Case Study: Fort Myers Fire Department achieves clear, consistent, legally defensible policies with Lexipol

Fort Myers Fire Department Policies That Reflect One Voice, One Mission

Fort Myers Fire Department, a 115‑member career force handling about 18,200 calls annually, faced a fragmented, 4–5‑inch binder of inconsistent and outdated policies when Chief John Caufield arrived in 2017. Recognizing the scope of work exceeded available time and expertise, the department turned to Lexipol, subscribing to Lexipol’s Florida Fire Policies and Training solution and using Lexipol’s Policy Cross‑Reference service to compare and modernize their existing policy library.

Lexipol supplied master content, a detailed cross‑reference, and implementation support that helped Fort Myers consolidate documents, assign policy numbers and review dates, and integrate policy distribution with TargetSolutions for required reading and acknowledgement—resulting in very high acknowledgement rates and department‑wide acceptance. The clearer, standardized policies provided one voice across national, state and local perspectives; notably, the revised Conduct and Behavior Policy helped the department resolve a disciplinary matter without a divisive legal challenge, protecting the department and the city.

Fort Myers Fire Department

John Caufield

Chief