Swissphone recently purchased the Firefighter Response System, which provides firefighters and first responders with access to essential information prior to and during dispatch.

Traditionally, firefighters and dispatch centers do not know if enough personnel are available to react to a call until emergency personnel arrived at the fire station. Once there, the rescue team would then need to request additional resources and personnel, further lengthening the time to reach the emergency. Combined with the time required to reach the fire station, this situation could add 15 minutes to first responder and firefighter response times.

The Firefighter Response System gives dispatch centers and commanders the ability to know who is responding in real time through a variety of methods. While some competitive products only allow firefighters to respond via telephone, the Firefighter Response System provides the means for firefighters and commanders to respond in multiple ways, depending on how the alert was received and how they became aware of the alert. For example, if the alert was received via Swissphone’s digital POCSAG RES.Q pager, first responders can submit information directly through the pager via GPRS. If the alert arrives via a standard pager, first responders can press a single button on a standard phone to relay information.

Alerts can also be received via SMS text message and users can respond via an Internet link or via text message. Users at the fire station when the alert goes out can update their status directly through a computer or other connected device. Swissphone also has plans to develop Android and iPhone apps.

Dispatch center personnel and commanders have access to all of the transmitted information via personal computers, tablet computers, mobile phones, or any other device that is connected to the system, allowing instant access to first responder information and no need to wait at the fire station for the arrival of other members or to request additional resources.

Additionally, fire stations can also setup scheduling systems that allow firefighters and first responders to call ahead and mark their availability in the system so that dispatchers know even before an incident occurs whether enough personnel will be available. Swissphone’s patented technology provides commanders and dispatch centers exclusive access to an immediate overview of total available responders for multiple fire stations or first responder groups.