Case Study
Digitization: This is how the Horn TG fire department is proceeding

Daniela Obrecht, 26.05.2020
The Horn local fire department on Lake Constance is one of the smaller fire departments in the canton of Thurgau, but it is by no means lagging behind when it comes to digitization. Commander Claudio Forster provides information about the digitization process and the software used for mission support and mission planning.

Die Feuerwehr Horn abonnierte - nach einer vorgängigen Evaluationsphase - im Frühjahr 2019 Firetab Einsatz, Firetab Screen, Firetab Journal und Planbutler. Zu diesem Zeitpunkt waren in der Feuerwehr nur begrenzt Einsatzdokumente in einer kleinen Kunststoffbox im TLF vorhanden.

Einige Monate zuvor hatte die Feuerwehr Horn einen Einsatz mit Öl im Hafen. Das Öl kam durch einen alten Schmutzwasserkanal. Beim Studieren der veralteten Abwasserkarten wurde klar, dass bei den Plänen und Karten Handlungsbedarf bestand. Neue Versionen von Einsatzdokumenten in Papierform zu erstellen und lokal zu lagern, war keine Option.

Anfangs testete man eine kleine kostenlose Einsatzplanlösung, die jedoch nicht genügte. Dann sammelte das Kommando die Anforderungskriterien ihrer Organisation und begann, die passende Software systematisch zu suchen. So entstand der Kontakt zur Azurito AG.

Anforderungskriterien der Feuerwehr Horn an die Software

  • Software System für Einsatzplanung und Einsatzunterstützung
  • Einfach zu bedienende Software und Hardware
  • Kosten/Nutzen im Verhältnis
  • Ausbaufähigkeit, zum Beispiel unkompliziert auf mehrere Tablets
  • Einfache Integration eigener Karten über Schnittstelle
  • Offline Verfügbarkeit und Aktualität der Daten

Schnell war klar, die Software musste so bedienerfreundlich wie ein Smartphone sein und zwar jederzeit, auch nachts im Halbschlaf. Im Rahmen der Evaluation nahmen die Feuerwehr Offiziere und eine Gemeinderätin an der Online Produktpräsentation von Azurito teil. Die Gemeinderätin war dabei eine Schlüsselfigur für den späteren Entscheid der Gemeinde.

Die Digitalisierungsschritte der Feuerwehr Horn

  • Schritt 1: Anforderungskriterien erstellen
  • Schritt 2: Evaluation der passenden Software
  • Schritt 3: Entscheid, Budgets und Bestellung
  • Schritt 4: Online Schulung des Kernteams durch die Azurito AG
  • Schritt 5: Schulung der Offiziere durch das Kernteam
1
Firetab Einsatz Tablet
7
GIS Karten
1
Firetab Screen
"Entscheidend für die Wahl der Azurito Produkte waren für uns die einfache Bedienung und die Kosten/Nutzen Rechnung."
Claudio Forster, Kommandant Feuerwehr Horn
Image Planbutler
The Horn Fire Department uses Planbutler to plan its operations.
Image Firetab insert
The command has opted for almost the full range of features of the tablet app.
Image Firetab Screen
In use at the Horn Fire Department: Firetab Screen
Image Firetab Journal
Firetab Journal is also part of the service package

The balance after one year of experience with the new applications

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The Horn Fire Department is very satisfied with its choice of products and systems and the digitization process. All officers have now been trained on the apps. It takes some time and practice to completely switch from traditional incident command to digital. So the Horn Fire Department will still create some operational documents in the near future and integrate the new tools more into their exercises.

"Especially during the Corona crisis, when we couldn't hold fire drills, we made good use of time from home to create deployment plans with Planbutler. We never would have been able to work that efficiently before we got the apps."
Claudio Forster, Commander Horn Fire Department

Not yet often practiced digital journaling. However, those responsible are convinced that just in the context of the development of leadership support Firetab Journal is a perfect complement and sensible investment.

Azurito apps in firefighting practice This is what Claudio Forster, commander of the Horn local fire department, says

Why should even a smaller local fire department invest in digitization?

Why not? The whole world talks about progress and innovation. In the private sector, we talk about the paperless office, home office and Industry 4.0 - and in the fire department? Here, we should do the same, because digitization brings many advantages for us. The younger generation, to which I also count myself, needs the digital tools, no matter how large the organization is. The older ones learn how to use them quickly and the traditions are by no means lost.

Which areas have you already digitized?

We try to digitize all areas, even if it is not always easy. The document filing, deployment support, deployment planning and material service are already digitized. In the material service, however, we would like to improve.

Which fire department apps do you use and what are your experiences?

We use Firetab Screen, Firetab Deployment with almost all options and Firetab Journal as well as Planbutler. Experience shows me that it makes a lot of sense to use Planbutler bundled with Firetab. This is because the automated integration of the deployment plans in Firetab is very helpful. It saves time and all data is always up to date. The advantage of the screen in the magazine is that it offers something for everyone: In alarm mode, it brings the deployment data to the point and in info mode, the photos come good.

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Why did you choose this software?

Decisive for us to choose Azurito products were the simple condition and the cost/benefit calculation. Fortunately, the small ways and the proximity to the Azurito team, which not only sells the products, but also develops them itself, were added afterwards. One can speak very uncomplicated directly with those responsible from management and development.

How do you experience the cooperation with the Azurito team?

Pleasant, nice, simple, short distances, helpful, focused on progress, competent - I think all these keywords fit.

What is the decisive for you in the digitization of their own fire department?

The acceptance for the digital tools must be top down and botten up. All members of the fire department should be allowed to say something about it. So in the end the commitment is also right. Also key persons from the municipality are to be integrated better already early into the process of the procurement. Then we will have better political support for digitization. The apps absolutely have to be simple, straightforward and fast. They should also function as an overall system with interfaces. No one needs isolated individual systems. Of course, the costs should be in proportion, after all, we are talking about taxpayers' money here.

Fire department software for mission support

Organization About the fire department Horn TG

The Horn Volunteer Fire Department consists of about 60 AdF, who work around the clock for the safety of the population in the community. They perform per year between 15 and 25 operations of all kinds on an area of 171 ha. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find personnel for a fire department. To compensate for this, the Horn Fire Department is investing in state-of-the-art and efficient equipment or in the digitalization of its organization. Thus, it is traditionally modern 😉 and ready for the future.

Start digitization now You like the story of the Horn Fire Department?

For those interested in digitizing their organization, it's best to book a one-hour online presentation with the Azurito team.

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