About Us

Our Mission

Our Goal

• Do I have to setup or install anything?

  No. There is nothing to install. eSchedule is completely web-based. There’s no need to install software, upgrade software, or manage a server.

• If we’re interested in getting started, what’s the process?

  After we provide you with a brief tour and pricing, we’ll ask for your approval to move forward. From there, we simply need to understand your shift template and any rules that affect the time clock if you’re choosing to use that feature. We’ll also need a copy of your membership roster so that we can set up accounts for everyone.

• Do you have an app?

  A downloadable “app” is in the works. For now, eSchedule is mobile-friendly. It works fine on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices. The mobile version offers the most frequently used features. A link to the “full” version is always available in the footer. If you’re using a tablet or iPad, the full web version will appear.

• How many employees can access the software?

  Our pricing is based on the number of active members in your organization as well as the features you wish to activate. You tell us how many people need to have access and we’ll only charge you for what you use. Once you reach your maximum number of users, simply contact us to increase your plan to allow for more users.

• Why should we choose eSchedule over other software?
  1. We will tailor the software to meet your unique needs.
  2. Customer service and happiness is very important to us.
  3. Everything is in one place. No need to have separate applications for your schedule, time cards, training records, etc.
  4. Our software is designed specifically for public service agencies.
  5. Our time clock is hands down the most powerful in the industry. We can handle any unique calculations you might have.
  6. Our pricing is very competitive and reasonable.
  7. There is no long-term contract or commitment.
• How long have you been in business?

  Since 2004.

• Can I setup different administration levels for my employees?

  Yes. Different options include:

  • Administrator
  • Scheduler
  • Department Administrator
  • Event Administrator
  • Swap/Trade Approver
  • Shift Bid/Request Approver
  • Document Administrator
  • CME Administrator (Training Officer)
  • Time Clock Administrator
  • View Only
  • & more…
• Is your software secure? What about downtime?

  eSchedule is safe, and secure and downtime is next to never (in fact, we have 99.9%+ uptime). Contact us for a copy of our detailed security & information technology document.

• Do you have a ‘trouble ticket’ feature?

  Not at this time. However, you could use our Forms Manager Module to create a custom trouble ticket form that can be used for issue reporting or vehicle maintenance problems, for example.

• What reports do you offer?

  We have many different reports available for you to access. Reports are also filterable, and sortable and most are “exportable” to Excel.

  Examples of reports include:

  • Open Shift
  • Overtime Projection
  • Event Attendees
  • Time Card / Timekeeping / Payroll
  • Availability Report
  • Service Report by Position
  • Service Report by Month
  • Member List / Database
  • Missed Punch & Exception Reporting (Time Clock)
  • Missed Shifts
  • Absentee & Late Report
  • PTO Report
  • & more…
• Does eSchedule sync with other calendars or software?

  Employees have the option to export their upcoming shifts/schedules to the iCal format which is the most commonly accepted calendar format. They can then sync the iCal file with Outlook, Google Calendar, etc.

• What do employees see when they login?

  If your employees have any certifications that are nearing expiration, they will receive an alert each time they log in. Also, if they have any unread messages, it will notify them as such. After that, your employee will see the main ‘dashboard’ which is a summary of upcoming shifts, messages, shift bids/swaps, PTO information, and upcoming events.

• Does eSchedule store social security numbers or pay rate information?

  Not by default. You can elect to use the “User Defined Fields” option to add these fields to the user profile if you wish.

• What is the Events Calendar?

  The Events Calendar is an easy-to-use, flexible tool to allow for the creation of both internal and external events. If you have an upcoming staff meeting or training event, place it on the calendar. Your employees can then log in and sign-up to attend the event. After it’s over, you can do a simple time card export which gives credit to those employees who attended the event (this will carry through to payroll).

• Can you handle rotations or recurring shift patterns?

  Any rotation(s) you might have can be programmed into our software. Examples include; weekly, 24/48, 48/96, Kelly, Dupont, etc.

• Do you have a shift “giveaway” feature?

  Yes. Your member can “post” their shift for someone to work for them. An e-mail and text message will be sent to all cleared members who are eligible to work that position/shift.

• Does eSchedule sync with other calendars or software?

  Employees have the option to export their upcoming shifts/ schedule to the iCal format which is the most commonly accepted calendar format. They can then sync the iCal file with Outlook, Google Calendar, etc.

• Can I customize the schedule?

  Yes. We’ll set you up with a custom schedule ‘template’ that is comprised of whatever units/shifts/times/positions you want. Our software is designed specifically to meet the needs of public service agencies. Examples include:

  • Station 1, Station 2
  • West Station, East Station
  • Night Shift, Day Shift
  • Medic, Driver, EMT, BLS, ALS, FF, Trainee, Other, Rider/Observer, Paramedic, Pump Operator, Interior Firefighter

  These are just examples. We will make sure your schedule functions how you’d like it.

• Can you filter the schedule? How can I view it?

  Yes. We can setup custom filters that allow you to view the schedule by various criteria. You can also see the schedule using hourly, daily, weekly or monthly views. You can also setup views by department or division.

• Can any of my employees work any shift on the schedule?

  That depends. They will only be able to sign-up to work for shifts/positions in which they’re cleared for. In the user profile, you control which “positions” each employee is cleared to work.

• Can I remove someone from a single instance of a recurring/rotating shift?

  Yes.

• Can I remove someone from all instances of a recurring/rotating shift?

  Yes.

• Can I close out shifts on my schedule template so they don’t appear on the schedule?

  Yes, you can. Employees can’t sign-up or bid for any shift(s) that you close out.

• Will the schedule allow someone to be scheduled in two places?

  No. Any given member/employee can only be in one place on the schedule at any given time.

• When I’m looking at the schedule, what do the icons next to the people’s names mean?

  These are configurable to indicate employees who work a certain position such as a trainer, FTO, or some other special position/certification.

• What are the rules around submitting availability?

  Availability rules can be set up however you wish. For example, some agencies require availability to be submitted by the “Xth” day of each month. If you tell us when that is, we will restrict access to it after that same day each month (just an example) or, leave it open to submit at any time.

• What is the AutoScheduler feature?

  Our AutoScheduler uses the schedule template and your employees’ submitted availability and automatically creates a recommended schedule for you. It uses a number of hours per week/pay period as well as the hire date to create a proposed ideal schedule. As a schedule administrator, you will have the opportunity to approve/deny any portion of the suggested schedule prior to publishing it.

• Can I split a shift?

  Yes. Our software is smart enough to allow you to place an employee in a shift but only for a portion of it. For example, on a 0700-1700 shift, if you add John Doe from 0700-1200, eSchedule will automatically create an open shift for the balance (1200-1700).

• How can my employees pick-up an open shift?

  We offer three (3) different options for you to choose from:

  1. You can allow any member to pick up any open shift (that they’re qualified to work) at any time without the approval needed. We call this DIRECT SIGN-ON.
  2. You can allow your members to ‘bid’ on a shift which then requires review by a schedule administrator prior to placing them on the schedule.
  3. Or, we can set up a ‘hybrid’ solution. This allows employees under a certain number of hours (that you pick) to automatically pick up an open shift. If they’ve exceeded the maximum number of hours for the week or pay period, then it requires review by an administrator.
• Availability View: What’s the difference between the names in gray vs. black?

  Members who’s names are in gray are already working at some point during that day. If their name is black, they’re available but not currently working that day.

• Can my employees request to “swap” or “trade” a shift?

  Yes. Your employees can swap or “trade” a shift with another employee. E-mail alerts are sent and the other member can approve or deny the request. If your agency is setup to require administrative approval for shift changes, the scheduling admin will receive an e-mail notifying them of the request, asking for their approval.

• When an employee picks up or bids on a shift, can they include their comments?

  Yes, there is a “comments” field they can use to send a note to the scheduler along with their request.

• How can my employees submit their availability?

  Your employees will view a calendar and they can click on the various dates and shifts they’re available to work. They can even enter a custom time if they’re only available for a portion of a shift.

• I have a member who is working a regular shift but is also attending an event or meeting at our agency at that time. Will they be paid twice?

  Possibly. You need to be sure to not place time on that employee’s time card for the meeting/event if they’re already working and punched in.

• How do you account for pay periods or days of the week?

  Pay periods can be set up to start/end at any day or time. ie. Sunday at 0000; Monday at 0600, etc. -weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, 28-day, and more.

• How do you calculate time for the time cards?

  Based on your company policy. Our time clock is the most powerful in the industry. We can handle any time calculations your agency may have. We’ll make sure your time card process is seamless, easy, and accurate.

• Our agency’s time calculation is complicated. Can you handle it?

  Without a doubt. We’ll ensure your time clock and time card/payroll export is spot on. This includes custom pay codes and calculations for things like:

  • PTO / Vacation
  • Comp Time
  • Sick Time
  • Personal
  • Unpaid
  • Training
  • Admin
  • Holidays
• How does timecard data get into our payroll system?

  Our Timekeeping Module will export time card data in any format you might need. If your payroll provider or software has a specific format, please let us know. Chances are we can make it work. Generally, the file format is .CSV, .XLSX, or .TXT.

• Can employees punch in/out?

  We offer many options to track time. One of which is a standard punch in & out.

  The time clock is web-based. After your member logs in, they simply click the CLOCK IN button. They can enter a comment along with their ‘punch’. We will customize the time clock’s logic to suit your needs. For example, if you want to allow your members the ability to punch in 15 minutes early, that’s no problem. It’s all up to you.

• Can my employees punch in/out from anywhere?

  That depends. Most customers choose to restrict access to the time clock. We can set it up to allow punches from anywhere or just from the places you specify (using the computer name, MAC address, or IP address). Administrators can manage punches manually from anywhere.

• What happens if someone is late or absent?

  This will create an ‘exception’ in the system. Administrators can monitor the Exception Report from anywhere at any time. Exceptions include punch in early/late, punch out early/late, not scheduled, etc. As the administrator, you will need to review and approve/edit/deny any exceptions prior to closing out the pay cycle.

• Does eSchedule take care of tracking sick and personal time?

  Yes.

• Can someone request paid time off (PTO) if their bank of hours is empty?

  We can allow for “negative PTO” requests if you’d like. This would allow your employee to have approved PTO for time off in the future, but prior to actually accruing that time.

• What is Labor Distribution?

  Want to know how much labor is expended at each station? That’s labor distribution in a nutshell. Labor distribution allows you to categorize your employees’ hours so you can pay them from different pay codes, centers, or departments.

• How does time card data get exported to my payroll provider?

  The power of the time card export process is extreme! It’s so quick and simple. After you’ve verified that all your employees’ time cards are correct, all it takes is the click of a button. The data is compiled and a file is created that you can send to your payroll provider.

• What’s the overtime projection report?

  One of the ways we’ll help you save money is by keeping overtime to a minimum. By using the overtime projection report, you’ll have a sense of the amount of overtime upcoming and can make staffing changes accordingly.

• How can I enter time for a large group of employees for a meeting or training?

  There are a couple of different ways to handle this. By using our ‘multi-punch’ tool, you can punch in/out a large number of employees all with a single click. Or, you can use the Events Calendar feature to allow your members to sign up for an event (staff meeting, training, etc.). Once the event is over, simply verify their attendance and export the time to their time card.

• Can eSchedule keep track of “comp” time?

  Yes. This allows your employees to work shifts that can be tracked and rewarded with comp time, to be redeemed later. This is a custom setup that will be built around your company’s specific policies (holidays, overtime, paying at 1.5 times, etc.).

• How does the certification tracking work?

  You can enter as many certification “types” as you need (CPR, ACLS, PALS, FF1, EVOC/CEVO, etc.). Once you’ve entered all of them, you can enter expiration dates for each of your members. They will be alerted when their certification is nearing expiration.

• Can I upload scans of certification cards/certificates?

  Yes. Feel free to scan in copies of your employees’ certifications and upload them to eSchedule. We accept any common file format for images. If you upload JPGs, we can even create one file that your members can use to view all their cards on one page!

• What happens when someone logs in and a required certification has lapsed?

  The member can log in but they will be in a ‘read-only’ mode. They won’t be able to clock in or pick up shifts, for example. This ensures you don’t send someone on a call with an expired certification resulting in a potential fine.

• What is the CME module?

  The CME module allows your training department to easily track progress toward recertification. We will customize this area to meet the needs of your state or certification process. For example, EMT-B providers in New York need 24 hours of core training over 3 years. The CME module allows you to enter classes that qualify for the necessary training. Your members will always have access to view their status toward recertification.

• What’s the difference between the Certification & CME modules?

  The certification module allows you to enter any number or type of certifications your members may need. The CME module is tailored specifically to your state’s continuing medical education requirements and is used to track progress toward a specific set of classes and # of hours for recertification.

• Can I send out messages to all my employees?

  Of course. Our messaging feature is very powerful. You can send an internal message (within the software), an e-mail blast, text messages, or a message to your member’s digital pagers. You can even attach files and see when someone reads your message!

• How does group messaging work?

  We automatically create message groups based on your agency’s unique setup. You can also create unlimited custom “groups” of people to message on your own. Name the groups however you’d like. The power is in your hands.

• Does eSchedule send automatic e-mail notifications?

  Yes. There are a number of automatic e-mail notifications that get sent to users and/or administrators. This includes shift pick-up requests, PTO requests, shift approvals, etc. We also send out an automatic weekly e-mail to all your members that show their schedule, upcoming open shifts for the week, and expiring certifications. The system alerts (emails, texts) come from admin@emseschedule.com. The “From” name would be your agency/department name.

• Can my employees send out messages to everyone?

  That’s up to you. We can set it up so that only administrators can send out mass messages. Or, we can allow your members to also use this feature.

• Can I attach more than one file to a group e-mail message?

  Yes.

• Can employees edit their own profile information?

  They can edit some, but not all of their data. They can change their contact information, messaging preferences, and password. All other data is managed by administrators.

• What’s the Vehicle Maintenance Module?

  You can track your fleets’ mileage, costs and budgets, routine and unscheduled maintenance issues, and more!

• How does the Document Library work?

  Think of the document library as a web-based storage drive. You can create an unlimited number of folders and upload files to each of them. All your members can access these files at any time. This is great for reference materials such as SOGs, SOPs, protocols, policies, or any other file you may wish to share.

• Can I create custom fields in the employee profile?

  Yes. They can be a date, list, number, or open text. You can make these fields required or not. Some examples for which you might use this would be:

  • Creating custom member types (life member, auxiliary)
  • Adding “clearance” dates
  • Adding dates when a member is approved by the Board
• What is the Equipment Tracking Module?

  This is great for tracking any equipment or items you issue to your members. Jackets, pagers, keys, radios, etc. You can see a report by each member that shows all the items they possess.

• Do you offer inventory tracking?

  The software is not meant to track true inventory for things like medical supplies.

• What is Forms Manager?

  This great feature lets you take nearly any paper form you may have and place it online. We will create a custom form for your agency based on what you currently use. This is great for rig/vehicle/truck checks, gear checks, drug/CS checks, uniform requests, and more. The forms are specific to your agency and are built from scratch.

• What is the Reward Points Module?

  The Reward Points Module allows you to reward your members with points for time spent with your organization. Members can login, view and track their points balance as well as request to redeem points.