CAL FIRE moves from RMS frustration to enterprise-scale First Due rollout
CAL FIRE moved from RMS frustration to a rapid First Due rollout, taking an idea sparked at a conference to a live deployment across a highly complex statewide organization.
"I have not been told no so far. And every single time I tell him... Yes... it's just been great since we kind of signed on to this adventure."
Operational Impact & Key Outcomes
From December idea to July go-live
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572 stations in one transition
Leadership kept saying yes
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The Story
Background
CAL FIRE is a large, complex statewide organization. Battalion Chief Mike Morlan was looking for a platform that could support the department's operational needs and future direction.
Challenge
Morlan said the department was struggling with its then-current RMS and was not getting what it wanted from the system. He wanted a platform that could support integrations and a broader operational vision.
Solution
After meeting First Due at a conference and exploring capabilities around integrations, incident reporting, Tablet Command, Axon, and connected operations, Morlan pushed the conversation forward with department leadership. The process moved quickly from initial discussions in December to demos and implementation planning.
Results
By July, CAL FIRE was live on First Due after an aggressive implementation timeline. Morlan described strong internal support and continued interest in expanding beyond incident reporting as the organization worked through the realities of deploying at significant scale.
About
CAL FIRE
Quick facts
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Move from a disconnected RMS to a connected operational platform.
First Due helps complex fire service organizations connect incident reporting, integrations, command, and operational workflows in one platform.
In their own words:
- What prompted CAL FIRE to consider a new RMS platform?
- Morlan said the department was struggling with its then-current RMS and did not believe it could support where he wanted the program to go.
- What stood out during the First Due evaluation?
- Morlan focused on the breadth of the platform and asked about integrations, Tablet Command, Axon, incident reporting, and other connected capabilities.
- How quickly did CAL FIRE move from idea to go-live?
- Morlan described initial conversations beginning in December and said the organization was live by July, calling the timeline aggressive.
- What did the rollout show about internal support?
- Morlan said he had not been told no as he brought forward additional First Due capabilities, describing strong support for the broader platform vision.
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