Case Study: Long Beach Fire Department

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Long Beach Fire Department Technology Needs Final Paper EDS 113 Project Paul Kopfstein, Firefighter 6B James Owen, Fire Captain 21A James Rexwinkel, Battalion Chief, District 3A John Wright, Fire Engineer, Station 7C Andrew DeMetropolis, Firefighter, 24-A Long Beach Fire Department Abstract Over the last few decades the Long Beach Fire Department has been at the forefront of improving current practices and techniques within the fire service. Long Beach firefighters stand poised to, once again, be a part of implementing new technology by applying web-based tools to develop the way fire departments across the country do business. Initially, the challenge will simply be to educate current firefighters of the possibilities these new technologies hold. Outdated practices could be evaluated and changed to benefit the citizens and the fire department. Overall, an examination of this computer based technology reveals that firefighters can reduce cost, improve efficiency, and increase their effectiveness. Simple ordering and tracking software can reduce the time firefighters spend ordering supplies and allow them to use that time productively. Web-based training, available at the fire station, eliminates the need for a fire engine to physically drive to a training location and waste time, money,…show more content…
For many decades this forward thinking department has been used as a model for many other fire departments. The Long Beach Fire Department is made up of approximately 500 uniformed members, which results in a fire department large enough to have the financial resources to accommodate gains in technology; furthermore, the size of the department allows the roll out of technologies to be rapidly incorporated to the field staff. In spite of the advantageous size of the Long Beach Fire Department, we have persistent problems that could be made more efficient with

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