Takeaways from the CPSE 2022 Excellence Conference
It’s been a few weeks since the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) “Excellence: Resiliency & Reinvention” conference wrapped up in Orlando, Florida. It was the first time Logis Solutions had a presence at the four-day conference that brings together professionals in fire and emergency service, and the event saw about 750 attendees—another encouraging sign that more of us are getting comfortable doing business in person again.
For me, the highlight of the CPSE conference was the clear focus on technology. This year’s event, in fact, was the first to offer a Technology Solutions track. That’s significant, because accreditation of agencies and credentialing of professionals are central to CPSE’s role (the organization has accredited 301 agencies and credentialed 2,845 officers). Understanding the importance of data and the ability to report data to see improvement are essential. You’ve got to be able to measure what you do to improve on it.
In fact, improvement was the connecting thread across much of what I heard in Orlando, whether someone was speaking on resilience or leadership planning or the use of data. In my own session on using decision support in dispatch to improve mobilization times and coverage, I talked about how Logis computer-aided dispatch (CAD) software provides real-time recommendations for station selection and apparatus staffing so our customers are using the optimal mix of skills and equipment at all times. That’s about improvement, too, of course. I firmly believe the right CAD is the first link of that chain of success, which is ultimately about not just delivering quality patient care but also the ability to prove you’re doing so with quality data.
Digital transformation was another featured topic at CPSE; one session covered the obstacles of bringing change to the fire service accreditation process. Another example was the measurement of resilience where data modeling and machine learning can lead to better outcomes in a department. It was exciting to see a recurring emphasis on data and reporting on this year’s conference schedule. It reminds us all that we need not only to institute change if we want to get better, but that we must be able to answer the question, “is what we’re doing actually working or not?”
And while CPSE’s role may primarily focus on accreditation and credentialing, their approach to quality, resilience and technology—and tying those three together—helps improve the delivery of services on a day-to-day basis, too. And that’s a win for all of us.
My time at CPSE’s conference this year made clear that this 25-year-old organization is committed to helping fire and EMS services not only drive toward the highest quality possible but also document that they’ve delivered quality care by measuring it, all while building resilience across organizations and people.
I expect to see plenty of progress on these goals at next year’s conference back in Orlando; I’m already looking forward to it.
If you’d like to start a conversation about making improvements in your own agency or organization, we’d love to talk.