APX Data vs Emergency Reporting Software : Discover the Differences
Adapting to Changing Needs and Technology
Many fire departments in the United States and Canada that are modernizing their operations face the challenge of finding a solution that not only meets their needs now, but also for years to come. Smaller budgets and cost cutting initiatives force many departments to do more with less. Early technology adopters may have relied on Emergency Reporting for their incident tracking and reporting needs: however, with their recent acquisition by ESO, the uncertainty of what comes next may pose a threat to their operations. If you are among those in this situation or are in search of an alternative solution, APX Data has a mobile first suite of products for fire departments and public safety agencies focused on response, compliance and prevention.
While it may seem predictable that our company would recommend APX Data as a better alternative, we do so for good reason. As developers of a robust emergency reporting platform, we understand the unique needs of firefighters and have tailored our solution to meet those needs.
APX Data is transforming fire department response, compliance and reporting with the most advanced mobile, easy-to-use software solution – the best Emergency Reporting Software alternative.
Risks from acquisition by ESO
In 2021, the fire service industry witnessed a remarkable event with the largest acquisition in the emergency sector involving ESO and Emergency Reporting System.
Shortly about: Emergency Reporting System
Emergency Reporting System was a leading global provider of cloud-based fire RMS software. The company catered to over 7,500 fire service and EMS agencies in North America. Moreover, Emergency Reporting had a significant federal presence, serving over 170 Department of Defense/military installations worldwide.
Shortly about: ESO
ESO Solutions, Inc. is committed to enhancing community health and safety by harnessing the power of data. Established in 2004, the company continues to develop innovative, user-friendly software to address the evolving needs of EMS agencies, fire departments, hospitals, and state EMS offices across North America. ESO currently supports thousands of clients with a comprehensive software suite, which includes the industry-leading ESO Electronic Health Record (EHR), a next-generation ePCR; ESO Health Data Exchange (HDE), a pioneering healthcare interoperability platform; ESO Fire RMS, a contemporary fire Record Management System; ESO Patient Registry, which covers trauma, burn, and stroke registry software; and the ESO State Repository.
While the acquisition between ESO and Emergency Reporting System had its positive aspects, there were also potential negative sides to consider:
- Integration challenges: Merging two companies with different cultures, processes, and systems can be a complex and time-consuming process. If not managed effectively, this could lead to disruptions in operations and negatively impact the quality of services provided to customers.
- Redundancies: With the consolidation of resources and services, there might be overlaps in job roles or product offerings, leading to potential job losses or discontinued products, affecting both employees and customers.
- Resistance to change: Employees from both companies might resist the changes brought about by the acquisition, leading to reduced morale and productivity. This could impact the overall success of the integration process.
- Financial risks: There are always financial risks associated with acquisitions, including the possibility of overpaying for the target company or not realizing the expected return on investment.
- Loss of focus: The process of integrating two companies can divert management’s attention from core business activities, potentially resulting in lost opportunities or reduced efficiency in other areas of the business.
Legacy
Emergency Reporting System introduced their solution at a time when fire departments did not use digital information. When Y2K was on everyone’s minds, Emergency Reporting in the year 2000 pioneered a web solution that was revolutionary 23 years ago. It was at a time when fire departments were still relying on pen, paper and filing cabinets to manage their preplan, inspection, investigation, reporting or community programs.
All of this improved fire departments management of information but today, this legacy capability has been dramatically improved thanks to mobile-first technology, wireless networks, smartphones, tablets and secure cloud computing options. With technology and devices made available to us only a few years ago, all we now need is “the app for that” and this will forever change how fire departments capture, consume and use accurate data daily. This for emergency services is priceless because — by definition — fire departments live in a mobile workplace environment.
Back office (at the station)
Technology such as Emergency Reporting (built 23 years ago) has become obsolete and has been leapfrogged by Smart Mobile applications, apps that instantly capture information that you need and must share with others in seconds. Fire departments need software applications that are easily accessible, friendly to use and responsive (fast), in order to benefit immediately from the next response. Emergency Reporting is no longer meeting the needs of convenience as an easily accessible option: it has been superseded and is best referred to as a legacy, back office (at the station) option.
Security
The Emergency Reporting Application is built on a web-based platform, requiring users to log in using a web browser. In the event that users forget the URL for logging in, they may conduct a search on Google using various queries such as “emergency reporting login”, “emergency reporting system login”, “emergency reporting login”, “emergency reporting system login”, or “emergency reporting new login” to find registration page.
Web browsers can accumulate large amounts of sensitive information that can be targeted by hackers seeking to gain unauthorized access to personal data or sensitive business information. According to the Cisco Cloud Security report, web browsers are frequently the source of successful hacking attempts due to the wealth of information they contain.
Source : 2021 Cyber security threat trends
At APX Data, we place a high priority on security and utilize an additional stage of protection for our devices. Each device is assigned a unique license that serves as an added layer of security to ensure that only authorized users can access sensitive data. This license acts as a key, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access the device and its associated data, protecting against unauthorized access and potential security breaches.
Migrating incident data from ERS to APX Data
Moving to a modern mobile platform, APX Data makes this transition seamless, by picking up from where you are with your currency data solution, importing all your records and making it easy for your department to now capture, manage and report with today’s Smart Mobile capabilities.
APX Data is designed to address the needs of fire departments, ensuring compliance with the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. This software solution streamlines data management, simplifies reporting, and improves overall efficiency for fire departments, enabling them to focus on their core responsibilities of protecting lives and property.
More about the APX Data Advantage:
APX Data offers a tailored, mission-critical solution for your fire department’s operation: nothing more, nothing less. APX helps make all firefighters aware, connected and informed about their community for that next fire response call :
- Simple access to your data, critical information on all structures including residential in your community instantly – we have your structural information
- Instant access to the best resources to use such as fire hydrants, their location, capability and more available in seconds
- Inspection, investigation and preplanning data collection/management done digitally, reducing time to complete and improving significantly the return on investment – 10X process improvements doing more with less resources
- Sharing data instantly, benefiting even more from your auto-aid partners, mutual-aid partners with your data also available to them – at no additional cost
- Incident management, from response to NFIRS incident reporting
- Dispatch CAD integration at no additional cost to the fire department, an easy non-intrusive connection
- Instant visibility jumping into the firetruck about where you are going, what you need to know and must be aware of in seconds, fully interactive data in the palm of your hand
The future of “right data at the right time” is here: you are likely reading this on your smartphone, and that is what we are talking about.
FAQ
Why is APX Data the replacement solution for Emergency Reporting System (ERS) ?
Simply put, it was built with firefighters for firefighters on a secure mobile-first platform that has dramatically improved our daily lives – data in the palm of our hands. APX has the right solution for your department: from volunteer to large metro or even state-wide, we have you covered and can help your firefighters and department.
APX Data’s form-driven data collection applications are designed for your department’s needs, with customized output that will simplify your community fiduciary protection responsibilities. With APX’s applications, you will manage your community on your terms, with data that’s available when and how you need it.
What is Emergency Reporting Rover?
Emergency Reporting Rover is a mobile application that provides emergency responders with real-time incident data and incident reporting features. It runs on smartphones and tablets and is designed to be easy to use, with minimal training required. The app integrates with other emergency response software solutions, providing responders with automatic notifications and updates. This application is not supported in future due to ESO acquisition.
What is the price for an Emergency Reporting System?
The cost of an Emergency Reporting System can vary widely depending on several factors, such as the size of the agency, the level of functionality required, and the number of users. Additionally, pricing models can range from monthly subscription fees to one-time purchases or a combination of both. We found information that the minimum price is $850 per month (https://www.capterra.ca/software/121517/fire-package). The information is not approved.
What firefighters are saying about Emergency Reporting Software?
The Emergency Reporting System (ERS) has received positive reviews across various platforms, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.0. This information can be verified by visiting prominent software reviews websites, such as featuredcustomers.com, softwareadvice.com, getapp.ca, and g2.com.
Switching to APX Data is easy.
Transitioning from Emergency Reporting System to APX Data is a breeze, as we handle the entire data migration process for you, ensuring a seamless switch.
Last Updated on May 3, 2023