As COVID-19 virus cases continue to grow in the U.S., emergency medical services (EMS) are adapting to new systems and protocols.
Most public safety agencies, including fire and EMS, have already gone through significant changes due to the virus, as well as recent civil unrest.
Some of the challenges EMS personnel are facing include adhering to personal protective equipment (PPE) and disinfection policies for equipment, calculating pay adjustments for back-filling of positions due to the virus, and ensuring training and licensing renewals are achieved and reported.
For an agency to take on an influx of additional technical responsibilities, while also responding to an increase in calls, can be overwhelming and tedious.
Because this way of life is the new normal due to the virus, many agencies have adopted new communication software for their facilities to make the transition easier and more streamlined.
To automate these complexities, EMS personnel management systems and software are becoming widely used across the country by first responders. These software systems have a wide range of resources available to agencies.
From mobile solutions to smart scheduling and interactive analytics, these management systems are giving EMS agencies the resources they need during this time.
Mobile Solutions
To assist with communication across all EMS agencies and for all personnel, mobile solutions are a necessity in the field.
Mobile devices such as in-vehicle solutions, wearables, and incident mapping are connecting law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS technicians with the essential information they need to perform their jobs effectively.
While these types of mobile solutions are critical, having easy access to schedules and daily information has become just as important.
Whether it’s finding the right person to fill a vacancy or simply requesting time off work, the entire team needs to be connected.
Interactive Analytics
It’s critical for EMS agencies to track the analytics of the emergency situations they respond to on a daily basis. The ability to generate accurate, relevant, and timely information helps agencies understand the pros and cons of their workforce.
Old reporting methods are not only tedious, they aren’t as accurate as new interactive software.
An agency’s efficiency and future growth rely on accurate information gathering, which is why so many agencies have started analyzing their data interactively.
Interactive analytical software not only generates accurate information, but it allows administrators to make real-time charts, visualizations, and dashboards with the data.
This allows agencies to make data-driven decisions more quickly and easily, as well as encourages viewers to see patterns within the data.
Training Management
Coordinating training is not only time consuming, but the process can become extremely frustrating with so many schedules to work around. As the virus continues to spread across the country, agencies are training more often and for longer periods of time.
Training management systems give agencies a way to manage required courses, coordinate training schedules, and track employee results. These systems provide employees with online course notifications that are coordinated with their personal schedules.
Once acknowledged, confirmed training events are displayed on their calendars and shift rosters. Training administrators can also track attendance and log results in real-time.
Training management systems also make it easier for administrators to track employee certifications. Certification dates are tracked with the ability to pre-define dates for renewal alerts.
Since all certification data is saved, results can be transmitted electronically to governmental organizations when needed.
Thanks to new communication software available for agencies, it doesn’t have to be overwhelming to be an emergency responder or administrator in today’s complicated world.
Although the training and protocols are growing in intensity, the management of it can be streamlined with EMS personnel management software.
About The Author:
Anne Kamwila is a freelance content writer and a digital marketer. She is passionate to write on health, technology, and business-related guides, news, and books.