FireJournal is an ever-expanding software solution for first responders. Designed by a combination of firefighters and software experts, FireJournal is unlike any other iOS software solution. To be different means starting with a simple but strong foundation, and to build upon that.
FireJournal LITE version 1.x is a free iOS app that is designed to give you a good understanding of not only what is possible with an iPad solution like this, but how easy it is to implement. FireJournal LITE allows you to create emergency response incidents, to track the time of those incidents, to take notes and ensure you have a solid understanding of on-scene activities. Once the incident is complete, you may save your incident for future review, and/or create an NFIRS type report that will save you some time when you create your incident follow ups.
All of us at PureCommand know that simply migrating what you do in your fire stations to a device like the iPad is not the solution that will get fire officers everywhere to tap their way to the iTunes store instead of enjoying a home cooked meal and some Pay Per View boxing (or insert your favorite sport). The entire plot behind FireJournal is to make your day more manageable, so dinner tastes better, and the boxing is even more entertaining.
So, where is all of this headed?
Let’s begin with what you do everyday with a pencil or pen.
When you get to work, what do you start writing down?
Perhaps you begin to note who is working that day. If it’s a specific day of the week, perhaps there are fire prevention activities, or the rig needs to be inspected, or some training is required. And, how often will you write the same things down time and time again?
FireJournal PRO will help you with your daily activities. By giving you a daily activity journal, you can manage your day to day life with a fire service perspective. Create an apparatus check list, or a shopping list, and check off the things that have been done. Add tags (such as food, apparatus, training, personnel, etc.) so you can search by tag and find what you want as time goes by.
If your department doesn’t require or maintain a complete daily journal, you may also use the daily activity journal for all types of on-duty tracking. Track hiring, changeovers, personnel issues using the journal.
As for incidents, you may also gather and assemble a wide range of information from each incident, regardless of complexity or type. With FireJournal™, you’ll be able to add photos, video, or an audio recording from any incident. Use the incident clock to manage fire attack or truck company time on-bottle, and get pinged for rehab or defensive withdrawals. Add additional tags to incidents and track where each incident took place with accurate GIS data. Review those incidents by type or other tag, and you’ll begin to see how your fire district evolves from an emergency perspective. You’ll see every incident on your map – and you can review any or all incidents and create outbound reports for legal, training, or historical purposes. We’re also working to integrate a complete NFIRS incident management and upload solution, so you don’t have to do your NFIRS updates twice.
We’re also going to migrate the new look of FireJournal PRO to the LITE version, and as always, the LITE version will remain a free download. As we move forward, integrating on-scene ICS activities will also be included. Company and Personnel accountability (PARS/CARS), Resource Status (ReStat), and Situation Status (SitStat) will become core components – but as noted, we’re doing this so you don’t have to move from one app to another.
These are just a few of the things we’re planning – and we are in the midst of creating not only what we’ve teased you with, but some really neat and functional solutions, so please check in with our blog, and let us know how we’re doing.
