(Melfort Fire and Rescue/Facebook)

By Mat Barrett

New Tech

‘It’s essential and absolutely critical’: Melfort Fire Department’s new technology out in full force

Sep 27, 2019 | 2:00 PM

After receiving a grant earlier this year, the Melfort Fire Department’s new technology is in full force.

The grant of about $5,000 was given by FM Global and was set to go towards tools and/or technology that can go towards building fire safety pre-plans in the community. The Melfort Fire Department ended up using the funds for data-enabled tablets in all seven of their vehicles. The new technology gives the firefighters more information at their fingertips for calls for service in the community.

“A lot of times we have to make some critical decisions and we don’t typically have all the relevant information at our fingertips,” said Fire Chief Jason Everitt. “So this is just another tool to make sure we have as much as possible.”

Some of the applications on the tablets include pre-plans for different facilities. The program allows them to basically lift the roof off of a building and see where critical points are. The tablets also include hazardous material applications, and the ability to locate the other vehicles in the department. One major program that was recently installed was ‘Mobile Responder’ in partnership with the province.

“It’s essentially connecting us directly with the dispatch,” Everitt told northeastNOW. “And allowing us to see as the dispatcher is gathering more information and entering it into the system, it updates our tablets automatically.”

resignation

Tisdale mayor resigns

4h ago

Parking fees

Former P.A. city councilor still fighting parking fees for cancer patients

9h ago

drinking and driving

Guilty plea entered in impaired driving causing death case

9h ago

He said it’s another tool that helps them organize their response and get as much information as possible in a timely matter. According to Everitt, the Melfort department is one of the first volunteer departments in the province to be able to use the new program.

With technology becoming more and more important in today’s society, Everitt said the new technology is key.

“It’s not important per se, it’s essential and absolutely critical to what we need to do,” _{-Fire Chief Jason Everitt}

“And like I say, information is an important piece for the decision making that we have to use when we’re responding to an incident.”

Everitt added that having this technology takes away the old way of having to dig around in a truck to find a folder with plans. He said it’s also immediate, when one new plan comes; it goes out to all of the tablets right away to replace the old one.

The tablets have been installed into the department vehicles for a few months now.

–

mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6