Our Promise

Who we are

We’re two career firefighters who have worked in both model agencies and flat‑out toxic ones. We’ve seen promotions earned, and we’ve seen whistle‑blowers black‑balled. Instead of shrugging and moving on, we built RateMyDepartment.com so every firefighter and police‑officer can speak the truth without fear of retaliation.

Why this site matters

  1. Transparency drives improvement – Sunlight and honest feedback are still the most effective tools for wiping out complacency, favoritism, and outright corruption.
  2. Accountability protects lives – When a crew works under poor leadership, response times, training, and morale all suffer. Those failures put citizens at risk, not just personnel.
  3. Shared knowledge changes careers – A single review can steer a rookie away from a burnout factory or highlight a great agency they’d never considered.

Our promise to you

  • Anonymity first. We never display or share the email tied to an account. Departments can paste every address they have into the sign‑up form; they’ll get nothing back.

  • Zero tolerance for doxxing. Any attempt to identify, threaten, or harass a reviewer results in an immediate ban and, if needed, legal action.

  • No hidden agendas. We aren’t funded by unions, vendors, cities, or political groups. Server bills come out of our own pockets and optional site ads.

  • Continuous hardening. We audit security, strip all IP logs that aren’t legally required, and patch loopholes (like the recent “email‑lookup” exploit) the moment we spot them.

  • Open line to us. Hit the “Contact” link any time. If something feels off or unsafe, we’ll listen first and fix second.

What we ask of you

  • Share your story. Good, bad, or ugly—your review adds another pixel to the big picture.

  • Stay factual. Call leadership out, but keep it truthful and free of personal info. Credibility is king.

  • Spread the word. Send the link to one teammate who’s still on the fence. Change scales fast when voices multiply.

The road ahead

We’re optimists. We’ve already seen chiefs rethink policies after reading honest feedback here. Some departments won’t change until city councils or the public force them to—this site arms both groups with evidence. Others simply need to hear their crews to improve. Either way, silence helps no one.

If you’re in a great agency, celebrate it. If you’re stuck in a nightmare, document it. Together we can shine some light and make every department a place we’re proud to serve.

Stay safe!