I have always been scanning magazines, the internet and the app store for various types of incident command software for firefighting. I have come across a few and tried out a couple of the free versions during some practices. I think the idea behind this kind of software is great, but I would really like to see it in action. So much goes on around a commander during an incident I don't know if they could handle operating the ipad and command at the same time - unless they are a tech whiz. I recently read an article how some fire departments in California actually assign a assistant to the commander to handle such things such as operating the ipad.
Here are some Incident Command apps I have come across;
TC Trainer : I tried this app briefly and it looks very promising. It has checklists and records
the events, among other features. The initial setup looks pretty easy. I only
tried the free version, otherwise $39.99. You can watch this short video
to see how it works; TC Trainer Creating an Incident
TC Enterprise: This is the same basically as TC Trainer but imagine it being linked up to
dispatch and the FDMSoftware! Imagine, getting a dispatch right to the IPAD
that is sitting in the command vehicle showing exactly where on a map we are
going.
IPAR App : This was the first app I ever tried out. I only tried the free version. Seems like
a basic app that is based on objectives, assignments and resources for a given
incident. I am not sure how often they update this app. You can view the
user manual here.
FDMSoftware: This software doesn't look like it will be ipad ready anytime soon. link
ESRI: ESRI is making some great strides with some online apps but they would require a bit
of tweaking for an effective incident command system. Interested?
There are a more cloud based alternatives out there but I haven't reviewed them.
A very good reference site that lists all kinds of fire related apps is at; http://www.firehouse.com/apps
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