Fire Department: Fire Chiefs Technology Council

The Challenge

The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) established the Technology Council in 2008 to evaluate emerging technologies that warranted fire service support. The council provides a forum for information and knowledge exchange among different stakeholders, including fire chiefs, public safety organizations, and vendors. The Council’s mission is to promote an environment that encourages and supports innovation to drive the adoption, adaptation, and/or acceptance of technological solutions within a standards-based, interoperable framework. 

Before The Council’s collaboration with BFD through Chief Moore, IU’s Crisis Technology Innovation Lab (CTIL) operated somewhat in a silo. CTIL and Chief Moore sought opportunities for connection and leveraging regarding technological innovations to make something good even better. 

The Idea

Chief Moore was selected to join the Council by Council Chair Fire Chief Dan Munsey in part due to the work he has done, as an Associate Director, that helped establish the IU Crisis Technology Innovation Lab (CTIL) along with his presentations at the California Fire Chiefs Association Tech Summit and Fire Rescue International. Now sitting on both the IAFC and CTIL, Chief Moore can integrate efforts between both groups and, for example, establish a direct channel to provide input on the creation of guiding documents like the 21st Century Fire and Emergency Service Report. 

The Cost

Making Bloomington a testing sandbox for technology is how Chief Moore plans on keeping the City on the cutting edge without costing the taxpayers the money it takes to be an industry leader. In regards to what this means for BFD, it is an opportunity for the department to have a voice in the direction of the fire service. When BFD invests in technology, it will be in alignment with the National direction. By being at the forefront, BFD can avoid costly mistakes when there are crossroads in the technology as it begins to emerge. 

The Benefit

BFD has shown what the addition of technology can do for a City that did not embrace it before Mayor Hamilton's administration. The lives the department has saved, reduction of catastrophic events, and reduction of response times are major steps in the right direction and have caught the attention of peers in the fire service. Everything from BFD’s recognition as a leader for mask-mounted thermal imaging cameras, the International trip to Sierra Leone, and rapid improvement in our Insurance Service Office (ISO) scores are causing BFD to hit the State and National radar. 

All too often departments fail to realize the impact they can have on the bigger group. Bloomington is in a unique position to leverage the minds of Indiana University to help fast-track the in-depth analysis that is required to make groundbreaking discoveries and cause major leaps in how we do our jobs. Chief Moore’s presence on IAFC, only compounds these benefits for the department to advance the fire/rescue/EMS services and allied agencies to be on the leading edge of technological adaptation.

Metadata

City Department(s): Fire Department

City Department Point(s) of Contact: Fire Chief Jason Moore

Partner(s): The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)

Partner Point(s) of Contact: N/A

Type of Innovation: Technology/Software 

Date Implemented: Summer 2021