In this episode, we are featuring a "Local Spotlight" with an industry influencer who lives right here in our backyard.  Brandon Rigaud is currently a Lieutenant with Grants Pass Fire and is a Project Manager with First Due SizeUp.  Brandon got his start in the fire service at 14 as an explorer, then transitioned to a volunteer and 18, and spent 7 years with the forest service as a hotshot and helitack member.

Bob spoke with Brandon about his interest in tech systems that started while he was with the Forest Service and eventually lead to him working with Casey McIntosh on CrewSense, a platform built to streamline the staffing process for agencies. When CrewSense was brough to the market in 2012, many agencies were still using excel spreadsheets or pen and paper to manage staffing, with Battalion Chiefs in the office making phone calls to firefighters to fill shift vacancies. This process optimization through technology systems was continued with First Due. Pre-incident planning consists of knowing the hazards in your coverage area, and in particular buildings in that area. Again, many agencies rely on a binder that lists various hazards of concern, nearest hydrant, and access and egress points. First Due addresses that inefficiency by moving pre-incident planning data to a cloud-based platform that can be easily updated and easily accessed while responding. It also makes data sharing more efficient. They are also working on gamification of the platform which will incorporate a point or scoring system for use and allow for friendly competition within crews.

Brandon spoke about ways to make workflow changes and introduction of new technology more widely accepted and utilized in your agency. They also discussed how the future of the fire service may include a technology position that is outside of IT and specializes in utilization and maintenance of cloud-based systems.

The conversation wrapped up discussing how fleet management and maintenance could be optimized to reduce downtime by tracking upcoming maintenance needs and ensuring parts are in-stock prior to needing them.

Thanks for your support during our first year! As promised, we will be turning the microphone on Bob for the next episode. You can look forward to hearing how he got his start in the fire service and where he wants his professional journey to take him when it’s time for the next chapter. We welcome comments, questions, and topic or speaker suggestions. You can reach us at [email protected] any time.