HRchitect Stabilizes Critical UKG Pro WFM & TeleStaff Implementation for Brindlee Fire Services

Client Background

Brindlee Fire Services, a provider of emergency response operations across multiple states in the U.S., divested from Global Medical Response (GMR) and became an independent organization. As part of this transition, Brindlee needed to quickly build its own workforce management infrastructure to ensure firefighters and staff could be scheduled accurately and paid on time.

Brindlee operates across multiple regions of the country, including the West Coast, East Coast, and Midwest, and supports a diverse workforce that includes multiple unions, employee types, and scheduling rules. Given the complexity of public safety scheduling and labor agreements, Brindlee relies heavily on UKG Pro WFM and UKG TeleStaff to manage timekeeping, scheduling, and payroll readiness.

The Challenge

Following its divestiture from GMR, Brindlee Fire Services faced an urgent and high-risk challenge: they needed a fully functional workforce management system in place before losing access to GMR’s environment. While GMR provided Brindlee with configuration files from UKG Pro WFM, Brindlee had never actually seen or used the system, and by the time HRchitect was engaged, the delivered configurations no longer aligned with operational realities.

Complicating matters further, Brindlee had previously partnered with another services provider that lacked the specialized knowledge required to properly configure UKG TeleStaff. As a result, the system was in a fragile state, data required extensive cleanup, and core scheduling and pay processes were not reliable. The configuration had diverged so significantly from best practices that starting from scratch would have been easier in many areas.

With payroll deadlines looming and no margin for error, Brindlee needed a partner that could step in immediately, stabilize the system, rebuild critical functionality, and get the organization live. Failure to do so would have directly impacted employee scheduling, pay accuracy, and operational readiness.

Client Profile

• Brindlee Fire Services provides comprehensive fire protection, EMS, and emergency vehicle solutions, and was previously a part of Global Medical Response (GMR)
• Headquartered in Union Grove, Alabama
• Approximately 1,200 employees

The Project

This was not a standard engagement. Brindlee Fire Services turned to HRchitect for emergency support after recognizing the need for extensive UKG Pro WFM and TeleStaff expertise. Unlike their previous partner, HRchitect has a dedicated UKG TeleStaff practice and extensive experience supporting complex, public safety workforces. What would normally be a six-month implementation effort was compressed into an aggressive four week timeline. HRchitect was tasked with rebuilding and stabilizing UKG Pro WFM and TeleStaff configurations, cleaning up data, validating schedules and pay rules, and ensuring the system was fully operational before Brindlee’s cutoff from GMR.

Two HRchitect practice directors became directly involved, and consultants from both the East Coast and West Coast teams collaborated intensively, under an extremely compressed timeline to meet the deadline. The entire team rallied around the project, knowing that the success of Brindlee’s transition, and the ability for firefighters to be scheduled and paid correctly, depended on flawless execution.

HRchitect’s consultants were able to rapidly clarify system concepts and configurations that Brindlee had struggled to understand for months with their prior partner, often resolving issues in one or two meetings. By focusing first on what mattered most, getting employees scheduled and payroll-ready, the team delivered a phased approach, prioritizing go-live stability in Phase 1 and planning refinements and cleanup for Phase 2.

Key Benefits

• Rapid System Stabilization: UKG Pro WFM and TeleStaff were rebuilt and stabilized in record time, enabling Brindlee to operate independently after divesting from GMR.
• Accurate Scheduling & Payroll Readiness: The system was configured to support complex fire service scheduling, union rules, and pay requirements, ensuring employees could be scheduled and paid correctly.
• Expert TeleStaff Consultants: HRchitect’s dedicated TeleStaff practice provided specialized knowledge, eliminating critical configuration gaps.
• Improved Confidence & Clarity: Brindlee gained a clear understanding of their system and processes, replacing months of confusion with fast, effective decision-making.
• Phased Optimization Approach: Phase 1 focused on immediate operational needs, while Phase 2 allows for ongoing cleanup, refinement, and optimization without business disruption.

The Results

The project was a resounding success. HRchitect successfully brought Brindlee Fire Services live on UKG Pro WFM and TeleStaff ahead of the deadline, going live a full week early despite the extreme time constraints and complexity.

Brindlee is now fully operational on its own workforce management platform, with employees reliably scheduled and payroll processing supported by a stable system. The client’s confidence in HRchitect has led to multiple contract renewals and the purchase of additional support hours, with HRchitect continuing to provide ongoing TeleStaff expertise and Phase 2 optimization services.

As Brindlee’s Business System Analyst shared:

“HRchitect was a strong partner throughout our UKG Pro WFM and TeleStaff implementation! Their team brought deep product knowledge, asked the right questions, and worked collaboratively with us to ensure a smooth and successful rollout. Their project management, training, and overall help were top tier!”

— Business System Analyst, Brindlee Fire Services

Most importantly, HRchitect transformed what initially seemed like an impossible situation into a successful go-live, reinforcing why organizations facing high-stakes, complex workforce challenges turn to HRchitect when outcomes truly matter.