It’s the kind of praise the folks at BATT3 live for: “You can tell a firefighter built this.”
BATT3 co-founder John Morrison likes to share that quote when explaining the appeal of his startup’s mobile software. When installed on a rugged tablet or smartphone, BATT3 lets commanders retire their whiteboards and pencil-and-paper scheduling processes, ensuring they have the right people in the right places on the fireground. It also tracks key issues like the status of firefighters’ SCBA air supplies.
The story of BATT3 shows what happens when management-savvy firefighters put their heads together to take advantage of trends reshaping the technology landscape. Morrison often lets BATT3’s software speak for itself during product demos. That’s when potential buyers see firefighters’ fingerprints all over the software’s user experience.
HOW BATT3 STARTED
BATT3 came together when two guys who climbed the ranks of their fire department in the Pacific Northwest teamed up with a veteran information technology expert who’d been a volunteer firefighter in high school. Morrison, the chief marketing officer, and Lee Holbrook, the CEO, are battalion commanders with more than 25 years in the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Fire Department. Brandon Russell, the chief technology officer, never lost the fascination with fighting fires he developed as a teenager.
Morrison earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. After graduation, he joined the Fire Department in Coeur d’Alene, a city of 56,000 about 30 miles east of Spokane. That’s where he met Holbrook, his future business partner.
As Morrison gained leadership experience while assuming incident commands, the business training started kicking in. Morrison and his co-founders knew modern mobile apps could be crucial leadership tools, so they went to work on BATT3.
“The company came out of an absolute need that we had back in early 2010,” he said. “We were finding there was really no way that we could all be on the same page when managing our incidents.”
That need long predated the co-founders’ fire service careers. Indeed, it’s been around for as long as people have come together to fight fires. But something changed around 2010: mobile network bandwidth had gotten fat enough to support sophisticated online apps that could operate on smartphones and tablets. Bigger mobile network pipes propelled the evolution of cloud-based, software-as-a-service technologies.
An early version of the startup’s software told Morrison he was on the right track. The mobile technology let him establish command in a strategic spot, manage his resources, make good assignments and track everything in real time.
“I knew my incident scenes were so much more organized and safer than they had been before,” he recalled.
HOW BATT3 WORKS
BATT3’s software puts scheduling, incident management and accountability on Windows devices, like Zebra ET8x 2-in-1 tablets powered by Microsoft Windows Pro. ICx, the company’s signature mobile app for Windows devices, focuses on managing an incident scene, creating a digital version of a whiteboard that lets commanders coordinate apparatus and personnel. The drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to move people and machinery from one group to another.
ICx can link to the company’s FireRoster online scheduling software, as well as other third-party scheduling solutions, to create a better incident accountability solution that gives commanders the full picture of who’s scheduled to work and available in emergencies.
The mobile app is extremely handy for managing an incident because there’s no need for pencils, dry-erase markers or other manual paraphernalia. “It’s actually easier than writing,” Morrison said.
Moreover, the software provides a standard interface for all commanders, streamlining coordination when calling in second and third alarms. Everything can be integrated with computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems, ensuring that fire management starts the minute a 911 call comes in and continues until it’s time to stow the equipment and head back to the firehouse.
If firefighters make a mayday call, the accountability package makes it easy to speed assistance. The scheduling app lets firefighters swap shifts or assignments on their own, saving one small chore for their supervisors. Morrison’s time lost to scheduling has fallen from hours to minutes.
BATT3’s software also collects data that can help commanders make smart decisions in the future, like updating standard operating procedures and figuring out why mistakes or accidents happen. Morrison acknowledges the software must account for the factors that motivate leaders to assume command of a fireground, like saving lives and protecting property.
“If you told me that I had to keep track of all these data points on a fire, I would revolt because that’s not what I’m there for,” Morrison said. With BATT3’s technology, “I don’t ever feel like I’m collecting data.”
The software is designed to adapt to all needs, from a huge metro fire department to a local volunteer operation. “Volunteer departments deserve to have incident management and accountability,” Morrison added.
A HARDWARE PARTNER’S PERSPECTIVE
The work of the BATT3 folks requires a hardware platform tough enough to withstand drops, kicks, scratches, rain, dust and everything else that complicates fire management. The software often finds a home in mobile hardware from Zebra Technologies, which builds rugged tablets to the high-hazard standards required in public safety scenarios.
Rob Karsch, a senior sales engineer with Zebra Technologies, is a big fan of BATT3’s software. Karsch has been a member of the Bristol, Rhode Island, Volunteer Fire Department for more than 40 years and worked as a police commander before retiring.
“You hear horror stories of folks that have called 911 and it’s taken 20, 30 or 40 minutes for somebody to respond,” Karsch said. BATT3’s software automates roster creation and integrates readily into 911 systems. This helps fire commanders responding to 911 calls ensure they have enough people to speed assistance to emergency scenes. CXi’s mobile app gives them everything they need to set up shop at a fireground and coordinate a response.
The company also understands the importance of developing strong hardware partnerships.
“The relationship I’ve had with BATT3 has been nothing but exemplary,” Karsch said. “I have absolutely no reservations on referring them to one my customers because I know the job that they do.”
Morrison says the software’s success comes down to understanding what it’s like to coordinate a fire response. “If I’m writing on a piece of paper or a whiteboard with a dry-erase marker, the crew may not know what my chicken scratching looks like,” he said, “but if they look at my screen, it’s standard. They know.”
Learn more about incident command tools for safer firefighting by watching this on-demand webinar.
Visit Zebra.com for more information on Zebra’s rugged tablets.
