Fire Accountability App

By BOB RUFF

Over the past decade, firefighters have developed countless methods to track fireground personnel. After years of trying memo boards, dry erase markers, helmet tags, and tactical worksheets, I created Fire Accountability because I could not find a functional, efficient accountability system that works in all conditions and lighting. Fire Accountability is a simple, single-screen, customizable, user-friendly personnel accountability application designed for speed and functionality that can be downloaded onto any tablet such as the iPad, Android, and Kindle Fire.

Photo by author.

After installation, you are taken to the setup screen, where you can enter and save 19 custom companies. Select your preferred benchmark time, enter a default e-mail address for the time-stamped log, and you’re ready to track your personnel. When you arrive on scene, tap CREATE INCIDENT and choose from one of 13 incident types, which range from single-story slab homes to wildland, dive rescues, strip malls, and big boxes.

After incident selection, you are taken to the accountability screen, and the clock is now ticking. Each accountability screen is equipped with a timer to help keep track of your time on scene. Based on the benchmark time you selected in the setup screen, Fire Accountability will sound an alarm to remind you to conduct a personnel accountability report (PAR) and reassess or confirm your strategy. The app keeps track of that in the background while you keep track of your crews.

The basic functionality of the app is “drag and drop.” You can enter up to 19 crews (as icons) on the accountability screen. In the middle of the screen will be a visual representation of the incident type you selected, split into divisions. When a crew is ordered into a division, simply drag and drop its icon into that division. You will also find drop fields for STAGING, REHAB, FAST/RIT, and WATER SUPPLY.

NEW is the 20th icon. If a company working on the incident has not been preprogrammed, just drag and drop the NEW icon into a division. The tablet’s keyboard will pop up, allowing you to enter a company identification (ID). The NEW icon regenerates every time you use it. This feature allows Fire Accountability to track an infinite number of crews.

As your incident grows, you will most likely begin assigning division supervisors. Fire Accountability allows you to assign division supervisors by tapping a division tag on the accountability screen. When you tap a division tag such as 2nd FLOOR, the keyboard will pop up, allowing you to enter a supervisor’s ID.

At any time throughout the duration of your incident, you can see where every firefighter is located at a glance; this concept is the guiding principle behind Fire Accountability. As fire officers, we have a duty and a moral obligation to send everyone home at the end of the day. One of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s most common repeat offenders on the list of contributing factors to firefighter line-of-duty deaths list is a lack of an effective personnel accountability system. The Fire Accountability app provides a means to prepare for things to go wrong while things are going right.

Fire Accountability also features a series of tactical reminders on every accountability screen in the form of reminder buttons appropriate for the structure type. For example, on the “two-story house with basement” screen, there are buttons for Primary Search (floor by floor), Contact Utilities, and Assign Safety Officer. As you complete these tasks, simply tap the appropriate button, which will add a “check mark” to the button, indicating that the task has been completed. If you haven’t tapped a button in a timely manner, the app will sound an alarm, reminding you to perform the function. These buttons are customized for each incident type.

For dive rescue, this app keeps a running timer for individual divers under the water; the icons change colors at predesignated intervals. This reminder concept was born of years of experience commanding fires and is customized to each type of building. When all of these features are used together, transferring command becomes simple. Just hand the tablet over to the new incident commander (IC), and he will know who’s on scene; where everyone is located; what’s been done; what needs to be done; and, if it happens, who called a Mayday.

Another important feature is the Mayday function. On every accountability screen, you’ll find the MAYDAY button, which is meant to quickly draw the IC’s eyes to a distressed crew. When a Mayday is called, the IC taps the MAYDAY button and the distressed company’s icon. That crew’s icon will flash orange until the Mayday is canceled. This fast and simple step will help keep the IC focused on the mission of getting the crew to safety. This situation is where the rubber meets the road with Fire Accountability.

When something bad happens, you’ll be prepared. At a glance, you will be able to see who is in trouble, who is nearby, and who is available to help. This is the reason Fire Accountability was created.

● BOB RUFF is a chief for the North Berrien (MI) Fire Rescue Department. He is also the owner and operator of Fire Seminars and the creator of the Fire Accountability app. Ruff is a fire science program lead and instructor for Southwestern Michigan College.