Logis IDS Software Updates for the Fire Service
Our Spring 2022 updates to Logis Intelligent Decision Support (IDS) continue with improvements to features and functionality specifically related to the fire service, including the management of large-scale incidents and new tools to help career, volunteer and combination departments. What follows are highlights of these changes and just-launched features:
Multi-Incident
With this new feature, users can now link together large, geographically distributed incidents under a parent incident. So when, for example, a fire covers multiple areas and requires multiple staging areas, departments now have visibility into all related incidents within a single workset, including law enforcement and EMS units.
Strike Teams
With the introduction of the Strike Teams feature in Logis’ CAD, you can now logically group a strike team leader and different apparatus associated with that leader. This, again, is especially useful when a number of responders are responding to the same call for service, as in the case of a large forest fire (though this tool works for any response that is Strike Team-based). As the strike team leader changes status, the status for the rest of the team is also updated automatically, without the need to manually update each team member individually.
The user has the ability to preconfigure and manage a strike team, create different types of teams and add in apparatus as needed, all united under the same group(s). For example, an incident commander may decide to call up 10 engines and five brush trucks, which he then divides into three strike teams that are then deployed.
Station-Based Dispatching
Especially for volunteer, partially-paid and smaller fire departments, firefighters are very often on call, not in the firehouse waiting for the next alarm. The new Station-Based Dispatching feature in Logis IDS version 4 means that departments can manage the call for whatever resources are needed themselves and immediately locate resources that can actually respond to a call for service.
Station-Based Dispatching shows you which units and crews are available, making it easy to alert resources at the same time so you can assemble, let’s say, a command vehicle, ALS unit and an engine. By clicking “Auto-staff” in the interface, the system will assign whatever is required from available units. This feature can also notify non-defined apparatus–such as someone who is currently off-duty–to request that they meet up with a resource at the scene. Once that individual is on-scene, he is added to the crew, creating a full, real-time picture of all resources you have on hand to meet the requirements of that call for the duration of the incident. This feature works in conjunction with Logis Provider Mobile, allowing on-call providers to run the Logis Provider Mobile application directly on their personal iOS or Android phone.
Station-Based Move-Ups
To ensure adequate coverage at all times, fire departments typically use station-based rules that address a variety of scenarios. For instance, fire station #1 may establish a rule that if it ever has less than one engine available, another engine must be sent from fire station #2 to #1. Or, if #2 doesn’t have an engine to spare, a third station with whom the department has a mutual aid agreement can supply the engine to ensure that station #1’s area isn’t without a resource if a call comes in. Logis IDS version 4 now makes it much easier to define and set the parameters for a wide range of move-up rules encompassing very granular, complex situations.
Response Plans
Response Plans have been enhanced to enable the configuration of checkup intervals–a sort of safety touch-base on the welfare of all crew assigned to a call. For example, you may set a checkup interval of every 30 minutes; in that case, every half-hour the dispatcher will make sure whoever is assigned to a call is okay until the incident is closed. Response Plans have also been extended to allow for seasonal plans that are only triggered during a set time period(s) you decide.
To see other Spring 2022 updates to Logis IDS, see Software Updates. And to learn more about how Logis IDS can support your agency, or if you’re a current customer and have questions about these or other software updates, please reach out.