Tablet Command and TrainFirefighters.com, two Northern California companies founded by highly experienced firefighters, have entered into a powerful partnership that will result in better and safer fireground tactical leadership for first responders across North America.

If you're interested in Tablet Command but don't know how to get started, we have a solution for you...

Download Tablet Command from the App Store (onto your iPad) to learn why Fire Departments across North America are using this best in class tool to enhance incident response and management.

Yes? Great! Here’s why…

In addition to cost sharing, standardized communications and closest unit dispatching, departments sharing a computer aided dispatch (CAD) system with neighboring agencies are able to share a mobile response and incident management software like Tablet Command.

Using  iPads and Smartphones, this mobile solution supports every aspect of emergency response including notification, resource status in CAD, navigation, access to pre-plans, hydrant locations and incident management. It also allows any authenticated user to see incident management activity in real time.

                                      

Recently, I attended an  in-service instructor class taught by a well-respected  subject matter expert. This was a one time only event, so the room was packed. Unfortunately I was seated next to a firefighter with a portable radio.

Inevitably, a run was dispatched, and everyone  was distracted by the radio traffic between responders and the dispatch center.

 

Since Sunday, the Tablet Command team has been watching for updates and had a difficult time locating maps that displayed the hotspots of the fire and active fire perimeters. We found that the information on other maps was not complete or useful. We decided to make our own with one of the great tools that we use frequently.


Esri provides some excellent tools and one of those tools, ArcGIS Online is used by Tablet Command to support our customers access to agency GIS information. ArcGIS Online is a great way for any agency to create custom web maps with dynamic data within a matter of minutes. We created this web map with Esri ArcGIS Online in about 20 minutes. We have been using it so much that we decided that we should share it with everyone.

If you’ve been thinking of deploying incident management software in your department, here are six key questions you need to consider before making the leap:

1. Is it mobile? 

Having the ability to track an incident from the very first seconds of dispatch from ALL of your devices is key to faster response times and higher situational awareness not just for the IC but for everyone in the department.

2. Does it automate my existing processes?

It continues to be VERY busy at work these days. I responded to 7 legitimate working fires for the month of May. And three of those have been two alarm fires. It’s been a really crazy run!

Two things happened last week in my life as a Fire Captain that simply could not have happened a generation ago.

Here’s a funny fact about entrepreneurs: The most common reason people start businesses is to avoid working for others.