Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service to deploy new FireWatch app to support greater mobile working, increase digitalization and enhance agility. Infographics announced that Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) is one of the first UK FRS to adopt the new cross platform FireWatch app - with other Services expected to follow suit in the near future. The FireWatch app provides a modern and intuitive user experience, available from anywhere at any time.
Suitable for iPhone and Android devices, it allows users to directly access data and tasks for leave, skills, training, availability and assets. It also enables them to manage their relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and take direct actions.
automated electronic payment
Paul Binyon, Area Manager for Service Delivery at RBFRS, said: “By adopting the new cross platform FireWatch app, we believe that staff will benefit from improved access to key information. We are committed to investing in information and communication technology that helps to improve the efficiency and resilience of our Service. This will help us to deliver a more effective service to the communities we serve.”
Infographics are also working with RBFRS to extend the FireWatch app’s workflow support to manage change"
RBFRS utilizes the FireWatch platform for integrated human resource management, training and development, health and safety, asset management, automated electronic payment calculations and processing for on-call and wholetime staff, and availability management - with a live interface to their shared Thames Valley Control and Capita Vision mobilization system.
asset management tasks
Benefiting from the latest cross-platform app development tools, the new FireWatch app integrates seamlessly with the wider FireWatch user experience across Web, SMS and the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform. Infographics are also working with RBFRS to extend the FireWatch app’s workflow support to manage changes to existing leave and associated crewing impacts, as well as standardized testing, scanning and auditing for asset management tasks.
Russell Wood, Commercial Manager at Infographics, said: “We are delighted RBFRS are rolling out our latest developments and will be the first of many Fire and Rescue services expected to deploy our FireWatch app and other new solution areas, now available following our continued reinvestment in R&D.”
mobilization system interface
“The rich, integrated features of the main FireWatch platform and its modernized architecture allow us to easily roll out more capabilities via the app, Web and other areas as part of one integrated system for users, made available from anywhere at any time - including via the FireWatch Cloud and Microsoft Azure.”
The key features of the FireWatch app:
- Bio-metric login - convenient and secure with options for face ID and finger print recognition
- ‘Push notifications’ automatically triggered by the FireWatch two-way mobilization system interface, with the ability to confirm attendance and ETA
- Quick and easy digitalised attendance claims integrated with location services directly from the user’s cellphone
- ‘Roaming availability’ - eliminates the need for users to manually change their cover provision location by automatically detecting this and optionally using location services.
- Employee calendar - allows users to manage time, bookings and availability from anywhere
- Book on/off - quick and easily to book on/off, or make future bookings
- Station availability - view current station and vehicle crewing information and upcoming changes Organization-wide availability for managers - providing an understanding of ‘the bigger picture’ across the entire FRS within a mobile-optimized view
- Holiday request workflow - request and approve leave directly from the app, which has an in-built, dynamic understanding of the live FRS contracts, post structure and hierarchy (via from the wider-integrated FireWatch solution)
- Actionable KPI charts - presents key role-based metrics that users can directly drill into and perform actions on
- Training request workflow - allows users to quickly find training matching their role and skills needs, utilizing an automated, multi-step workflow for course booking
- Training course calendar - view and browse training course options directly from the app
