One bit of good luck for the firefighters of Boulder City is that dirt doesnโt burn and neither do rocks. The other is that their department is committed to staying connected, and itโs investing in technologies that make connecting from anywhere possible. โWeโre in the desert,โ says Josh Barrone, assistant fire chief with the Boulder City Fire Department. Because of that, forest fires arenโt a problem, โso we usually worry about other things,โ he says.
A new interstate, for example, has increased traffic in the area, which means more time spent responding to motor vehicle accidents and providing emergency medical services and transport. And day to day, the organization protects life and property across an area exceeding 200 square miles. โFire suppression for the city, technical rescues, mutual aid and first response โ as an all-hazards fire department, we keep pretty busy,โ Barrone says. Communication within BCFD has evolved to become decidedly more modern. In 2023, the organization deployed Webex Meetings and Cisco Board to significantly upgrade its videoconferencing capabilities.
Today, the department uses the technologies for everything from regional interagency communications to staff and leadership meetings and training. Through various resources, the FirstNet Authority provides guidance to fire departments and other emergency responders for the successful implementation of collaboration platforms. FirstNet advises responders to plan collaboration flows, leverage platform versatility, standardize data sharing and vet โ then adopt โ collaboration apps.
