New Year, New Data

When we begin any New Year we tend to hear those cliché statements like “New Year, New Me” or “Out With the Old, in With the New”. If there is one thing we learned from 2018 as we move into 2019, it’s that data is not something we’re getting rid of. The use of data in the Fire & EMS industry today has become a non-negotiable. As our cities and populations continue to grow, data provided by new and developing technologies is helping departments improve their systems of communication, increase responsiveness, and better care for their patients.

Real-time data offers Fire & EMS teams the ability to see what is required of them before they respond to an emergency, propose move-ups, or solidify planning activities before ever leaving the fire station. Access to this real-time data allows for measurable, quantifiable improvement.

With today’s enhanced use of smartphones, iPads, and cloud sharing systems, data is more accessible than ever. Handheld technology has given rise to communication that can be made available to all members of a department, in real-time. These devices help to organize, structure and develop a better system for responding to incidents. When your team is on the same page, it makes it easier to communicate the actions that need to be taken and the reasons behind them.

While having access to and using data is a vital part of our industry, that data must be reliable and accurate. A reliable stream of information can help a department make effective and efficient time-sensitive decisions. Not only can real-time data provide in-the-moment details for each dispatch center, but, with the help of technology, it can also be used to look at historical data coupled with future scenarios to anticipate where a change may be needed. Having and understanding the right data to support your actions can take your department from making opinion-based decisions, or “it’s always been done that way” decisions, to making fact-based decisions; this gives your team the support it needs to cut through the information and develop actual results.

Past and present analytics support departmental growth and change. They provide confirmation of where both our efforts and dollars should be spent in order to best serve the community. As your organization looks towards the future, how will you use data in 2019?

 

Deccan Tools for Better Data in 2019

ADAM

ADAM’s powerful deployment analysis capabilities deliver the timely data that departments need for all decision-making reporting and planning activities.

Understanding the impact that changes to deployment and demand for resources will have on response performance provides lasting benefits to departments and their communities.

LiveMUM

LiveMUM (Live Move-Up Module) is a real-time operational module that provides emergency dispatchers with instant, optimal move-up recommendations.

Connecting with CAD in real-time, LiveMUM (Live Move-Up Module) identifies holes in coverage by tracking each unit’s status, location, and incident assignment.

With LiveMUM, dispatchers do not have to depend upon static move-up charts, pre-planned move-up schedules, or field personnel significantly reducing time and the risk of human error.

BARB

BARB (Box-area Automated Run-card Builder) is a one-of-a-kind software application for automating the building of static run-cards.

BARB can also be used as a critical planning tool for disaster situations. The automated process allows for the inclusion of unlimited mutual aid and region-wide stations, specialty vehicles, and more.

DiVA

DiVa (Dispatch Validator) acts as a standalone back-up in the event of network outage or CAD system downtime.

ARI Simulator

ARI (Apparatus Response & Incident) Simulator is a discrete-event simulation model that creates and analyzes a digital prototype of the processes carried out by Fire & EMS departments when responding to incidents.

ARI Simulator is a faster, safer and more affordable alternative to testing new or modified dispatch policies in the field.