Faster Background Investigations
Fire Departments &
First Responders
Guardian helps fire departments and other public safety agencies investigate applicants without the paperwork chaos, missed references, or documentation gaps that slow you down and create risk.
See Guardian in Action
Watch how Guardian helps fire departments work faster and hire with confidence.
Hiring Shouldn’t Be a Second Job
You’re running a fire department – not a document processing center. But somewhere along the way, hiring turned into binders, spreadsheets, email chains, and status calls from candidates wondering where they stand.
The process works until it doesn’t. A missing reference. A document that was never uploaded. And when hiring decisions get challenged, the paper trail you thought you had starts to look thin.
Guardian replaces the patchwork with a single platform built for public safety hiring, so your team spends less time chasing paperwork and more time getting qualified firefighters on the floor.
Trusted by Over 1,500 Public Safety Agencies Nationwide
Guardian has supported background investigations for public safety agencies across 48 states for nearly a decade.
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Biloxi Fire Department (MS)
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Atlanta Police Department (GA)
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St. Petersburg Fire Rescue (FL)
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Philadelphia Police Department (PA)
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DeKalb County Fire Rescue (GA)
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Fort Worth Police Department (TX)
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Corona Fire Department (CA)
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Oakland Police Department (CA)
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Alameda County Fire Department (CA)
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California Department of State Hospitals (CA)
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Carrollton Fire Rescue (TX)
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Atlanta Fire Rescue (GA)
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Oklahoma City Police Department (OK)
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Alaska State Troopers (AK)
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Summerville Police Department (SC)
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Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (AZ)
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Mason City Police Department (IA)
One System. Every Step.
Everyone Aligned.
Applicants Complete Everything Online
Firefighter recruits fill out a comprehensive personal history questionnaire from their phone or computer. Built-in validation ensures required fields are completed correctly – so investigators aren’t chasing missing information after submission.
References Respond Without Follow-Up Calls
Investigators send reference requests with a single click. The system handles reminders automatically. When a reference completes their form, the investigator is notified instantly.
Issues Surface Early – Not Late
The Concerns Report flags potential problems during screening – before you commit resources to a full investigation. Answer history tracking shows if a firefighter recruit changed responses across applications.
Command Stays in the Loop
No one has to ask "where does this applicant stand?" Authorized personnel can see the investigation status and progress at any time while the approval ladder tracks reviews through each level of command in sequence.
Every Action is Logged
Timestamps. User actions. Document uploads. Notes. If a decision is ever questioned, the record is already built – consistent across every firefighter recruit.
Mitigate Your Risk
If a hiring decision is ever questioned, the record is already built.
Audit-Ready by Default
Every action is logged with a timestamp. Guardian tracks all user activities and maintains a complete investigation journal, creating a defensible record for every candidate.
Consistent, Defensible Hiring
Every candidate is reviewed the same way. The approval ladder ensures consistent review processes, and the system generates defensible records showing every candidate was treated the same way – critical for civil service scrutiny and union challenges.
What You Get With Guardian
One platform built for public safety hiring.
Applicant Portal
Firefighter recruits complete questionnaires, upload documents, and track their progress from any device. Automated reminders keep them moving without investigator follow-up.
Personal History Questionnaire
One of the most comprehensive PHQ solutions available – shaped by nearly a decade of collaboration with agencies of all sizes. Built-in validation reduces incomplete submissions.
Concerns Report
Flags potential issues during screening so investigators aren’t surprised late in the process. Tracks answer changes across applications.
Automated Reference Outreach
Send reference forms with one click. Automated reminders handle follow-up. Investigators are notified when forms are completed.
Investigation Center
Investigations are segmented by area – employment, financial, neighborhood, social media. PHQ data pulls in automatically. Completion checklists let supervisors track progress without interrupting investigators.
Approval Ladder
Routes completed investigations through command review in sequence. Tracks who has reviewed, who’s next, and logs all approvals.
Audit-Ready Documentation
Every action is timestamped and logged. Investigation journal captures submissions, activities, and notes – creating a defensible record for every firefighter recruit.
Secure File Sharing
Share investigation files with external auditors or investigators through a time-limited, trackable portal with two-factor authentication.
Efficient Spending
The real cost is the hours you’re losing.
We get it. Budgets are tight. But here’s what departments tell us after switching to Guardian: investigators report cutting their time per investigation by 50%. That’s hours no longer spent chasing references, re-requesting documents, or manually tracking firefighter recruit status.
Those hours either come off the overtime budget – or go back to the floor where they belong.
Guardian doesn’t add cost. It recovers capacity you’re already paying for.
Hours per Investigation
50% Time Reduction
FREE TRIAGE
Guardian’s Triage Center lets you digitally collect questionnaires and documents from applicants, review their answers, and decide whether to move forward – all without a per-applicant charge.
Pay Per Investigation
Add as many firefighter recruits as you want. Pre-screen your entire applicant pool. You’re only billed for investigations you actually assign.
Easy
Guardian doesn’t require any special hardware to be purchased and can be accessed from virtually anywhere. There are no upfront fees, no training fees, no installation costs, no long-term contract or commitment, and all records are stored electronically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is fire department background investigation software?
Fire department background investigation software is a digital platform that streamlines the entire hiring process for fire departments – from applicant questionnaires and reference checks to investigation tracking and command approval. Guardian replaces manual processes (paper forms, spreadsheets, email chains) with a single system that keeps all stakeholders aligned and creates audit-ready documentation.
How long does a firefighter background check take with Guardian?
Guardian cuts investigation time by approximately 50% compared to manual processes. While the exact timeline depends on your department’s requirements and candidate complexity, departments report that automated reference outreach, built-in validation, and centralized documentation significantly reduce the time investigators spend chasing missing information and tracking status.
How much does Guardian cost for fire departments?
Guardian uses a pay-per-investigation model with no per-applicant fees. You can screen unlimited candidates using the Triage Center at no charge – you’re only billed when you assign a full investigation. Pricing is customized based on your department’s size and hiring volume. Contact us for a quote specific to your needs.
Can firefighter recruits complete the background investigation forms on their phone?
Yes. Guardian’s applicant portal is fully mobile-responsive. Firefighter recruits can complete their personal history questionnaire, upload documents, and track their progress from any device – phone, tablet, or computer. The system saves progress automatically, so candidates can complete forms in multiple sessions.
How does Guardian handle reference checks for firefighter candidates?
Investigators send reference forms with a single click. The system automatically sends reminders to references who haven’t responded, and notifies investigators immediately when forms are completed. This eliminates the phone tag and follow-up emails that typically slow down background investigations.
Is Guardian compliant with fire department civil service requirements?
Yes. Guardian creates audit-ready documentation by logging every action with timestamps, tracking all user activities, and maintaining a complete investigation journal. The approval ladder ensures consistent review processes, and the system generates defensible records showing every candidate was treated the same way – critical for civil service scrutiny and union challenges.
Which fire departments use Guardian?
Guardian is trusted by over 1,500 public safety agencies across 48 states, including fire departments like Biloxi Fire Department (MS), St. Petersburg Fire Rescue (FL), DeKalb County Fire Rescue (GA), Corona Fire Department (CA), Alameda County Fire Department (CA), Carrollton Fire Rescue (TX), and Atlanta Fire Rescue (GA), along with police departments and state agencies.
What happens if a firefighter recruit has missing or incomplete information?
Guardian’s built-in validation prevents incomplete submissions at the point of entry. Required fields are marked clearly, and candidates cannot submit forms with missing information. This front-end validation means investigators aren’t chasing documents or answers after submission – a common problem with paper-based systems.
SECURE & compliant
Guardian understands the sensitivity of the information that is collected from applicants, references, and other sources during the course of an investigation. As such, security is of high importance for the safety of applicants and our future first responders.
AWS
GOVCLOUD
Guardian is hosted and secured on Amazon Web Services (AWS GovCloud US).
CJIS
COMPLIANT
Guardian complies with the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services security policy.
Secure File Sharing
Share investigation files with external auditors or investigators through a time-limited, trackable portal with two-factor authentication.
