Staying on top of inventory, vehicle maintenance, medication expiration dates and more is an essential — and time-consuming — task for fire and EMS agencies. Frankly, they’d rather be doing something else with their time, such as answering calls more quickly. But paperwork is paperwork, and it has to be done.
Fortunately, it is possible for these agencies to substantially reduce the tedium of paperwork while improving the accuracy of their record-keeping and logistics management by going digital. Instead of relying on numerous spreadsheets or pen and paper, departments can make these processes infinitely easier by turning to ESO Logistics Management.
The team at ESO have been pioneers in creating innovative, user-friendly software to meet the changing needs of EMS agencies, fire departments, hospitals and state EMS offices since 2004. Today, ESO is the largest software and data solutions provider to EMS agencies and fire departments in the United States.
ESO’s three record-keeping and logistics solutions for fire/EMS applications – Asset Management, Inventory Management and Checklists — can be purchased and used individually or combined to provide streamlined processes and complete visibility and control for fire/EMS agencies of any size and complexity.
The result is easier and more accurate record-keeping; better inventory control that reduces costs while ensuring first responders have the supplies they need at hand; and checklists that actually aid the management process, rather than just repetitively listing items that need to be done.
WHAT THESE SOLUTIONS HAVE TO OFFER
The fire/EMS solutions made by ESO cover three different areas of logistics management. All are vital to the safe, effective and legal management of fire/EMS agencies.
The ESO Asset Management solution provides fire/EMS managers with the tools they need to track assets from the day they are purchased to the day they are taken out of service. It covers all of the agency’s vehicles, onboard equipment, and portable gear online, as well as scheduled and unexpected maintenance on those vehicles and equipment and gear.
This solution takes the guesswork out of asset management by putting all of these elements on one interactive dashboard. Asset management becomes clear, integrated, and easy to handle, both in terms of today’s assets and planning for their servicing and replacement in the future. Rather than viewing it as an overwhelming task, asset management becomes a helping hand to fire/EMS managers.
ESO’s Inventory Management solution manages medical supplies, medications, and controlled substances stored within the vehicle, ensuring consistency with DEA compliance and other relevant regulations. By moving to this online platform, fire/EMS agencies can take the hassle out of inventory management, which minimizes legal risks as well.
Here’s how it works: As soon as a new item is ordered by a fire/EMS agency, it enters the Inventory Management system. From there, every step of the item’s place in the agency is accurately tracked, from being received, loaded onto an ambulance, consumed and re-ordered.
When every item is recorded and tracked from a single user dashboard, product shortages are eliminated. Costs are also easy to control, and waste is minimized. Items that are closest to their expiry dates can be moved to the busiest locations for immediate use.
Product reordering can also be integrated by creating direct connections to suppliers with the platform. Additionally, Inventory Management can generate compliance reports for overseeing bodies whenever they are needed, using reliable data that proves the fire/EMS agency has been managing items like controlled substances properly.
Finally, ESO’s Checklists solution makes fire/EMS checklists meaningful and useful, rather than a reminder of things left undone. Using cloud-based forms that can be accessed on desktop and mobile devices, the system’s daily checklists only show users what equipment is on the vehicle that particular day and what work associated with that vehicle needs to be done. New items can be added as needed across the entire fleet on a per-vehicle basis, and the system can automatically monitor the progress of scheduled items to ensure they were actually completed.
THE POWER OF INTEGRATION
On their own, each of ESO’s three logistics management solutions makes life easier for fire/EMS agencies. But when two or more are combined, the benefits they provide increase exponentially. Put all three together, and the result is a fire/EMS management suite that provides comprehensive control of asset tracking, inventory control and checklist execution. Agency management becomes easier, while the quality of EMS response improves, and staff morale is enhanced.
The best part? If you know how to run one ESO management solution, you know how to run them all. The interfaces on all three web-based solutions are designed to be uniform as well as intuitive. This makes adding a second or third ESO solution to an agency’s roster easy to deploy because there is no significant learning curve. ESO also uses the same design on its other products, such as those for managing agency activities and personnel.
REAL SAVINGS
There is no doubt that ESO Logistics Management solutions for fire/EMS agencies save time, reduce errors and improve management control. But what they also do is minimize waste.
A case in point: The City of Anahuac Fire Department in Texas (population 1,921) has been able to achieve over $25,000 in inventory cost savings just by using medicines they have in stock before they expire. In a small, rural jurisdiction where revenue sources are tight, these savings are significant.
Effective logistics management can save time and money for fire/EMS agencies of any size, making these solutions as vital to first responders as vehicles, personnel and medical equipment.
To learn more, visit ESO Logistics Management and see how you can improve operations at your fire/EMS agency.
Read next: ESO’s Health Data Exchange puts more information in the hands of first responders