Common Questions

See what other public safety leaders are thinking

When should we evaluate system performance and consider changes?

Really at the point where you realize the current system is not working for you, it's not yielding the results you need. It may not even be meeting the compliance needs that you have. Just like leaving a relationship that isn't working for you, when the time is right, you know that this isn't sustainable and you need to look at other options.

How do we maintain momentum and engagement after go-live?

It's important to show your department wins as a result of the change they've made. Show them new data points where they're performing well that we now have visibility into that we didn't know before and the time savings everyone's getting. Just really highlighting the success and keeping everyone excited about your progress towards your goals is important.

How do departments ensure high adoption after initial training?

Making it not optional. The transition to a new software solution is not something that people can take lightly. They have to know that this is a hard cutover that changes the way they're going to work every day. Take away the old tools they used before and force them onto the new ones.

What are best practices for tracking bugs, feature requests, and fixes?

For things like bugs, defects, fixes, feature requests, we utilize a platform called Aha and we allow you to request features and track the popularity and progress of those requests. As far as bugs and fixes, you're submitting tickets to our support team and they're keeping you constantly updated on when those defects and fixes are going to be updated.

How often should we meet with the vendor post-launch?

It really depends on what your motivation is and what you're trying to achieve. I would expect that you would speak with your vendor probably at least once every month. But there may not be a need for more than a quarterly business check and it depends on what you're trying to do, how much vendor input you need.

What kind of fallback plan should we have if things go wrong?

Any plan to make change always needs to allow for things to go wrong. As long as we have a backup plan for how we would document and keep our operations running in the event that we were without software for a day, we should always have that in the back burner ready to activate if that should happen.

What data should we migrate from our legacy systems?

I would always suggest as much data that can be brought over get brought over. There are some types of data that are unstructured that make it difficult to port from one system to another, but anything that we can bring over, I would suggest bringing over. The whole point of solutions like this is to organize your data and allow you to make data-driven decisions.

Should we do a soft launch with one station or go live department-wide?

It really depends on your own department's timing and how much time you have to roll this out. If time is not an issue and you want to do a soft launch with one station, that makes a ton of sense. It limits the amount of challenges you might have going live with every station on the first shot, but it really depends what makes the most sense for your department and timeline.

What should we monitor closely during the first 30/60/90 days post-launch?

I would really monitor the quality of the data coming in on your incidents. I would monitor that they're being completed on time. I would really want to make sure that data is starting to flow through into reports, making sure that you're getting the information that you need out of those calls to run a data-driven organization.

What common issues come up during go-live?

Any software transition, there's likely to be a bump or two. Training could be uneven. Some people are going to be more ready to utilize new software than others. Oftentimes we'll discover something during go live that maybe wasn't configured exactly the way you wanted it. We might have to go back and make a change, but nobody should think that the system you go live with is the be all and end all. Everything is an iterative process.

How do we conduct UAT (User Acceptance Testing) for public safety systems?

Most agencies in conducting UAT are trying to set up test scenarios. Once the solution is live, we're wanting to push a CAD call through and run an EMS call and a fire call. You're just going through the steps you would take in a normal day-to-day action and making sure that the way the software's configured allows for your processes to work smoothly and efficiently.

What is the process for mapping existing SOPs/SOGs into the new platform?

This is something you're going to meet with each of our product specialists about during the implementation period. When you're brought together with an ePCR product specialist, you're going to talk with them about what your existing SOPs and SOGs are and start to formulate the documentation of how you want your solution to work.

How do we verify data integrity during migration?

The persons who know the most about the integrity of the data being imported is the organization. So we do need participation from the organization implementing the software to verify that the data is correct. Our team will put together the templates and columns and spreadsheets of where that data needs to go, but ultimately the contents of that data and validation falls on the department.

How customizable are the forms, workflows, and fields during setup?

Very customizable. We're trying to allow for agencies to have as much flexibility as they need to make the system work for them, rather than having to configure their workflows around our system.

How do we prepare legacy CAD, ePCR, and inspection data for import?

Many vendors have simple export tools within their solutions where you can click a button and pull down those types of imports, but many others do not. In most cases you likely have to contact your vendor and ask them what the easiest way is to retrieve your data, then usually we want to get to a CSV or Excel output that we can then merge and combine with our import fields.

Should we designate internal superusers or rely on vendor-led training?

It's not either or, it's both. You're going to want super users to develop within your organization and they naturally will as the software starts getting utilized. Whether you use vendor led training or train the trainer model, having key internal super users participating in your project is going to be important.

What should the admin vs. end user permissions look like?

The administrator permissions are designed to give them tools to configure the system in a way that benefits their organization. The admin is trying to create an environment allowing for the collection of data across the organization as efficiently as possible, where end users are being trained and simply needed to enter that data.

How do other agencies train staff during a software transition?

There are really two models that most agencies adopt. Many agencies adopt a train the trainer model where we spend extensive time training all of the people implementing the solution to allow them to turn around and train the rest of their department. There are also departments that opt for an all inclusive training program where First Due schedules various sessions with all their different shifts.

What role should command staff vs. frontline personnel play during setup?

It really depends on the set of modules you're implementing and the roles that each type of member of your team has. Obviously command staff is going to have to have a large focus when implementing something like incident command, but when implementing something like scheduling, command staff may or may not have as large a stake in that.

How do we determine if our department is ready for implementation?

The question is really how do we determine if our department is ready to purchase new software. At the time that we've purchased new software because our previous solution was not working or had too many gaps or was causing too many inefficiencies, we went through an evaluation process, selected a vendor and made our purchase. That's typically the time to kickoff implementation.

Who should be on our software implementation team?

You want people that know your processes the best on your software implementation team. People who know how your department functions, people who know your processes, people who can take manual processes and make them come to life within our software and can give feedback about when things aren't working or need to be improved.

What internal resources (personnel, time) are needed during onboarding?

You should expect to commit one person for at least half of their time for the period of implementation. Depending on how many modules you have, it may be multiple people, but it's important that one person internally owns the implementation and serves as project manager on the customer side. About two days of their week would be dedicated to this.

Should we roll out all modules at once or phase them in?

It really depends on the staff you have available to work on the implementation. If possible, the best practice would be to have a stakeholder overseeing each individual module, but not all departments have a bunch of people to put in an implementation. When possible you want to do them all at once, but when you have limited resources or priorities, you can take a phased approach.

How long does it typically take to fully implement a new RMS or ePCR?

It really depends on the size of your organization. We have agencies that are able to roll this out in as little as 60 days at a small organization, but it may take six months to a year for larger metros, big states, multi agency deals.

What should be included in a Fire/EMS software implementation plan?

You want to put the configuration in place that's going to work to solve the problems for your department. You want stakeholders on both fire and EMS side committed to working together. One of the biggest challenges is that two different departments have different goals but share a run form, so you need agreement on how to perform documentation and roll out solutions.

What role does IT typically play in procurement at other agencies?

Because we're a SaaS solution native to the cloud, there really isn't a high lift from IT in our procurements. Usually IT is performing possibly a security review at most, but really no effort is needed by IT to implement our software.

How often do departments reevaluate or switch software vendors?

Departments should probably reevaluate software vendors every three to five years. It usually takes about a year to get implemented, a year to see how the solution is working, and then a year to perfect it.

Are fire agencies using grant funding for software upgrades?

Yes, many fire agencies who are stretched for funds are looking at grant funding to buy software solutions and upgrade the ones they have. There are a number of national grants that fire agencies can take advantage of.

Are departments aligning their RMS with Community Risk Reduction goals?

Those departments adopting tools like Community Connect module are seeing great effects like lower response times because high rise buildings can prepare for arrival of medics, and responders can see information about immobile adults or oxygen tanks before arriving on scene.

How do other departments ensure high user adoption?

By configuring the system around making their department run more efficiently. When EMS providers can see that they can record their radio report and fill out half their run form, they start to see the benefits and time savings of adopting newer technologies.

How do small or volunteer departments handle implementation?

Smaller volunteer departments handle implementation typically the same way that other departments do. It's easier to organize when you have a small department because you can probably have one class session. The volunteer department might make it more difficult because you'll have to schedule meetings in the evening or when folks can attend.

What challenges do departments face in software adoption?

There's always going to be resistance to change. That's human nature. Any change is going to be viewed negatively until providers and responders understand the reason for it and that technology can make their lives easier rather than being a hindrance.

What mistakes do departments regret when switching software?

The biggest regret departments have is staying with older products because it's what they're used to rather than looking for new technologies and features that can improve their department. The cost of doing nothing keeps your department behind other departments that are adopting new technologies.

How long did it take other agencies to go paperless?

The process of moving to a paperless reporting system for both fire and EMS really started in the early 2000s with NFPA and NEMSIS. Over the last 20 years, most departments are submitting NFPA reports to FEMA and most EMS agencies submit data to their state government to remain compliant.

How are departments collecting and analyzing incident response data?

Fire departments are collecting and analyzing incident response data in different ways. There's a huge differentiation between responding to patient care events and responding to actual fires, with different reporting requirements for each type of event.

How are training hours tracked and audited in most departments?

Most departments are taking a sheet of paper at their training, having everyone sign in, and someone's going back to the computer after the training session. The challenge is allowing for training to go out into the field and be managed the same way that fire incidents are managed.

What tools are others using to manage fire prevention inspections?

Fire departments are using a variety of tools ranging from point solutions to large enterprise city management systems. First Due shines because all solutions are built to work with the fire RMS system, so all data collected in an inspection is automatically put to use when responding to that location.

How are departments using software to manage hydrant testing and updates?

They're using mobile devices that are leveraging software as a service to be able to go out in the field and in real time, document the flow tests and real time maintenance requests for hydrants.

Are departments standardizing workflows across shifts and divisions?

Yes, you see a huge increase in standard operational processes, or SOPs or SOGs, so that the level of service is maintained at a specific level across shifts and divisions throughout the entire jurisdiction.

How common is real-time data access in field operations?

It's becoming more and more common in terms of the expectation to be able to access data in real time to help support field operations.

Are agencies integrating scheduling, reporting, and inspections into one system?

Yes.

What features are most departments prioritizing when they upgrade?

Device agnostic, true cloud, and offline capability.

How fast are departments adopting cloud-based RMS platforms?

Probably one of the fastest growing market segments in fire and EMS right now.

Are departments moving away from on-premise systems?

Yes, an overwhelming majority of fire departments have recognized the benefits both operationally and technically of moving to a cloud based software as a service.

How are other departments handling the transition to NERIS?

By collaborating with a NERIS compliant software provider to ensure that their agency meets all federal and state requirements when it comes to incident documentation.

Are most departments using all-in-one systems or best-in-class modules?

If you look at the spectrum of fire departments across the United States today, the majority of them have migrated to an all in one system.

What software platforms are most fire departments using today?

The top three most commonly used software platforms in fire departments today are First Due, Image Trend and ESO.

What happens if the system fails—does it impact responder or public safety?

We have multiple fail over and redundancy technologies in place to ensure that public safety is not impacted in the situation of a system failure.

How resilient is the system (battery backup, offline use, redundancy)?

We have multiple redundancy infrastructure in place to make sure that we maintain a very high level of uptime. Many of our modules contain the capability of being able to be used offline to ensure that staff members can maintain operations whether they are online or offline.

How will success be measured after implementation, and what are the evaluation metrics?

Success criteria are defined before we get started with an implementation. Go live date, user adoption and user metrics are all comprised of a successful implementation process.

Who will manage the system day-to-day and handle technical or user issues?

Typically an admin team or cadre will be identified inside the organization who will be responsible for managing the day-to-day system and handle and triage the technical issues that are then submitted over to First Due who has a dedicated client success and support team.

What resources (hardware, staff, network) are required to run this system?

Our devices are hardware agnostic. So you can use our software on a computer, phone or tablet. So there are no specific hardware requirements, but you're going to need at least one of those things. Some sort of staff to run them and you really just need Internet connection in terms of networking capabilities.

How will the system be rolled out, supported, and maintained over time?

Typically, when we execute a contract, we will meet with the customer to identify specific priorities or contract termination dates to help us prioritize the rollout of any given project. We have multiple teams including an implementation manager, implementation subject matter experts and our training team to help guide how the system will be supported and maintained over time.

What exactly will this education/training technology improve, and who will be using it?

The staff members of an emergency service will be the ones using education and training technologies and ultimately it will improve the level of care that they can provide the community.

What technologies are available for EMS dispatch (CAD), and what should we ask vendors?

The three most important systems and technologies available for EMS are a 911 call handling solution that integrates with the computer aided dispatch system and the EMD (emergency medical dispatch), which gives the dispatchers the protocol to run a 911 caller through if they're calling about an EMS emergency. It gives them initial triage and instructions on how to care for the patient while EMS units are en route.

Is the platform customizable to our department's specific workflows and needs?

First Due software is fully customizable to meet the needs of specific departments workflows.

Does the platform support real-time data sharing across devices and field units?

The First Due platform supports real time data sharing across devices and field units, yes.

What measures are in place to prevent vendor lock-in and ensure access to our historical data?

By making sure that the vendor you choose is a cloud-based software as a service and making sure that the contract they sign includes migration of their historical data into the new system so that they can do effective year over year reporting that includes their historical data and any new data.

Will I need additional vendors for incident response, mapping, or CAD functionality?

CAD vendors do not provide incident response and mapping capabilities and so you would likely in this scenario need at least two vendors to support full CAD functionality along with incident response and mapping capabilities.

Can the software manage scheduling, training, fire prevention, pre-planning, and incident response effectively?

Yes, absolutely. There are software programs that can manage all of those things very effectively.

How can fire departments improve operational efficiency?

By adopting and implementing software programs that fully integrate with each other.

What is ePCR, and how does it improve patient care reporting?

ePCR stands for electronic Patient Care reports. Moving to an electronic patient care report from the old school methodology of paper allows the hospitals in which these patients are being transported to have much quicker access to what they're about to receive. By making this data electronic, it allows the receiving hospitals to have insight into their bandwidth and the specific level of care that will be required for the incoming patient.

How do I compare pricing for fire department analytics tools?

A comprehensive analysis of the various analytics tools on the market is the best way to compare pricing. Most of them offer at least high level pricing on their websites.

What is the role of mobile apps in emergency response?

Mobile apps are incredibly important because they allow and afford offline capability and most of them leverage the mobile device location services that are only available on mobile devices to help with things like firefighter location, which is incredibly important during an emergency response.

What is the difference between on-premise and cloud-based fire software?

On premise deployments require the organization to purchase and maintain their own server systems. It affords a bit more autonomy in terms of structuring the security and access to the platform. Whereas cloud based, you're leveraging a third party to manage all of the infrastructure that supports the deployment of the software.

How do EMS agencies manage personnel scheduling effectively?

By adopting an industry leading scheduling and timekeeping software program.

Where can I buy affordable EMS scheduling software?

First Due.

What are the challenges in scheduling for EMS agencies?

One of the biggest challenges is the multitude of structures that various EMS agencies take - there's fire-based EMS, straight up EMS only agencies, and combination departments. There are various levels of EMTs and paramedics, and making sure you have a well-rounded and diverse group of skill sets on each apparatus on a day-to-day basis is one of the biggest challenges.

What is the cheapest way to implement fire scheduling software?

Do it yourself.

What is NERIS compliance, and why is it important?

NERIS compliance is essentially the new set of data standards for data collection, and it's important that our federal government actually receive accurate information about the types of incidents and responses that fire and EMS organizations throughout the country respond to on a day-to-day basis. It drives the grant funding and federal funding that is afforded to these fire and EMS agencies to continue evolving the level of care they're providing.

What is the most affordable software for NERIS compliance?

The federal government actually provides agencies with direct access to import their incident documents directly.

What tools are available for managing fire department training?

There's a multitude of tools and fire department training extends from physical training and online training, and most agencies do a combination of both to manage the ultimate skill sets of their staff members.

What are the most affordable options for fire training management tools?

First Due combined with Action Training Systems is probably the most cost effective option in terms of providing your organization with the minimum requirements when it comes to fire training.

How do fire departments handle pre-incident planning?

On an annual basis, most fire departments require their crews to do annual building walkthroughs of all of the key target hazards inside their first due jurisdiction.

Can it maintain and update occupancy/hydrant/pre-plan records directly through the system?

First Due software program can maintain and update occupancy hydrant and pre plan records directly through the system.

What is the best value fire prevention software for small departments?

First Due.

Why is hydrant management important for fire services?

It's one of the most important pieces that insurance agencies look at when measuring the risk of a given area. Maintaining access to water is incredibly important for incident response, as we've learned recently in the last 12 months.

How does fire prevention software help reduce risks?

Understanding the true number of occupancies in your jurisdiction that require inspection, keeping track of how well you're doing on an annual basis in terms of visiting those locations to assess the year over year change of those occupancies is incredibly important in identifying risk inside of a jurisdiction.

What kind of user access or device setup is needed for station and field users?

This requires minimal device setup, but multi-factor authentication is really important to many agencies in terms of maintaining security and ensuring that user access is granted to just those in the organization that should have access to the system.

Do we need GIS integration to manage addresses, hydrants, and preplans?

Absolutely. GIS integrations and geospatial intelligence is imperative to successfully manage addresses, occupancy data, hydrants and the pre plans associated with incident response.

Is it better to buy one system or multiple best-in-class tools that integrate?

The vast majority of fire and EMS leaders across the country are very focused on consolidating all of their software under one system.

What tools can help us go fully digital for inspections and permits?

A system that allows full offline capability to conduct inspections and associate those inspections with the permits that those occupancies require.

Should we prioritize getting off paper first, or choose an all-in-one solution?

I would prioritize getting off of paper first for the minimum viable setup.

What's the minimum viable setup for a department that runs 100 calls/year?

A secondary notification tool and a radio system.

Can rural departments use the same systems as urban ones, or is that overkill?

Yes, it's very common for rural fire departments to use the same systems as urban organizations.

What do small-town EMS agencies need if they're mostly transport-based?

They will need a computer aided dispatch system, a secondary notification system, an ePCR for electronic patient care reporting, and if they're transport based, they're going to need some methodology of transferring that ePCR into the hospital systems in which they transport patients to.

Are there options tailored for combination departments?

Yes.

What kind of software do volunteer fire departments typically use?

Volunteer fire departments typically use a minimal amount of software. E-Dispatch is probably the most commonly used or a secondary notification tool is pretty much the only software that volunteer organizations typically use.

What's required to track ISO-relevant data across different workflows?

ISO ratings are comprised of multiple facets to monitor risk factor and how well an organization mitigates risk. There's an ISO grading rubric that tracks things like water access, pre plans, and training records and certifications.

How are training records and credential tracking usually managed?

Typically either tracked in an Excel workbook or a specific LMS (learning management) solution.

How do we ensure our data collection meets HIPAA and other compliance standards?

Most organizations go through a self reported compliance to ensure that they are HIPAA compliant.

What kind of software do we need to meet NERIS and NEMSIS reporting requirements?

You need to use an RMS system that is NERIS and NEMSIS compliant.

Will we need to upgrade our system for the NERIS transition?

In most cases, yes.

How do departments store and retrieve SOPs, SOGs, and documentation?

The vast majority of fire and EMS organizations store their SOPs and SOGs in an internal intranet hosted by the department. Other agencies use something like Microsoft.

How do fire prevention teams manage occupancy records and inspection tracking?

Typically that is done in a standalone prevention solution. But a lot of records management software programs allow you to store occupancy records and track inspections inside that records management solution.

What software do departments use to manage community risk reduction efforts?

There are a number of solutions out there in the market to help manage community risk reduction efforts. Typically they are included in a fire prevention software solution.

What tools do departments use for pre-incident planning?

That varies across organizations throughout the United States, but it can be everything from a three ring binder with a physical drawing to a software program like First Due that can help digitize those pre incident plans and make them much more operationally effective.

What software systems does a modern fire department actually need?

They need a computer aided dispatch system, a mobile responsive computer aided dispatch system, a records management system, an inspection system, and something to handle permitting and invoicing associated with their services.

Do we need a separate scheduling system or is that built into most RMS platforms?

Most RMS platforms do not have a scheduling system that's fully integrated. The vast majority of fire and EMS organizations have a separate scheduling solution. But there are solutions like First Due that offer that all in house as part of one solution.

Can one system handle incident reports, inspections, and training records?

Absolutely.

When should we evaluate system performance and consider changes?

How do we maintain momentum and engagement after go-live?

How do departments ensure high adoption after initial training?

What are best practices for tracking bugs, feature requests, and fixes?

How often should we meet with the vendor post-launch?

What kind of fallback plan should we have if things go wrong?

What data should we migrate from our legacy systems?

Should we do a soft launch with one station or go live department-wide?

What should we monitor closely during the first 30/60/90 days post-launch?

What common issues come up during go-live?

How do we conduct UAT (User Acceptance Testing) for public safety systems?

What is the process for mapping existing SOPs/SOGs into the new platform?

How do we verify data integrity during migration?

How customizable are the forms, workflows, and fields during setup?

Very customizable. We're trying to allow for agencies to have as much flexibility as they need to make the system work for them, rather than having to configure their workflows around our system.

How do we prepare legacy CAD, ePCR, and inspection data for import?

Should we designate internal superusers or rely on vendor-led training?

What should the admin vs. end user permissions look like?

How do other agencies train staff during a software transition?

What role should command staff vs. frontline personnel play during setup?

How do we determine if our department is ready for implementation?

Who should be on our software implementation team?

What internal resources (personnel, time) are needed during onboarding?

Should we roll out all modules at once or phase them in?

How long does it typically take to fully implement a new RMS or ePCR?

What should be included in a Fire/EMS software implementation plan?

What role does IT typically play in procurement at other agencies?

How often do departments reevaluate or switch software vendors?

Are fire agencies using grant funding for software upgrades?

Are departments aligning their RMS with Community Risk Reduction goals?

How do other departments ensure high user adoption?

How do small or volunteer departments handle implementation?

What challenges do departments face in software adoption?

What mistakes do departments regret when switching software?

How long did it take other agencies to go paperless?

How are departments collecting and analyzing incident response data?

How are training hours tracked and audited in most departments?

What tools are others using to manage fire prevention inspections?

How are departments using software to manage hydrant testing and updates?

They're using mobile devices that are leveraging software as a service to be able to go out in the field and in real time, document the flow tests and real time maintenance requests for hydrants.

Are departments standardizing workflows across shifts and divisions?

How common is real-time data access in field operations?

It's becoming more and more common in terms of the expectation to be able to access data in real time to help support field operations.

Are agencies integrating scheduling, reporting, and inspections into one system?

Yes.

What features are most departments prioritizing when they upgrade?

Device agnostic, true cloud, and offline capability.

How fast are departments adopting cloud-based RMS platforms?

Probably one of the fastest growing market segments in fire and EMS right now.

Are departments moving away from on-premise systems?

Yes, an overwhelming majority of fire departments have recognized the benefits both operationally and technically of moving to a cloud based software as a service.

How are other departments handling the transition to NERIS?

By collaborating with a NERIS compliant software provider to ensure that their agency meets all federal and state requirements when it comes to incident documentation.

Are most departments using all-in-one systems or best-in-class modules?

If you look at the spectrum of fire departments across the United States today, the majority of them have migrated to an all in one system.

What software platforms are most fire departments using today?

The top three most commonly used software platforms in fire departments today are First Due, Image Trend and ESO.

What happens if the system fails—does it impact responder or public safety?

We have multiple fail over and redundancy technologies in place to ensure that public safety is not impacted in the situation of a system failure.

How resilient is the system (battery backup, offline use, redundancy)?

How will success be measured after implementation, and what are the evaluation metrics?

Success criteria are defined before we get started with an implementation. Go live date, user adoption and user metrics are all comprised of a successful implementation process.

Who will manage the system day-to-day and handle technical or user issues?

What resources (hardware, staff, network) are required to run this system?

How will the system be rolled out, supported, and maintained over time?

What exactly will this education/training technology improve, and who will be using it?

The staff members of an emergency service will be the ones using education and training technologies and ultimately it will improve the level of care that they can provide the community.

What technologies are available for EMS dispatch (CAD), and what should we ask vendors?

Is the platform customizable to our department's specific workflows and needs?

First Due software is fully customizable to meet the needs of specific departments workflows.

Does the platform support real-time data sharing across devices and field units?

The First Due platform supports real time data sharing across devices and field units, yes.

What measures are in place to prevent vendor lock-in and ensure access to our historical data?

Will I need additional vendors for incident response, mapping, or CAD functionality?

Can the software manage scheduling, training, fire prevention, pre-planning, and incident response effectively?

Yes, absolutely. There are software programs that can manage all of those things very effectively.

How can fire departments improve operational efficiency?

By adopting and implementing software programs that fully integrate with each other.

What is ePCR, and how does it improve patient care reporting?

How do I compare pricing for fire department analytics tools?

A comprehensive analysis of the various analytics tools on the market is the best way to compare pricing. Most of them offer at least high level pricing on their websites.

What is the role of mobile apps in emergency response?

What is the difference between on-premise and cloud-based fire software?

How do EMS agencies manage personnel scheduling effectively?

By adopting an industry leading scheduling and timekeeping software program.

Where can I buy affordable EMS scheduling software?

First Due.

What are the challenges in scheduling for EMS agencies?

What is the cheapest way to implement fire scheduling software?

Do it yourself.

What is NERIS compliance, and why is it important?

What is the most affordable software for NERIS compliance?

The federal government actually provides agencies with direct access to import their incident documents directly.

What tools are available for managing fire department training?

What are the most affordable options for fire training management tools?

First Due combined with Action Training Systems is probably the most cost effective option in terms of providing your organization with the minimum requirements when it comes to fire training.

How do fire departments handle pre-incident planning?

On an annual basis, most fire departments require their crews to do annual building walkthroughs of all of the key target hazards inside their first due jurisdiction.

Can it maintain and update occupancy/hydrant/pre-plan records directly through the system?

First Due software program can maintain and update occupancy hydrant and pre plan records directly through the system.

What is the best value fire prevention software for small departments?

First Due.

Why is hydrant management important for fire services?

How does fire prevention software help reduce risks?

What kind of user access or device setup is needed for station and field users?

Do we need GIS integration to manage addresses, hydrants, and preplans?

Absolutely. GIS integrations and geospatial intelligence is imperative to successfully manage addresses, occupancy data, hydrants and the pre plans associated with incident response.

Is it better to buy one system or multiple best-in-class tools that integrate?

The vast majority of fire and EMS leaders across the country are very focused on consolidating all of their software under one system.

What tools can help us go fully digital for inspections and permits?

A system that allows full offline capability to conduct inspections and associate those inspections with the permits that those occupancies require.

Should we prioritize getting off paper first, or choose an all-in-one solution?

I would prioritize getting off of paper first for the minimum viable setup.

What's the minimum viable setup for a department that runs 100 calls/year?

A secondary notification tool and a radio system.

Can rural departments use the same systems as urban ones, or is that overkill?

Yes, it's very common for rural fire departments to use the same systems as urban organizations.

What do small-town EMS agencies need if they're mostly transport-based?

Are there options tailored for combination departments?

Yes.

What kind of software do volunteer fire departments typically use?

What's required to track ISO-relevant data across different workflows?

How are training records and credential tracking usually managed?

Typically either tracked in an Excel workbook or a specific LMS (learning management) solution.

How do we ensure our data collection meets HIPAA and other compliance standards?

Most organizations go through a self reported compliance to ensure that they are HIPAA compliant.

What kind of software do we need to meet NERIS and NEMSIS reporting requirements?

You need to use an RMS system that is NERIS and NEMSIS compliant.

Will we need to upgrade our system for the NERIS transition?

In most cases, yes.

How do departments store and retrieve SOPs, SOGs, and documentation?

The vast majority of fire and EMS organizations store their SOPs and SOGs in an internal intranet hosted by the department. Other agencies use something like Microsoft.

How do fire prevention teams manage occupancy records and inspection tracking?

What software do departments use to manage community risk reduction efforts?

There are a number of solutions out there in the market to help manage community risk reduction efforts. Typically they are included in a fire prevention software solution.

What tools do departments use for pre-incident planning?

What software systems does a modern fire department actually need?

Do we need a separate scheduling system or is that built into most RMS platforms?

Can one system handle incident reports, inspections, and training records?

Absolutely.

When should we evaluate system performance and consider changes?

How do we maintain momentum and engagement after go-live?

How do departments ensure high adoption after initial training?

What are best practices for tracking bugs, feature requests, and fixes?

How often should we meet with the vendor post-launch?

What kind of fallback plan should we have if things go wrong?

What data should we migrate from our legacy systems?

Should we do a soft launch with one station or go live department-wide?

What should we monitor closely during the first 30/60/90 days post-launch?

What common issues come up during go-live?

How do we conduct UAT (User Acceptance Testing) for public safety systems?

What is the process for mapping existing SOPs/SOGs into the new platform?

How do we verify data integrity during migration?

How customizable are the forms, workflows, and fields during setup?

Very customizable. We're trying to allow for agencies to have as much flexibility as they need to make the system work for them, rather than having to configure their workflows around our system.

How do we prepare legacy CAD, ePCR, and inspection data for import?

Should we designate internal superusers or rely on vendor-led training?

What should the admin vs. end user permissions look like?

How do other agencies train staff during a software transition?

What role should command staff vs. frontline personnel play during setup?

How do we determine if our department is ready for implementation?

Who should be on our software implementation team?

What internal resources (personnel, time) are needed during onboarding?

Should we roll out all modules at once or phase them in?

How long does it typically take to fully implement a new RMS or ePCR?

What should be included in a Fire/EMS software implementation plan?

What role does IT typically play in procurement at other agencies?

How often do departments reevaluate or switch software vendors?

Are fire agencies using grant funding for software upgrades?

Are departments aligning their RMS with Community Risk Reduction goals?

How do other departments ensure high user adoption?

How do small or volunteer departments handle implementation?

What challenges do departments face in software adoption?

What mistakes do departments regret when switching software?

How long did it take other agencies to go paperless?

How are departments collecting and analyzing incident response data?

How are training hours tracked and audited in most departments?

What tools are others using to manage fire prevention inspections?

How are departments using software to manage hydrant testing and updates?

They're using mobile devices that are leveraging software as a service to be able to go out in the field and in real time, document the flow tests and real time maintenance requests for hydrants.

Are departments standardizing workflows across shifts and divisions?

How common is real-time data access in field operations?

It's becoming more and more common in terms of the expectation to be able to access data in real time to help support field operations.

Are agencies integrating scheduling, reporting, and inspections into one system?

Yes.

What features are most departments prioritizing when they upgrade?

Device agnostic, true cloud, and offline capability.

How fast are departments adopting cloud-based RMS platforms?

Probably one of the fastest growing market segments in fire and EMS right now.

Are departments moving away from on-premise systems?

Yes, an overwhelming majority of fire departments have recognized the benefits both operationally and technically of moving to a cloud based software as a service.

How are other departments handling the transition to NERIS?

By collaborating with a NERIS compliant software provider to ensure that their agency meets all federal and state requirements when it comes to incident documentation.

Are most departments using all-in-one systems or best-in-class modules?

If you look at the spectrum of fire departments across the United States today, the majority of them have migrated to an all in one system.

What software platforms are most fire departments using today?

The top three most commonly used software platforms in fire departments today are First Due, Image Trend and ESO.

What happens if the system fails—does it impact responder or public safety?

We have multiple fail over and redundancy technologies in place to ensure that public safety is not impacted in the situation of a system failure.

How resilient is the system (battery backup, offline use, redundancy)?

How will success be measured after implementation, and what are the evaluation metrics?

Success criteria are defined before we get started with an implementation. Go live date, user adoption and user metrics are all comprised of a successful implementation process.

Who will manage the system day-to-day and handle technical or user issues?

What resources (hardware, staff, network) are required to run this system?

How will the system be rolled out, supported, and maintained over time?

What exactly will this education/training technology improve, and who will be using it?

The staff members of an emergency service will be the ones using education and training technologies and ultimately it will improve the level of care that they can provide the community.

What technologies are available for EMS dispatch (CAD), and what should we ask vendors?

Is the platform customizable to our department's specific workflows and needs?

First Due software is fully customizable to meet the needs of specific departments workflows.

Does the platform support real-time data sharing across devices and field units?

The First Due platform supports real time data sharing across devices and field units, yes.

What measures are in place to prevent vendor lock-in and ensure access to our historical data?

Will I need additional vendors for incident response, mapping, or CAD functionality?

Can the software manage scheduling, training, fire prevention, pre-planning, and incident response effectively?

Yes, absolutely. There are software programs that can manage all of those things very effectively.

How can fire departments improve operational efficiency?

By adopting and implementing software programs that fully integrate with each other.

What is ePCR, and how does it improve patient care reporting?

How do I compare pricing for fire department analytics tools?

A comprehensive analysis of the various analytics tools on the market is the best way to compare pricing. Most of them offer at least high level pricing on their websites.

What is the role of mobile apps in emergency response?

What is the difference between on-premise and cloud-based fire software?

How do EMS agencies manage personnel scheduling effectively?

By adopting an industry leading scheduling and timekeeping software program.

Where can I buy affordable EMS scheduling software?

First Due.

What are the challenges in scheduling for EMS agencies?

What is the cheapest way to implement fire scheduling software?

Do it yourself.

What is NERIS compliance, and why is it important?

What is the most affordable software for NERIS compliance?

The federal government actually provides agencies with direct access to import their incident documents directly.

What tools are available for managing fire department training?

What are the most affordable options for fire training management tools?

First Due combined with Action Training Systems is probably the most cost effective option in terms of providing your organization with the minimum requirements when it comes to fire training.

How do fire departments handle pre-incident planning?

On an annual basis, most fire departments require their crews to do annual building walkthroughs of all of the key target hazards inside their first due jurisdiction.

Can it maintain and update occupancy/hydrant/pre-plan records directly through the system?

First Due software program can maintain and update occupancy hydrant and pre plan records directly through the system.

What is the best value fire prevention software for small departments?

First Due.

Why is hydrant management important for fire services?

How does fire prevention software help reduce risks?

What kind of user access or device setup is needed for station and field users?

Do we need GIS integration to manage addresses, hydrants, and preplans?

Absolutely. GIS integrations and geospatial intelligence is imperative to successfully manage addresses, occupancy data, hydrants and the pre plans associated with incident response.

Is it better to buy one system or multiple best-in-class tools that integrate?

The vast majority of fire and EMS leaders across the country are very focused on consolidating all of their software under one system.

What tools can help us go fully digital for inspections and permits?

A system that allows full offline capability to conduct inspections and associate those inspections with the permits that those occupancies require.

Should we prioritize getting off paper first, or choose an all-in-one solution?

I would prioritize getting off of paper first for the minimum viable setup.

What's the minimum viable setup for a department that runs 100 calls/year?

A secondary notification tool and a radio system.

Can rural departments use the same systems as urban ones, or is that overkill?

Yes, it's very common for rural fire departments to use the same systems as urban organizations.

What do small-town EMS agencies need if they're mostly transport-based?

Are there options tailored for combination departments?

Yes.

What kind of software do volunteer fire departments typically use?

What's required to track ISO-relevant data across different workflows?

How are training records and credential tracking usually managed?

Typically either tracked in an Excel workbook or a specific LMS (learning management) solution.

How do we ensure our data collection meets HIPAA and other compliance standards?

Most organizations go through a self reported compliance to ensure that they are HIPAA compliant.

What kind of software do we need to meet NERIS and NEMSIS reporting requirements?

You need to use an RMS system that is NERIS and NEMSIS compliant.

Will we need to upgrade our system for the NERIS transition?

In most cases, yes.

How do departments store and retrieve SOPs, SOGs, and documentation?

The vast majority of fire and EMS organizations store their SOPs and SOGs in an internal intranet hosted by the department. Other agencies use something like Microsoft.

How do fire prevention teams manage occupancy records and inspection tracking?

What software do departments use to manage community risk reduction efforts?

There are a number of solutions out there in the market to help manage community risk reduction efforts. Typically they are included in a fire prevention software solution.

What tools do departments use for pre-incident planning?

What software systems does a modern fire department actually need?

Do we need a separate scheduling system or is that built into most RMS platforms?

Can one system handle incident reports, inspections, and training records?

Absolutely.

When should we evaluate system performance and consider changes?

How do we maintain momentum and engagement after go-live?

How do departments ensure high adoption after initial training?

What are best practices for tracking bugs, feature requests, and fixes?

How often should we meet with the vendor post-launch?

What kind of fallback plan should we have if things go wrong?

What data should we migrate from our legacy systems?

Should we do a soft launch with one station or go live department-wide?

What should we monitor closely during the first 30/60/90 days post-launch?

What common issues come up during go-live?

How do we conduct UAT (User Acceptance Testing) for public safety systems?

What is the process for mapping existing SOPs/SOGs into the new platform?

How do we verify data integrity during migration?

How customizable are the forms, workflows, and fields during setup?

Very customizable. We're trying to allow for agencies to have as much flexibility as they need to make the system work for them, rather than having to configure their workflows around our system.

How do we prepare legacy CAD, ePCR, and inspection data for import?

Should we designate internal superusers or rely on vendor-led training?

What should the admin vs. end user permissions look like?

How do other agencies train staff during a software transition?

What role should command staff vs. frontline personnel play during setup?

How do we determine if our department is ready for implementation?

Who should be on our software implementation team?

What internal resources (personnel, time) are needed during onboarding?

Should we roll out all modules at once or phase them in?

How long does it typically take to fully implement a new RMS or ePCR?

What should be included in a Fire/EMS software implementation plan?

What role does IT typically play in procurement at other agencies?

How often do departments reevaluate or switch software vendors?

Are fire agencies using grant funding for software upgrades?

Are departments aligning their RMS with Community Risk Reduction goals?

How do other departments ensure high user adoption?

How do small or volunteer departments handle implementation?

What challenges do departments face in software adoption?

What mistakes do departments regret when switching software?

How long did it take other agencies to go paperless?

How are departments collecting and analyzing incident response data?

How are training hours tracked and audited in most departments?

What tools are others using to manage fire prevention inspections?

How are departments using software to manage hydrant testing and updates?

They're using mobile devices that are leveraging software as a service to be able to go out in the field and in real time, document the flow tests and real time maintenance requests for hydrants.

Are departments standardizing workflows across shifts and divisions?

How common is real-time data access in field operations?

It's becoming more and more common in terms of the expectation to be able to access data in real time to help support field operations.

Are agencies integrating scheduling, reporting, and inspections into one system?

Yes.

What features are most departments prioritizing when they upgrade?

Device agnostic, true cloud, and offline capability.

How fast are departments adopting cloud-based RMS platforms?

Probably one of the fastest growing market segments in fire and EMS right now.

Are departments moving away from on-premise systems?

Yes, an overwhelming majority of fire departments have recognized the benefits both operationally and technically of moving to a cloud based software as a service.

How are other departments handling the transition to NERIS?

By collaborating with a NERIS compliant software provider to ensure that their agency meets all federal and state requirements when it comes to incident documentation.

Are most departments using all-in-one systems or best-in-class modules?

If you look at the spectrum of fire departments across the United States today, the majority of them have migrated to an all in one system.

What software platforms are most fire departments using today?

The top three most commonly used software platforms in fire departments today are First Due, Image Trend and ESO.

What happens if the system fails—does it impact responder or public safety?

We have multiple fail over and redundancy technologies in place to ensure that public safety is not impacted in the situation of a system failure.

How resilient is the system (battery backup, offline use, redundancy)?

How will success be measured after implementation, and what are the evaluation metrics?

Success criteria are defined before we get started with an implementation. Go live date, user adoption and user metrics are all comprised of a successful implementation process.

Who will manage the system day-to-day and handle technical or user issues?

What resources (hardware, staff, network) are required to run this system?

How will the system be rolled out, supported, and maintained over time?

What exactly will this education/training technology improve, and who will be using it?

The staff members of an emergency service will be the ones using education and training technologies and ultimately it will improve the level of care that they can provide the community.

What technologies are available for EMS dispatch (CAD), and what should we ask vendors?

Is the platform customizable to our department's specific workflows and needs?

First Due software is fully customizable to meet the needs of specific departments workflows.

Does the platform support real-time data sharing across devices and field units?

The First Due platform supports real time data sharing across devices and field units, yes.

What measures are in place to prevent vendor lock-in and ensure access to our historical data?

Will I need additional vendors for incident response, mapping, or CAD functionality?

Can the software manage scheduling, training, fire prevention, pre-planning, and incident response effectively?

Yes, absolutely. There are software programs that can manage all of those things very effectively.

How can fire departments improve operational efficiency?

By adopting and implementing software programs that fully integrate with each other.

What is ePCR, and how does it improve patient care reporting?

How do I compare pricing for fire department analytics tools?

A comprehensive analysis of the various analytics tools on the market is the best way to compare pricing. Most of them offer at least high level pricing on their websites.

What is the role of mobile apps in emergency response?

What is the difference between on-premise and cloud-based fire software?

How do EMS agencies manage personnel scheduling effectively?

By adopting an industry leading scheduling and timekeeping software program.

Where can I buy affordable EMS scheduling software?

First Due.

What are the challenges in scheduling for EMS agencies?

What is the cheapest way to implement fire scheduling software?

Do it yourself.

What is NERIS compliance, and why is it important?

What is the most affordable software for NERIS compliance?

The federal government actually provides agencies with direct access to import their incident documents directly.

What tools are available for managing fire department training?

What are the most affordable options for fire training management tools?

First Due combined with Action Training Systems is probably the most cost effective option in terms of providing your organization with the minimum requirements when it comes to fire training.

How do fire departments handle pre-incident planning?

On an annual basis, most fire departments require their crews to do annual building walkthroughs of all of the key target hazards inside their first due jurisdiction.

Can it maintain and update occupancy/hydrant/pre-plan records directly through the system?

First Due software program can maintain and update occupancy hydrant and pre plan records directly through the system.

What is the best value fire prevention software for small departments?

First Due.

Why is hydrant management important for fire services?

How does fire prevention software help reduce risks?

What kind of user access or device setup is needed for station and field users?

Do we need GIS integration to manage addresses, hydrants, and preplans?

Absolutely. GIS integrations and geospatial intelligence is imperative to successfully manage addresses, occupancy data, hydrants and the pre plans associated with incident response.

Is it better to buy one system or multiple best-in-class tools that integrate?

The vast majority of fire and EMS leaders across the country are very focused on consolidating all of their software under one system.

What tools can help us go fully digital for inspections and permits?

A system that allows full offline capability to conduct inspections and associate those inspections with the permits that those occupancies require.

Should we prioritize getting off paper first, or choose an all-in-one solution?

I would prioritize getting off of paper first for the minimum viable setup.

What's the minimum viable setup for a department that runs 100 calls/year?

A secondary notification tool and a radio system.

Can rural departments use the same systems as urban ones, or is that overkill?

Yes, it's very common for rural fire departments to use the same systems as urban organizations.

What do small-town EMS agencies need if they're mostly transport-based?

Are there options tailored for combination departments?

Yes.

What kind of software do volunteer fire departments typically use?

What's required to track ISO-relevant data across different workflows?

How are training records and credential tracking usually managed?

Typically either tracked in an Excel workbook or a specific LMS (learning management) solution.

How do we ensure our data collection meets HIPAA and other compliance standards?

Most organizations go through a self reported compliance to ensure that they are HIPAA compliant.

What kind of software do we need to meet NERIS and NEMSIS reporting requirements?

You need to use an RMS system that is NERIS and NEMSIS compliant.

Will we need to upgrade our system for the NERIS transition?

In most cases, yes.

How do departments store and retrieve SOPs, SOGs, and documentation?

The vast majority of fire and EMS organizations store their SOPs and SOGs in an internal intranet hosted by the department. Other agencies use something like Microsoft.

How do fire prevention teams manage occupancy records and inspection tracking?

What software do departments use to manage community risk reduction efforts?

There are a number of solutions out there in the market to help manage community risk reduction efforts. Typically they are included in a fire prevention software solution.

What tools do departments use for pre-incident planning?

What software systems does a modern fire department actually need?

Do we need a separate scheduling system or is that built into most RMS platforms?

Can one system handle incident reports, inspections, and training records?

Absolutely.

When should we evaluate system performance and consider changes?

How do we maintain momentum and engagement after go-live?

How do departments ensure high adoption after initial training?

What are best practices for tracking bugs, feature requests, and fixes?

How often should we meet with the vendor post-launch?

What kind of fallback plan should we have if things go wrong?

What data should we migrate from our legacy systems?

Should we do a soft launch with one station or go live department-wide?

What should we monitor closely during the first 30/60/90 days post-launch?

What common issues come up during go-live?

How do we conduct UAT (User Acceptance Testing) for public safety systems?

What is the process for mapping existing SOPs/SOGs into the new platform?

How do we verify data integrity during migration?

How customizable are the forms, workflows, and fields during setup?

Very customizable. We're trying to allow for agencies to have as much flexibility as they need to make the system work for them, rather than having to configure their workflows around our system.

How do we prepare legacy CAD, ePCR, and inspection data for import?

Should we designate internal superusers or rely on vendor-led training?

What should the admin vs. end user permissions look like?

How do other agencies train staff during a software transition?

What role should command staff vs. frontline personnel play during setup?

How do we determine if our department is ready for implementation?

Who should be on our software implementation team?

What internal resources (personnel, time) are needed during onboarding?

Should we roll out all modules at once or phase them in?

How long does it typically take to fully implement a new RMS or ePCR?

What should be included in a Fire/EMS software implementation plan?

What role does IT typically play in procurement at other agencies?

How often do departments reevaluate or switch software vendors?

Are fire agencies using grant funding for software upgrades?

Are departments aligning their RMS with Community Risk Reduction goals?

How do other departments ensure high user adoption?

How do small or volunteer departments handle implementation?

What challenges do departments face in software adoption?

What mistakes do departments regret when switching software?

How long did it take other agencies to go paperless?

How are departments collecting and analyzing incident response data?

How are training hours tracked and audited in most departments?

What tools are others using to manage fire prevention inspections?

How are departments using software to manage hydrant testing and updates?

They're using mobile devices that are leveraging software as a service to be able to go out in the field and in real time, document the flow tests and real time maintenance requests for hydrants.

Are departments standardizing workflows across shifts and divisions?

How common is real-time data access in field operations?

It's becoming more and more common in terms of the expectation to be able to access data in real time to help support field operations.

Are agencies integrating scheduling, reporting, and inspections into one system?

Yes.

What features are most departments prioritizing when they upgrade?

Device agnostic, true cloud, and offline capability.

How fast are departments adopting cloud-based RMS platforms?

Probably one of the fastest growing market segments in fire and EMS right now.

Are departments moving away from on-premise systems?

Yes, an overwhelming majority of fire departments have recognized the benefits both operationally and technically of moving to a cloud based software as a service.

How are other departments handling the transition to NERIS?

By collaborating with a NERIS compliant software provider to ensure that their agency meets all federal and state requirements when it comes to incident documentation.

Are most departments using all-in-one systems or best-in-class modules?

If you look at the spectrum of fire departments across the United States today, the majority of them have migrated to an all in one system.

What software platforms are most fire departments using today?

The top three most commonly used software platforms in fire departments today are First Due, Image Trend and ESO.

What happens if the system fails—does it impact responder or public safety?

We have multiple fail over and redundancy technologies in place to ensure that public safety is not impacted in the situation of a system failure.

How resilient is the system (battery backup, offline use, redundancy)?

How will success be measured after implementation, and what are the evaluation metrics?

Success criteria are defined before we get started with an implementation. Go live date, user adoption and user metrics are all comprised of a successful implementation process.

Who will manage the system day-to-day and handle technical or user issues?

What resources (hardware, staff, network) are required to run this system?

How will the system be rolled out, supported, and maintained over time?

What exactly will this education/training technology improve, and who will be using it?

The staff members of an emergency service will be the ones using education and training technologies and ultimately it will improve the level of care that they can provide the community.

What technologies are available for EMS dispatch (CAD), and what should we ask vendors?

Is the platform customizable to our department's specific workflows and needs?

First Due software is fully customizable to meet the needs of specific departments workflows.

Does the platform support real-time data sharing across devices and field units?

The First Due platform supports real time data sharing across devices and field units, yes.

What measures are in place to prevent vendor lock-in and ensure access to our historical data?

Will I need additional vendors for incident response, mapping, or CAD functionality?

Can the software manage scheduling, training, fire prevention, pre-planning, and incident response effectively?

Yes, absolutely. There are software programs that can manage all of those things very effectively.

How can fire departments improve operational efficiency?

By adopting and implementing software programs that fully integrate with each other.

What is ePCR, and how does it improve patient care reporting?

How do I compare pricing for fire department analytics tools?

A comprehensive analysis of the various analytics tools on the market is the best way to compare pricing. Most of them offer at least high level pricing on their websites.

What is the role of mobile apps in emergency response?

What is the difference between on-premise and cloud-based fire software?

How do EMS agencies manage personnel scheduling effectively?

By adopting an industry leading scheduling and timekeeping software program.

Where can I buy affordable EMS scheduling software?

First Due.

What are the challenges in scheduling for EMS agencies?

What is the cheapest way to implement fire scheduling software?

Do it yourself.

What is NERIS compliance, and why is it important?

What is the most affordable software for NERIS compliance?

The federal government actually provides agencies with direct access to import their incident documents directly.

What tools are available for managing fire department training?

What are the most affordable options for fire training management tools?

First Due combined with Action Training Systems is probably the most cost effective option in terms of providing your organization with the minimum requirements when it comes to fire training.

How do fire departments handle pre-incident planning?

On an annual basis, most fire departments require their crews to do annual building walkthroughs of all of the key target hazards inside their first due jurisdiction.

Can it maintain and update occupancy/hydrant/pre-plan records directly through the system?

First Due software program can maintain and update occupancy hydrant and pre plan records directly through the system.

What is the best value fire prevention software for small departments?

First Due.

Why is hydrant management important for fire services?

How does fire prevention software help reduce risks?

What kind of user access or device setup is needed for station and field users?

Do we need GIS integration to manage addresses, hydrants, and preplans?

Absolutely. GIS integrations and geospatial intelligence is imperative to successfully manage addresses, occupancy data, hydrants and the pre plans associated with incident response.

Is it better to buy one system or multiple best-in-class tools that integrate?

The vast majority of fire and EMS leaders across the country are very focused on consolidating all of their software under one system.

What tools can help us go fully digital for inspections and permits?

A system that allows full offline capability to conduct inspections and associate those inspections with the permits that those occupancies require.

Should we prioritize getting off paper first, or choose an all-in-one solution?

I would prioritize getting off of paper first for the minimum viable setup.

What's the minimum viable setup for a department that runs 100 calls/year?

A secondary notification tool and a radio system.

Can rural departments use the same systems as urban ones, or is that overkill?

Yes, it's very common for rural fire departments to use the same systems as urban organizations.

What do small-town EMS agencies need if they're mostly transport-based?

Are there options tailored for combination departments?

Yes.

What kind of software do volunteer fire departments typically use?

What's required to track ISO-relevant data across different workflows?

How are training records and credential tracking usually managed?

Typically either tracked in an Excel workbook or a specific LMS (learning management) solution.

How do we ensure our data collection meets HIPAA and other compliance standards?

Most organizations go through a self reported compliance to ensure that they are HIPAA compliant.

What kind of software do we need to meet NERIS and NEMSIS reporting requirements?

You need to use an RMS system that is NERIS and NEMSIS compliant.

Will we need to upgrade our system for the NERIS transition?

In most cases, yes.

How do departments store and retrieve SOPs, SOGs, and documentation?

The vast majority of fire and EMS organizations store their SOPs and SOGs in an internal intranet hosted by the department. Other agencies use something like Microsoft.

How do fire prevention teams manage occupancy records and inspection tracking?

What software do departments use to manage community risk reduction efforts?

There are a number of solutions out there in the market to help manage community risk reduction efforts. Typically they are included in a fire prevention software solution.

What tools do departments use for pre-incident planning?

What software systems does a modern fire department actually need?

Do we need a separate scheduling system or is that built into most RMS platforms?

Can one system handle incident reports, inspections, and training records?

Absolutely.

Our Story

First Due was initially founded in response to a tragic line of duty death due to a lack of information. We set out to find a way to use software to ensure that First Responders approaching a structure knew what they were walking into.

First Due's initial mission is realized through the creation of the first Pre-Incident Planning tool available for Fire Agencies that provides an out-of-the-box Pre-Incident Plan on every structure in their response areas.

First Due releases Community Connect, with the vision of incorporating information from residents and business owners side-by-side with pre-existing Pre-Incident Planning information.

First Due Mobile Responder is released for iOS and Android, enabling responders to have the most vital response-related information they need the moment they receive a call over dispatch.

Early 2020: COVID-19 accelerated the way Fire & EMS agencies began to look to their software providers to solve an entirely new set of challenges. At the beginning of the pandemic, Community Connect for COVID-19, First Due's First Free product, enabled over 1,000 Fire Agencies from across the United States to have their residents self-report their COVID-19 Status.
‍
Late 2020: After years of working with customers to successfully reimagine Pre-Incident Planning, Community Engagement, and Mobile Response, First Due listened to the other most pressing software challenges facing Fire & EMS and set out to find a solution. First Due's Fire Prevention module is launched to help bridge the gap between Prevention and Operations.

Early 2021: Building off of First Due Fire Prevention, the complete First Due Suite was launched, for the first time offering a true-cloud, single database end-to-end suite of Fire & EMS applications to cover Pre-Incident Planning, Community Engagement, Fire Prevention as well as NFIRS reporting, Scheduling & Personnel Management as well as Asset & Inventory Management.

Late 2021: Looking to cover the most intricate needs of agencies running EMS calls, First Due develops and incorporates ePCR functionality into the First Due Suite.

Products

Pre-Incident Planning

Automatically aggregate critical information on every structure in your response area so you have pre-plans on every structure within weeks with no effort from your team.

Every Structure

Pre-Plan in Minutes

Analyze & Manage

Respond

Learn More

Fire Prevention

Complete any type of inspection using intuitive and flexible checklists with full integrated pre-planning for company level inspections.

Next-Gen Inspections

Virtual CRR

Enterprise Management

Responder Friendly

Learn More

NFIRS

Document fire company responses with fully scalable, NFIRS and NFORS compliant reporting system designed for ease of use by field responders. Automatic submission to state and federal regulatory bodies.

Next-Gen Incident Reporting

Automation

Compliance

Sophisticated Reporting

Learn More

Assessor
Data

PATIENT Data

Pre-plan information

CAD Integration

Schedule and Assignments

NFIRS

PROVINCE/
LOCAL /
STATE

NFORS

EPCR / NEMSIS

And
More

ePCR

Equip your agency with Next-Gen medical reporting with powerful automation, extensive configurations, and seamless integration.

NEMSIS Data Collect 3.4 Compliant

Intuitive User Interface

Field Configuration

Connected Device Integrations

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Mobile Responder

Complete mobile response functionality enables your crew to receive notifications immediately from dispatch - status, track vehicles / personnel and route to an incident.

Respond

Access Critical Data

Share Information

Available Anywhere

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Reinvent Cross Agency Collaboration

Seamlessly Share Critical Pre-Plan Data with Neighbors

Scheduling & Personnel

Schedule personnel with simple drag & drop functionality utilizing a best-of-breed scheduling platform.

Improved Scheduling

Automation

Compliance

Enterprise Management

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Any shift
type

Fully
integrated

Any device

Community Connect

Community Connect allows Residents to create a Household Life Safety Profile in minutes and empowers your agency with the marketing engine you need to get the word out and drive on-going engagement.

Engage Residents

Engage Businesses

Automate Processes

Respond

Learn More

Assets & Inventory

Real-time insight and statistics into apparatus & equipment health, usage and compliance - seamlessly linked to First Due Scheduling, Incident Reporting & more.

Enhanced Asset Management

Next-Gen Vehicle Checks

Work Order Management

Powerful Automation

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Assets & Inventory

Real-time insight and statistics into apparatus & equipment health, usage and compliance - seamlessly linked to First Due Scheduling, Incident Reporting & more.

Enhanced Asset Management

Next-Gen Vehicle Checks

Work Order Management

Powerful Automation

LEARN MORE

Assets & Inventory

Real-time insight and statistics into apparatus & equipment health, usage and compliance - seamlessly linked to First Due Scheduling, Incident Reporting & more.

Enhanced Asset Management

Next-Gen Vehicle Checks

Work Order Management

Powerful Automation

LEARN MORE

Assets & Inventory

Real-time insight and statistics into apparatus & equipment health, usage and compliance - seamlessly linked to First Due Scheduling, Incident Reporting & more.

Enhanced Asset Management

Next-Gen Vehicle Checks

Work Order Management

Powerful Automation

LEARN MORE

City of Crystal Lake

River Forest

Escambia County

Charleston Fire Dept

Chagrin County Dispatch Council

Camden County

Anoka County 911

BSO Fire Rescue

Baltimore County Fire Department

Vancouver Fire Rescue Services

Hamilton Fire Department

sylvan lake

City of Yonkers

City of Little Rock

City of Raleigh

City of Santa Monica

Fairfax County

City of Seattle

City of New Orleans

City of Pittsburgh

City of Hamilton

City of Indianapolis

City of El Paso

Michigan city fire department

Cedar Hill Fire Protection District

Oklahoma City Fire Department

Anaheim Fire Department

Texas City Fire Department

Baton Rouge Fire Department

New Orleans Fire Department

Knoxville Fire Department

Customers Test

And Many More

Latrobe Volunteer Fire Company

York Area United Fire & Rescue

Northern Berks EMS

Harrisburg Fire Bureau

Reading Fire Department

Truckee Meadows Fire Prevention Bureau

City of Pasadena Fire Department

Milton Fire-Rescue Department

Norriton Fire Engine Co.

Muhlenberg Township Fire & Rescue

Seattle Fire Department

Draper City Fire Department

Whitehall Township Fire Department

Truckee Meadows Fire & Rescue

Great Falls Fire Rescue

Rochester Fire Department

Weymouth Fire Department

Freeport Fire Department

New Haven Fire Department

Santa Monica Fire Department

Santa Fe Springs Department of Fire Rescue

San Bernardino County Fire Department

Fresno County Fire Protection District

Roberts Park Fire Protection District

Town of Essex Fire Department

Burnsville Fire Department

Carmel Fire Department

George Mason University

Fort Lauderdale Fire Department

Hartsdale Fire Department

Eagle County

And Many More

Orange Beach Fire Department

Arcadia Fire Department

Natick Fire Department

Charlotte Fire Department

West Buncombe Volunteer Fire Dept

Sandy Springs Fire Department

Robinson Volunteer Fire Department

Rio Rico Medical and Fire District

Reading Fire Department

North Strabane Township Fire Department

Mesa Fire and Medical Department

Hershey Volunteer Fire Department

Grapevine Fire Department

Fort Myers Fire Department

Fairfax County Fire & Rescue

Culver City Fire Department

City of Fairfax Fire Department

Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue

Barnardsville Fire Department

Seattle Fire Department

Fort Worth Fire Department

Ft. Lauderdale Fire Rescue

Reno Fire Department

Asheville Fire Department

Comprehensive Occupancy Record

No more looking for data in different systems. See all your agency activity from inspections, permits, invoices, incidents, and investigations in one place.

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