Technology

If your department has not made the switch from using 25 kHz efficiency technology to using at least 12.5 kHz efficiency technology, your department is now on the Federal Communications Commission radar screen.

Using computing technology is certainly not new to the fire and emergency services world. The CAMEO (Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations) software products have been valuable hazardous materials response and planning tools since the first products were introduced in 1986.

Imagine the communications and information sharing challenges that a small town in the United States would encounter if faced with events like these:

I remember very clearly when we received our first thermal imaging camera at my former department around the turn of this century. It was designed to be worn on the helmet, was big and bulky, and somewhat difficult to use.

Digital voice pager, really? With all this sophisticated wireless technology, do first responders still need communication technology that first appeared in 1921 when the Detroit Police Department used the first pagers? You bet.

One of the core responsibilities for any emergency-services organization is the proper training of its personnel for safe over-the-road operation of emergency vehicles. This is especially true for fire and EMS agencies operating large trucks, such as engines, ladders and rescue rigs.