Hubred says they looked at several volunteer scheduling solutions but they were targeted to the casual volunteer group. This division is considered an "extreme volunteer" organization consisting of people who put in numerous hours per month. They needed a robust shift scheduling system that included other valuable features.
"One of the must haves for our new scheduling system was it had to be designed for public safety. Aladtec was the only solution we found that met that requirement," indicates Hubred. "One of the other selling points of Aladtec for us is the free support and free application updates."
The Hennepin County Volunteer Services Division have found that a number of Aladtec features contribute to successfully managing their large group, including shift reminders, coverage finder, the library, and the discussions feature.
"We really enjoy the shift reminder. It automatically reminds all of my special deputies of a shift or event they've signed up for. We value the coverage finder too, several times we need to find staffing for an event. We easily send out the notification by clicking a button - it's so much better than sending out customized emails," shares Hubred. "One of the big selling points of the Aladtec application, was the library feature and the discussion groups. With the large special deputy group we have, we now have libraries of information available to everyone within the Aladtec system and it's accessible anywhere. We are using the discussion feature to allow our special deputies to discuss topics amongst themselves. Topics may include training, equipment issues, shift topics, etc. You name it, we discuss it!"
In closing, Hubred adds, "One of the big comments I heard from all the special deputies after we went live with Aladtec, was "We should've done this years ago!" I highly recommend Aladtec to any public safety agency."
