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Modern fire departments need to depend on more than personnel and apparatus to protect their communities. Access to accurate information before, during and after an incident plays a critical role in helping crews operate efficiently, make informed decisions and maintain compliance with evolving reporting requirements.
For the Davenport Fire Department (FD) in Iowa, technology has become an essential part of daily operations, from inspections and preplanning to emergency response and incident reporting. Using Tyler’s Fire & EMS Suite, the department has created a connected workflow that supports firefighters and EMS personnel in the field while improving data quality across the organization.
Building better preparedness through inspections and preplans
While emergency response remains the department’s primary focus, preparation begins long before a call comes in.
Davenport FD uses technology to conduct inspections, enforce fire code requirements and maintain preplan information for commercial properties throughout the city. The system gives crews access to inspection records, premises details and applicable fire codes directly in the field.
“The ability to be out in the field or on a scene and not just cite the code right then and there, but to take pictures of it, was a game changer,” said Davenport FD Lt. Jake Hebbeln.
The department was also an early adopter of the self-reinspection portal, helping streamline follow-up inspections and improve compliance tracking.
As crews complete inspections, they continuously update premise information that becomes part of the department’s preplans. Those records provide responders with critical information before they arrive on scene.
“The expectation is that we’re going to have premises information for any commercial property in our city,” Hebbeln said.
For routine incidents such as fire alarms, service calls or investigations, responders can quickly reference details such as alarm panel locations, sprinkler shutoffs and building-specific information without searching through paper records or separate systems.
Using mapping to improve response
When an emergency occurs, Davenport firefighters rely heavily on Tyler’s mapping capabilities to support response operations.
According to Hebbeln, crews use mapping tools on nearly every call to view responding units, monitor routes and coordinate arrivals.
For structure fires, where multiple apparatus may be responding simultaneously, mapping helps officers identify alternative approaches and avoid congestion around the incident scene.
“I’ll check out the mapping, and I will absolutely pick a route that nobody else is going,” Hebbeln said. “We don’t all want to go in the exact same direction.”
The department also integrates GIS data into its response workflows, giving crews visibility into hydrant locations and water main sizes before they arrive. In addition, responders can view the locations of law enforcement units, helping them gather information and better coordinate multiagency incidents.
Simplifying NERIS and NEMSIS reporting
Beyond response operations, Davenport has seen significant improvements in incident documentation and reporting.
For EMS reporting, the department uses Tyler’s solutions to support compliance with the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS), while allowing crews to document patient care in real time from iPads in the field.
Rather than completing reports after returning to the station, firefighters can enter information during the incident, dramatically reducing documentation time.
“We are getting a way more in-depth look at what we actually do — the software is easy to use, and crews are more likely to document incidents accurately and consistently.”
“Our charting times used to be 15–20 minutes,” Hebbeln said. “Our charting time is now approximately two minutes.”
That’s approximately 18 minutes saved for each NEMSIS report.
The department is also using Tyler’s National Emergency Response Information System (NERIS)-compliant reporting tools to meet new national fire reporting requirements. Hebbeln noted that the system guides users through required fields, making it easier to capture accurate information without adding unnecessary complexity.
The benefits extend beyond compliance. Davenport has configured additional data fields and custom reports to support accreditation efforts, ISO requirements and departmentwide analysis.
“We are getting a way more in-depth look at what we actually do — the software is easy to use, and crews are more likely to document incidents accurately and consistently, resulting in higher-quality data for operational planning and decision-making,” Hebbeln said.
Technology that supports everyday operations
For Davenport Fire Department, the value of technology isn’t limited to major incidents. It supports the routine calls, inspections and reports that make up daily operations.
From maintaining preplans and conducting inspections to navigating complex response routes and streamlining reporting, Tyler’s Fire & EMS solutions help ensure firefighters have the information they need when and where they need it.
As Hebbeln explained, technology works best when it becomes a natural part of the job.
“We use the software every single day,” he said. “That’s how it should be.”
Discover more about Tyler’s Fire & EMS Suite here.
For more information, visit Tyler Technologies.