Initial situation
A medium-sized municipal fire department commissioned Lülf+ to conduct a comprehensive organizational review. The background included established structures, increasing operational demands, and noticeable strain on day and emergency services.
The fire department operated two stations staffed around the clock as well as several volunteer fire department units and is the provider of emergency medical services. A total of over 40 operational functions in fire protection, dispatch center, and emergency medical services had to be permanently staffed. At the same time, demands on administration, technical services, fire prevention, and disaster management were increasing.
Investigation approach
The objective was to align the organization, processes, command structures, and staffing levels for the future and to sustainably strengthen the fire department’s operational capability.
Key findings (compressed)
The organizational review revealed four key findings:
We employ a multi-stage, practice-oriented approach:
1. Analysis of Existing Documentation
- Organizational charts, duty and staffing plans
- Duty and working time models
- Operational and performance metrics
- Process descriptions & documentation
2. Interviews & Workshops
Over 40 structured individual and group interviews were conducted with personnel from emergency services, dispatch center, technical services, workshops, administration, emergency medical services, and management levels.
3. Analysis of Processes and Interfaces
Areas examined included:
- Command and communication processes
- Daily workflows in 24-hour duty and day duty
- Function assignment & personnel organization
- Technical and organizational support processes
- Integration with the volunteer fire department
4. Personnel Resource Assessment
- Calculation of net annual performance hours
- Analytical and semi-analytical personnel assessment
- Comparison of functional and staffing requirements
- Comparison with reference fire departments
The organizational review revealed four key findings:
- Command and communication were inconsistent.
Different leadership styles, limited standardized meeting structures, and unclear responsibilities hindered management and internal communication. - High workload from administrative tasks.
A large portion of administrative and technical activities was handled by the station divisions. This led to inefficient processes, bottlenecks in training, and declining quality of results. - The organizational structure was no longer adapted to current requirements.
Broad task packages, limited organizational depth, and historically evolved overlapping responsibilities prevented clear accountability and efficient work. - Significant personnel shortage in day duty.
In intermunicipal comparison, administrative capacity was considerably below average. This was also evident from workload volumes and demonstrably hindered process and result quality. Critical areas such as dispatch center, technical services, operational planning, and administration were structurally understaffed.
Recommended measures (compressed)
Six key action areas were derived from the findings:
1. Modern and Clear Command Structures
- Transfer of C-duty responsibilities to qualified station division commanders
- Standardization of leadership principles
- Binding meeting and communication standards
- Adjustment of the performance evaluation system
2. Optimized Work Processes
- Revision of the work distribution plan
- Introduction of a 3-station division model
- Harmonization of time tracking
3. Professionalization of Training and Continuing Education
- Expansion of the training department
- Mandatory continuing education for command services
- Integration with the volunteer fire department, especially for complex exercises
4. Strengthening the Dispatch Center
- Introduction of a shift group model
- Creation of shift supervisor roles
- Update of dispatch console staffing
5. Digitalization of Logistics & Technical Services
- Introduction of a centralized materials management and logistics solution
- Replacement of Excel-based systems
- System-based inspection and deadline monitoring
- Implementation of a ticketing system for equipment managers
6. Future-Oriented Organizational and Personnel Structure
- Clearer functional subdivision into departments and divisions
- Establishment of central cross-functional roles (QM, HR, procurement, data protection)
- Significant increase in day duty personnel based on analytical assessment
Results of the organizational investigation
By implementing the recommended measures, the fire department can:
- Realize more efficient processes through clear structures and modern command processes
- Deploy personnel more effectively and sustainably eliminate bottlenecks
- Reliably ensure training and continuing education
- Gain IT-supported transparency over inventory, inspection cycles, and logistics
- Ensure long-term operational capability, even with increasing task volumes
- Reliably meet legal requirements
- Develop a future-oriented, scalable organization
This case study demonstrates how Lülf+ supports municipalities and fire departments in systematically developing and sustainably improving their organization, personnel, and processes.