Case Study: Guilderland (NY) Fire Department achieves instant policy access and improved compliance with Lexipol

Guilderland Fire Department Making Policies Instantly Accessible

Guilderland Fire Department, an all‑volunteer department of 37 members handling about 230 calls a year, faced cumbersome policy management: manuals lived in a big binder, updates required in‑station paper signatures, and leaders lacked confidence that volunteers had read or understood changes. Through the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs, the department found Lexipol and its New York Fire Policies and Training service as a way to modernize and align policies with state and national best practices.

Lexipol implemented its online policy platform, including the Knowledge Management System (KMS), onboarding support, and electronic policy acknowledgment, allowing the chief to customize content and push updates instantly. Within eight months Guilderland had a new, legally defensible manual, members can access and search policies from phones or computers, and leadership can run acknowledgment reports—significantly improving compliance and eliminating the need for paper sign‑ins.

Guilderland Fire Department

Brian Forte

Chief