Kent Fire and Rescue Service Introduces HR Software
14th April 2005

Kent Fire and Rescue Service has purchased HR software from Snowdrop to provide wider access to company information for its 1,500 employees. The Fire Service will implement Snowdrop’s Spring (Recruitment), Evergreen (Personnel Records Management), Fountain (Training Administration & Employe Development), Fountainexecutive (Succession Planning) and U-Access, Snowdrop’s on-line module.

One of the main drivers for their investment is to facilitate transparency of employees’ HR information, which is hoped to encourage more involvement by employees and better management information. The new software will also enable KFRS to maintain stricter adherence to the Working Time Directive, through the more efficient delivery of information to managers on-line.

KFRS can now begin a sophisticated planning of desired employee competencies, which has also become a requirement by law in the Fire Services. Project Manager at Kent Fire Service, Marian Feltham, is also hoping to improve reporting functionality through ’data capture at source’, which the current centralised reporting does not allow. Marian explained that this will mean a more localised approach to reporting that will help them decide where best to use HR resources. In particular, it is expected that this will also facilitate the drive to further improve attendance levels. Enhanced reporting combined with on-line facilities will, says Marian, "provide feedback to managers who can start spotting and dealing with problems".

Michael Richards, Chief Executive of Snowdrop Systems, adds: "The introduction of a national Integrated Personal Development System embraces a comprehensive competency framework for all roles within the Fire Service. Ensuring that employees are trained to a high skills level is essential in any profession, and in the Fire Service it is imperative not only for the staff involved but for the people they are working to help every day."