Fire and rescue departments are and will always be an essential pillar of the protection and safety of our communities. For the individuals who work in these professions, its a common occurrence and frequent necessity to step head-first into unknown situations as well as work diligently each day to ensure that both public and private areas are safe. With some level of personal risk often involved combined with the responsibility of our community’s safety, these departments deserve to be equipped with leading technology that is able to aid firefighters and fire rescue teams as effectively as they aid our society. From taking preventative measures to times of crisis our rugged tablets help improve the efficiency of our first responders and reduce the time it takes to do their job which improves their safety.
When in-vehicle computers were introduced in the mid-90s, it was a revolutionary moment for fire departments. These organizations were finally able to access and input vast amounts of information while on-scene. However, even though the models have been significantly updated over time, technology has reached a stagnation point. Due to this, these sectors have begun to search for a solution to their aging and expensive in-vehicle laptops. DT Researchs rugged tablets are here to meet these industries needs and exceed the abilities of past technology.
The union of rugged tablets with fire and rescue departments has already been proven to be extremely successful and DT Research is committed to spreading that success to departments across all communities.
Three reasons why every fire department needs to incorporate rugged tablets into their daily operations:
1. Absolute Mobility in the Field
The advantage that in-vehicle computers presented to fire departments was the ability to check information, as well as input data in the field, but it could only be done if the individual was sitting inside the vehicle since the laptop couldnt be removed. Most situations for firefighters tend to require them to be mobile on the scene. Rugged tablets eliminate that previous limitation and combine both unhindered mobility and the ability to retrieve information and submit data due to an energy-efficient Intel processor.
Firefighters and fire rescue teams can now easily and quickly remove the rugged tablets from their vehicle mount and take them into the field with them. Wherever the brigade goes, the rugged tablet can go. Along with an IP rated water and dust resistant build, DT Researchs rugged tablets are designed to operate at full capacity even under extreme temperatures such as extreme heat. In moments like this, the ability for technology to work in-action is crucial.
The mobility of rugged tablets also aids firefighters and fire rescue in performing a wide variety of duties that are non-critical and preventative-based. When it comes to the inspection or assessment of any designated area in regards to fire risk, prevention, and minimization, its imperative to be able to carry around the tech needed to help you make swift and accurate decisions on the task at hand. The area that is being canvassed and possibly modified might be quite extensive and a portable rugged tablet simplifies coverage and assessment.
2. Community risk reduction
The ability to reduce community risk with rugged tablets is a specifically important benefit for fire and rescue departments.
A critical part of fire and rescues responsibilities is both fire prevention and fire damage minimization. With a rugged tablet, fire and rescue teams can transport the technology with them into the area thats under review and use its high-quality camera, wi-fi/Bluetooth capabilities, and data capture modules to scan, track, and assess what areas are high in fire danger. With the ability to send gathered data in real-time back to the office and communicate with any superiors needed, rugged tablets can help fire and rescue to make efficient and accurate decisions on what to do about problem areas in real-time without needing to leave the scene and come back, reducing the amount of time it takes to effectively do their job.
It can be as simple as which trees to cut down around a home or which burnables to remove around a building or as complicated as how to re-configure an entire layout without compromising the current structure. Rugged tablets can even help pinpoint fire-prone areas that were not previously evident. The addition of a rugged tablet in fire risk assessments can mean safer public spaces and lower-risk home developments for our communities.
3. Increased efficiency in inspections and maintenance
In many cities, fire departments are charged with performing maintenance and inspections in regards to possible fire risks.
A large part of this is visiting industrial sites to see if the way they are storing hazardous materials is safe and meets the citys fire code and regulations. In large cities that contain a high amount of industrial development, hazard management is imperative for ensuring that there are no disasters. With a powerful Windows processor, any compatible application or web tool needed can be downloaded and used to help teams assess if a change in the storage of hazardous material is needed and how to execute that change as well as analyze the current situation of fire risk in industrial and manufacturing facilities beyond just hazard management.
For cleanups, especially while they are in progress, the addition of rugged tablets help streamline the entire process, as well as help keep every member on the project safe. After a fire has ensued, it can be difficult to tell if there are any high-risk zones. The rugged tablets 3D and mapping technology can scan the entire affected area and help you decide how to safely proceed in the cleanup process.
Another important task that firefighters are responsible for is the inspection of fire hydrants. Rugged tablets can be used to monitor and track all inspections going on. They can also relay information to fire chiefs such as an issue that arises and when an inspection is completed. The GPS installed in the rugged tablets can also be used to track and locate both current and new fire hydrants requiring inspection.
Firefighters and fire rescue teams work tirelessly every day to ensure the safety of our communities. They perform many extremely important tasks and DT Researchs rugged tablets are purpose-built to increase efficiency and accuracy in every application. It is time to move on from stagnant in-vehicle laptops and progress to the best technology on the market — rugged tablets.