Firefighting Emergency Response Software Solutions

Working in extremely challenging conditions and facing life-threatening danger on a regular basis, firefighters play a pivotal role in keeping our communities safe. However, fire departments worldwide face challenges that compromise their ability to operate effectively. Omda Emergency software is designed to help fire departments overcome these challenges. From optimising resource allocation with Omda Readiness to ensuring efficient dispatch with Omda Incident, Omda’s software is changing how emergency response organisations prepare for, respond to and manage incidents.

Omda firefighting emergency response solutions

Our emergency response software for firefighting encompasses a range of solutions in the Omda Emergency product portfolio. The two primary solutions are Omda Readiness and Omda Incident.

Omda Readiness

Omda Readiness is a state-of-the-art modelling solution that allows fire departments to simulate the outcomes of operational decisions. These can range from assessing the impact of new base locations on response times to measuring the performance of various fleet compositions. The solution encourages greater experimentation with new policies and ideas without the risk of endangering people with real-world implementation, and provides data-based evidence to support operational decision-making.

Omda Incident

Omda Incident provides a comprehensive overview of the operational environment and enables effective and coordinated incident management. Featuring a reliable and efficient infrastructure facilitating effective call handling and distribution, as well as seamless communication between all parties involved in the response, it provides a common operational picture and the means to organise and manage the best possible response. This is further enhanced by dispatch support for call handlers and automated dispatch in certain instances.

Omda solutions and the challenges facing fire departments

Though fire departments worldwide face a wide range of operational challenges, we’ve chosen to highlight particularly prevalent issues that impact a significant number of organisations and impair their ability to deliver high-quality incident responses.

1. Staff retention

Staff retention and shortages are primary concerns for many fire departments. In the UK, staff shortages are resulting in longer response times (BBC) and large overtime expenditures. In 2023, Essex Fire Service spent approximately £350,000 on cover due to staff shortages (BBC). In the US, burnout impacts staffing levels considerably, and firefighters regularly work 72 hours of overtime every month to cover shortages (BRG).

While more funding and pay increases for emergency responders will increase the number of people entering fire organisations, staff retention is also critical. Omda solutions work to improve conditions for firefighters in several ways, resulting in greater staff retention. Omda Readiness enables services to model changes to shift policies in a virtual environment before implementing them in the real world. Omda Response streamlines response workflows, supporting firefighters and ensuring everyday processes are intuitive and user-friendly.

2. Acquiring required funding

Many fire departments struggle to acquire the funding required to meet performance expectations. In recent years, Omda Readiness firefighting emergency response software has proven a particularly effective tool for departments looking to overcome commissioning challenges. It enables organisations to justify a particular level of funding by tying it to specific performance targets. The modelling solution demonstrates the performance level achievable at various funding levels, providing services with a scientific, data-driven argument for increased funding.

Though a medical emergency response organisation, the work performed by Hato Hone St John in New Zealand illustrates the potential of this approach and the power of Omda Readiness. You can read more about it in our Hato Hone St John case study.

3. Availability management and coordination

Operating with limited resources, fire departments must maximise the value of every asset at their disposal. Omda fire department software solutions enable them to do so in three key ways. Omda Incident ensures assets are coordinated and used effectively, improving incident response and ensuring resources are utilised in ways that maximise their potential. Omda Response ensures firefighters can engage with digital systems in a simple and seamless manner while providing incident response support. Finally, Omda Readiness helps fire departments manage availability, deploy assets effectively and optimise resource use.

Discover Omda Emergency solutions

To learn more about our game-changing firefighting emergency response solutions, head to the Omda Emergency solutions page or contact our expert team with your enquiry.