CHICAGO and ELLICOT CITY, Md. – The Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services (HCDFRS), a nationally accredited department located in Maryland, today announced its implementation of the CommandScope™ All Hazard Pre-Incident Plan program to help protect nearly 300,000 residents in 25 communities. CommandScope gives first responders access to critical pre-plan information, both on-site and en route on their Mobile Data Computers (MDC’s), which includes maps, photographs, utility shutoff locations, floor plans, fire protection systems, hazardous material information and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), emergency lockdown procedures, and much more.
“Our goal was to implement an easy-to-use, county-wide system that would allow all of our emergency personnel – fire, police, mutual aid, and more – to have immediate access to the valuable data they need when responding to a call,” said Captain David Brnich of HCDFRS. “CommandScope will save us critical minutes that could save lives. The latest building data is instantly available on mobile devices in our vehicles so we can coordinate our efforts to quickly and efficiently take action.”
Howard County is located in central Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. The county’s population centers of Columbia and Ellicott City frequently rank in Money magazine’s annual list of “Top 10 Places to Live.” Already, Captain Brnich has trained more than 400 personnel to use CommandScope. In addition, the department’s IT and Data Applications Division has successfully imported pre-plans for more than 5,500 commercial properties.
“When first responders get to a building, even if they’ve never stepped foot in it before, CommandScope gives them an instantaneous snapshot of what they’re walking into,” said David Howorka, Executive Vice President of RealView, LLC, the Chicago-based company that developed CommandScope. “Our software program arms first responders with the ability to access the critical building details they need to save lives and assure less property damage.”
Updating data is simple, and new information is immediately synchronized across hundreds of devices county-wide. The building information gathered and updated by the HCDFRS will be accessible to fire safety professionals, mutual aid responders, law enforcement, SWAT, the local Office of Emergency Management, and hazardous materials response units.
CommandScope is utilized by fire and police departments, municipalities, office/industrial properties, and college campuses across the United States and Canada. Designed with best-of-breed technology, CommandScope’s technical standards adhere to the requirements of both the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s National Incident Management System (NIMS), which is a template of procedures developed to execute a multifaceted rescue plan to save victims of unforeseen catastrophes.
About RealView, LLC RealView, LLC (www.RealViewLLC.com) is a software development company headquartered in downtown Chicago that specializes in paperless, mobile technology solutions. Featuring RealView Mobile Inspections and the CommandScope All Hazards Pre-Plan programs, RealView, LLC offers an ASP model that provides subscribers with software solutions without the costly expense of purchasing, managing, and supporting “owned” hardware and servers. All updates for RealView’s programs are systematically and seamlessly synchronized to clients electronically at no additional cost. With a Gold certified Microsoft development team, RealView, LLC offers the latest advancements in software technology and development solutions.
For more information, contact: RealView Phone: 312-284-2030 Email: info@realviewllc.com
Becky Jackson, Press Contact Vagus, Inc. Phone: 517-285-5147 Email: rjackson@vagusagency.com