Case Study

Hall County Chooses APX Data for Inspection and Pre-planning

Hall County Fire Marshal’s Office adopts

APX SmartCapture and collaborates on

SmartInspect, increasing preplans and

inspections by 340%, reducing liability, and

improving ISO rating from 3 to 2.

Details

Country: United States.
Region: Hall County, Georgia.
Industry: Emergency Services.
Profile: Hall County covers a population of over 200,000 and receives approximately 30,000 phone calls a year, making them the seventh largest fire department in the state of Georgia.
Situation: Pre-plans and inspections were done using
pen and paper. Hall County knew there had to be a better way.
Solution: Hall County selected APX CityScape for pre-planning and inspections.
Results:
– Increased pre-plans and inspections by 340%;
– Achieved 100% preplan and inspection targets;
– Improved ISO rating from 3 to 2.

“We’ve inspected every business in the county. We’ve
preplanned every business in the county. We’ve investigated
every fire in the county…[APX] has allowed us to go from not
getting them all done to getting them all done. It’s that simple.”

Bryan Cash

Fire Marshal, Hall County

Introduction

When it comes to being a first responder, Hall County Fire Marshal Bryan Cash has just about done it all. In his 26-year history with the Hall County Fire Department in Georgia, he’s been a volunteer firefighter, a full-time firefighter, and a paramedic. Not one to be idle, he also worked two days a week as a police officer while employed full-time with the fire department.

Bryan first became interested in fire investigation while a full-time firefighter. It was this interest that led him into police work. When a position as a fire investigator became available at Hall County Fire Marshal’s Office, it was a natural fit. He took the job and spent the next several years as an investigator, rising through the ranks at the FMO. He was promoted to Captain, then Battalion Chief, and then
Brigade Commander. When the Fire Marshal retired in 2015, Bryan was ready to take on the job.

Hall County Fire Department

Located in North Central Georgia, Hall County is home to nearly 200,000 people, and continues to grow by more than 1.5% per year (per US 2017 Census Data). It encompasses the beautiful Lake Lanier and the City of Gainesville. The Hall County Fire Department is big—they’re the seventh-largest fire department in the state of Georgia—and responds to 30,000 calls annually. Although Gainesville has its own fire department, Hall County provides its EMS services.

In the Fire Marshal’s Office, also known as the Bureau of Fire Prevention, Bryan oversees seven full-time staff and three more part-time workers. The work of fire prevention breaks down into three main activities: investigations, inspections and pre-plans, and education.

“Up until we went with APX, we never managed to pre-plan every business in the county. Never.”

Bryan Cash

Fire Marshal, Hall County