The Denver Fire Department has been utilizing Tablet Command as an incident management and accountability solution since 2016. Early this year, the Denver Fire Department and the Denver Civil Service Commission asked us to create simulated incidents in Tablet Command for an upcoming Assistant Fire Chief promotional examination.
In response to this request, the Tablet Command team created two (2) new Tablet Command accounts that exactly replicated the Denver Fire Department’s operational account. All of the stakeholders in the process agreed that providing the most realistic experience possible to users was critical to candidate success in the examination and the position.
The first account included a series of simulated exam preparation incidents developed by Denver Fire Department subject matter experts. These incidents included representative incident types that are routinely encountered by the Denver Fire Department. All of the candidates for the promotional examination were given access to the account, and the Fire Department provided training to candidates to ensure that they were competent in the use of Tablet Command. Training scenarios and sessions were designed to maintain the validity of the examination process and ensure no candidate was adversely impacted.
The second account was created to support the Denver Civil Service Commission’s tactical exercise portion of the promotional examination. The details of the incident were provided by Denver Fire Department subject matter experts, and the incident was scrutinized by Fire Department command staff, Civil Service Commision staff, and FirstIdea, Inc. (the consulting firm facilitating the exam’s development). Desired performance outcomes were identified, and it was determined that candidates would be tasked with managing the examination tactical exercise in Tablet Command as if they were managing the incident in the field.
During the examination tactical exercise, candidates were exposed to a visual simulation of the incident and expected to verbalize the incident management strategies they were executing in Tablet Command. One (1) of the four (4) evaluators was tasked with dispatching up to four (4) alarm assignments to candidates while another evaluator managed the consulting firm’s visual simulation of the incident evolution. Tablet Command staff were asked to retrieve the data created as a byproduct of candidates managing the incident in Table Command. This data was provided in order to support the assessment process.
Dr. Abby Rainer, Psychometrician (Fire and Police Personnel), Denver Civil Service Commission
"The Tablet Command team helped the Denver Civil Service Commission, the Denver Fire Department, and our external test development consultant (FirstIdea, Inc.) design and implement a novel tactical exercise for Assistant Fire Chief test takers. Throughout that project, Tablet Command staff were incredibly responsive to our needs, easy to work with, and focused on quality. The incident they created for us was highly valid and challenging for candidates yet manageable for expert as well as non-expert testing staff. We would gladly work with Tablet Command personnel again and are open to being contacted about that testing process."
Abby.Rainer@denvergov.org
We are proud of our successful partnership with the Denver Fire Department, and for the opportunity we were provided to support this important process. If you would like information about how Tablet Command can provide solutions to enhance your incident management, personnel accountability, situational awareness, and emergency response capabilities, please contact us.
