by
Imed Bouchrika, Phd
In 1953, the first National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) committee stated that the lack of accurate and comprehensive statistics on fire casualties had impeded efforts to minimize the number of injuries and deaths from fire.
The statement remains a compelling reminder of why good record keeping is crucial to several government agencies dealing with local and national emergency situations. In many jurisdictions, fire departments have to deal with legislative obligations to fulfill. These could cover legislated prerequisites, insurance, as well as workers’ compensation.
It is for this reason that we have thoughtfully curated this list of the best fire department software to help you lessen the administrative challenges that are putting an extra burden on you and your team. Intuitive filters, such as brief product descriptions, key features, and prices, are also provided so that you can make the best purchasing decision for your department.
Firefighters do not just fight fires—they also conduct search-and-rescue operations and respond to medical-related emergencies. In most cases, they are tasked to extensively train other staff for such activities, hold community service projects that entail fire safety and prevention initiatives, and prepare themselves for any extreme weather conditions or natural disasters that may occur. Simply put, firefighters always operate at the highest levels of preparedness to keep communities safe.
Check out the latest fire-related statistics below.
Source: NFPA
Source: National Safety Council, 2020
Unlike national agencies that run efficiently on the back of leading government software solutions, fire departments are normally run by volunteers who lack the budget and expertise to use records management software solutions. Many of these departments use various software subscriptions just to get along. Others get by, relying on paper-based systems. Here are the reasons why your sign-in sheet, file cabinet, and photo-copied inventory list days should be over.
You can easily see if you have previously interacted with a patient in real-time. Your team is also equipped with all the crucial information to make smarter decisions. As well, you can import data straight out of a paramedic’s device right into a hospital’s records system. The best fire department software should let you save time and prevent any errors that might take place (ERP Advisors Group, n.d.).
Firefighters typically spend three to four hours making reports at the end of their shifts. If they have a fire department software, they could do it while they are on their way to the station or anywhere and anytime.
On average, old systems would require a firefighter to fill out an incident report for 15 to 30 minutes. For more complicated reports, they would have to allot 45 minutes to 1 hour of their time. In newer systems, these time report times can be reduced to five to seven minutes.
Source: Statista, 2022
When you are writing down notes on paper, there is a big tendency to lose some of the vital details. Fire department solutions can accurately take note of what really happened with the help of time tracking, time stamping, and more.
You can immediately call someone to replace an absent firefighter, rearrange the roster whenever necessary, and more. You can also quickly track which firefighters are on vacation and/or sick leave.
Acadis helps in managing operational tasks and deals with the challenges in public safety and homeland defense agencies by providing resources, equipment, training, and more. It increases the preciseness and effectiveness of critical incident responses by merging all information about personnel and resources. What its users like about it is that its customer service regularly checks up on them and informs them about additional training and any updates.
Starts at $30,000 per user
The innovative validation settings of ESO Fire RMS expedite the time to finish reports and quickly correct errors. Fire departments that already have the ESO EHR also do not need to finish two reports for the same call. This solution hosts the NEMSIS electronic data in Microsoft Azure, meaning you do never have to worry about maintaining hardware anymore.
Contact ESO Fire RMS to know their pricing plans.
With an intuitive workflow that enables the management of all your fire department needs, Fireworks RMS is a complete fire department and EMS solution. It binds together the two main functions of a fire service: suppression and prevention. Integral data information, like emergency contact locations, Knox box locations, and more can be accessed with a mobile device.
Rescue Hub is an EMS and fire department online platform that allows users to consolidate all of their paper roster, training files, and other necessary sheets into a single, private training hub. This hub can then be easily accessed with a mobile device or tablet. It also boasts training task assignments, online training creation, a training session scheduler, and a progress tracker.
FirePrograms lets users view critical information on every location, which includes pre-incident plans, emergency contacts, on-site hazardous materials, and more—all while you are working in the field. Users can access it or finish incident reports by simply logging into their incident browsers. It is also ideal for monitoring all turnout gear inspection, cleaning, and maintenance.
Contact FirePrograms for more pricing information.
In Aladtec, users can swiftly generate reports, like scheduled time and payroll and custom form reports. Reports can also be exported to meet certain reporting requirements. Furthermore, it has a well-experienced staff that offer free unlimited training and support via chat, email, or phone.
Watchtower offers a dynamic dashboard for operational management solutions in the marine safety sector. It is an all-in-one tool that protects more than 30 million beach visits each year. Compared to traditional CAD platforms, it is way simpler, easier to use, and more cost-efficient.
FireHouse Manager is a web-hosted software that tracks PPE, apparatus, inventory, inspections, and maintenance. It is user-friendly, affordable, and can meet the requirements of governing agencies. For the most part, this tool has been helping fire departments seamlessly transition from traditional paper files to electronic file recording.
PhaRmLogs is an affordable fire department software exclusively built for fire departments and EMS. Its service ticket system is fully integrated with the checkout forms, a station supply ordering module, and vehicle and equipment logs. All of its forms were designed with speed and simplicity in mind.
Emergency Reporting makes putting in and extracting data simpler and better. Its fire department and EMS software merge NFIRS and NEMSIS 3 into one incident report. With its robust data management modules, you can also keep your staff safer and defend your budget proposals.
D4H‘s products are available independently or as an interrelated suite. When interrelated together, data will smoothly flow from your department to the field and vice versa. Your D4H account can be accessed on a mobile device or computer without having to worry about hosting servers. At the same time, your service is being monitored on D4H’s cloud infrastructure to guarantee that it is always 100% available.
Dossier Fleet Maintenance Software is trusted by over 4,000 public, private, and for-hire fleets. This software lowers rates and downtime by automating your fleet’s records, PM scheduling, fuel costs, and more. It caters to practically all verticals, which include food and beverage, utility/telecom, school/bus/transit, trucking, waste/recycling, and government.
StationSmarts is a web-hosted solution designed to help fire departments manage all of their operations from one database. It provides fire department features, such as custom map views, equipment tracking, scheduling, and more. It also offers training via in-person sessions, documentation, and online. It can be used as a SaaS, Windows, Mac, iPhone, or iPad software.
Contact StationSmarts to request pricing information.
Rave is created for first responders, emergency managers, 911, local agencies, and federal and state agencies. It is also trusted by most businesses, schools and universities, hospitals. It connects users to other organizations and other critical point persons to speed up responses during crisis situations, emergencies, and planned/unplanned events.
Contact Rave for more pricing details.
Adashi FireResponse MDT is an enterprise-level emergency response solution. It works well with dispatch centers, records management features, and map data to provide first responders with the information they require, all in a single primary dashboard. It is also made for hassle-free access on a moving vehicle.
Lexipol carries out completely developed, state-specific laws researched and authored by public safety experts. Its guidelines are based on national standards and best practices and state and federal laws and regulations. More importantly, it keeps the policies of fire departments always updated.
Contact Lexipol to find out their various pricing packages.
PSTrax is a fire department and EMS operations checks and logistics system. It documents and automates all checks, from vehicles to inventory, to attain risk mitigation, cost efficiency, and operational effectiveness objectives. It can be also customized to fit various department needs.
With its quick, easy access to essential information and workflow, New World Public Safety helps fire departments and other public safety agencies work efficiently. It also ensures that these agencies comply with state and federal laws. This solution has been helpful to most agencies, especially in attending to high-risk calls, including heavy storms and terrorist attacks.
Starts at $25 per user
Operative IQ goes beyond basic warehouse management by overseeing inventory in the field. Its operations management system brings full visibility across a disseminated supply chain. In general, its streamlined processes manage expiration dates, eradicate stock issues, and generate purchase orders based on existing business requirements and supply utilization.
Pay per user
Rhodium Incident Management Suite is an intuitive and scalable fire department software. It offers a full command and control solution to fire departments. It also allows for the fast consolidation of information, coordination of assets, and action on certain incidents.
Contact Rhodium Incident Management Suite for pricing inquiries.
Fire departments that utilize high-quality software reap the benefits of minimal paperwork and greater efficiency. Its members are more productive and have more time for other important affairs, such as skills training and operational preparedness. Decisions are backed by data and department competence grows. Overall, the best fire department software solutions help fire departments manage risks, become more accountable, and boost workers’ adeptness. As various agencies and institutions find that going digital is the best that could happen to their operations, it’s high time that fire department get the lift they need to better serve their communities. Emergency responders like the police units see what the best law enforcement software can do to their daily work. There’s no reason that firefighters should should not see the same.
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by Imed Bouchrika, Phd
