VIDEO: There’s a vending machine for firefighters, but it’s not for sodas or snacks. It’s for items that help save lives. The UCapIt machines work like vending machines but for medical supplies and some pharmaceuticals. “They allow us to restock medications faster,” said Yuma Fire Department Captain David Padilla Jr. In the past, Padilla says firefighters would have to spend about 45 minutes traveling to a hospital pharmacy to restock. Now, they can restock quickly right at the station.
Instead of having to manually count supplies like in the past, their new operative IQ program also helps them digitally keep track of inventory and more efficiently restock and purchase. “Now the guys show up, they have a scanner in their hand. It immediately downloads with RFID all of the information right to it, and then it sends that information up to our inventory specialist,” Padilla shared. Everything is tracked and requires a code, fingerprint access, and one to two-person authentication depending on the item.
