PureCommand is pleased to announce that FireJournal LITE for the iPad is now available for immediate download in the app store within iTunes. [ get the app ]
“We’re delighted to be offering this initial release of FireJournal for first responders,” CEO Dr. George Rajacich said. “Our objective for the long term is to provide capable and well thought out solutions that benefit fire, ems, and other response organizations.” FireJournal Lite is designed for company commanders in volunteer, small, medium, and large scale fire departments.
The foundation for FireJournal was developed over a lengthy design and development period, including feedback and input from a large cadre of firefighters. “We intentionally did not rush this product to market, and tested it repeatedly with fire officers who will ultimately use this in the field,” David Barrett, the lead developer said. “The iPad is an exciting tool, but without carefully conceived solutions, professionals may be put off from making key implementation choices.”
FireJournal LITE is the first release of a series of apps designed to support digital journal creation, archiving, and research. Fire officers can take notes regarding their activities, can manage the details of every incident they respond to, and can organize and export the data required by NFIRS, the National Fire Incident Reporting System.
“The key for users of FireJournal is the ability to customize the application to do most of the key entry work for you,” Barrett noted. “Create your own Division, Battalion, Station, and resource listings so your dispatch data is quickly and easily selected. You can also create your own local incident types, so your jurisdiction’s call types can be rapidly accessed. The NFIRS view then allows you to match that incident type with the official NFIRS reporting value. We include the entire NFIRS incident library in FireJournal.”
As fire officers save their incidents, each one is stored locally, so connectivity to a remote server is not a hindrance to incident data entry. Data may be entered on scene or in any location.
Once incident data has been saved, it may be retrieved, edited, or shared. “One of the really exciting things about FireJournal is the maps view relative to stored incidents,” Barrett said. “Once you have a collection of incidents stored, you can look at the map and begin to see where your most common risk areas are, and that includes all types of incidents.”
The app includes a number of details important to firefighters, including the ability to change assignments with the tap of a finger. “Often, firefighters get the opportunity to work an overtime shift at another station,” Barrett reported. “Using FireJournal, they only need tap on the overtime tab and add the station number. Their incidents and notes will then reflect their overtime assignment. Meanwhile their primary assignment will revert with the tap of a finger or stylus.”
FireJournal LITE will be followed up in the first quarter of 2013 by FireJournal PRO. The expanded PRO version will include a complete journal system, so hiring, incident reporting, training, and other daily routine activities can be managed digitally. Other capabilities will include the integration of video and images into incident and journal entries, expanded reporting, and detailed search capabilities. PRO users will also be able to store their incidents in the cloud, and additional services will be available.
FireJournal LITE is FREE.
