public safety staff on the move.
“Our previous scheduling software wasn’t user-friendly,” Jones said.
Whether it’s viewing shifts, making trades, or confirming availability, Aladtec puts control in the hands of the people doing the work — without adding confusion or extra steps.
Faster scheduling, reclaimed time, and operational focus
With Aladtec handling the complexity behind the scenes, Manassas Park Fire & Rescue reclaimed hours each week that were once spent managing schedules. Leadership now spends less time troubleshooting and more time focused on readiness, operations, and long-term planning.
Even special event staffing is easier to manage. Whether planning coverage for fireworks displays or local parades, the department can quickly add units and adjust schedules without hours of manual work.
“Before, it took hours to plan special event staffing,” said Jones. “Now we can add units and adjust schedules quickly, whether it’s fireworks or a parade.”
Ready to scale without added stress
With a new grant secured, Manassas Park Fire & Rescue is preparing to double in size. And thanks to Aladtec, that growth feels manageable.
“Our department just received a grant that will allow us to hire 15 more employees. Aladtec will make it easier for us to scale and manage everyone’s schedule as our department grows by 50%.”
More people. More shifts. More impact. But not more stress — because Manassas Park Fire & Rescue now has the solution to grow confidently.
TCP Software’s employee scheduling and time and attendance solutions are flexible and scalable to accommodate your business and employees as you grow.
From TimeClock Plus, which automates even the most complex payroll calculations and leave management requests, to Humanity Schedule for dynamic employee scheduling that saves you time and money, we have everything you need to meet your organization’s needs, no matter how unique. Plus, with Aladtec, we offer 24/7 public safety scheduling solutions for your hometown heroes.
Ready to learn how TCP Software takes the pain out of employee scheduling and time tracking? Speak with an expert today.
