Adapting to Changes with Easy-To-Use Software
Iona-McGregor Fire District Case Study
Executive summary
Iona-McGregor Fire District needed software that would simplify and automate reporting and compliance work, so no quality issues turned up in the data submitted to the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS). After a thorough, hands-on selection process, the district chose ESO Fire Incidents and ESO Electronic Health Record (EHR).
Quick stats
Goals for implementing ESO
- Save time submitting reports
- Improve reporting quality to ensure compliance
- Automate the submission process for NEMSIS 3 and NFIRS
- Use data and insights to improve patient outcomes and department responsiveness
- Highlight value to the community
The challenge
Like many EMS agencies and fire departments across the country, Iona-McGregor Fire District has seen how it is measured shift, both on patient outcomes and on when and how money is spent. That scrutiny arrives alongside the need to stay compliant when submitting NFIRS and NEMSIS 3 reports.
“We were seeing gaps in our ePCR system and the reports we were submitting,” said Division Chief Tracy McMillion. “We oftentimes were having our reports returned to us by the state due to errors in reporting or a lack of quality around the reporting. This was a huge time waste for us.”
The team wanted software that was easy to use, that would guide responders to enter the data that matters, meet the requirements of different reporting bodies, and automate submission to stay compliant and save time.
With more than 12,000 calls a year, McMillion noted, the district needed a solution that would help the team work more efficiently and effectively.
The selection process
A three-person team started by looking at what other agencies and departments in the area were using. “We wanted to know what was good about the software other agencies were using, as well as the shortcomings,” noted McMillion.
As part of that process, the district brought ESO into consideration. The ESO team set up a sandbox environment so McMillion and his colleagues could work with the software as they would day to day. Field testing built enthusiasm for the change and gave the team a real role in the decision.
The team also noted how modern the software felt, and that the mobile applications would appeal to younger members. “We are now basically able to do the things we are used to doing at home with smartphones and tablets at work. It’s great,” added McMillion.
One more benefit surfaced during selection: ESO handles software updates when NEMSIS changes.
“With other software we previewed, the burden fell on the user to make changes around NEMSIS. With ESO, they will do it for us. It seemed like a no-brainer.”
A four-step selection process
Why ESO
- ESO handles the heavy lifting around compliance requirements
- A modern, easy-to-use interface that works the way smartphones and tablets already do
- Straightforward access to data for better reporting and quality management
- Automated updates that keep the software aligned with current compliance requirements
ESO supports fire departments across the country with software for patient care records, NFIRS reporting, preplans, inspections, and more.
