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(Video & Article) Madison firefighters didn’t have to wait long to see the benefits of their newest fire station. Station 14 opened Thursday. The department hopes to improve response time in that part of the city. Already Thursday morning, firefighters got to a fire call in just minutes and were able to save part of the building. “It can nearly double after the first initial five minutes and can double within a minute to two type of thing, it can make a huge difference,” said Asst. Chief Clay Christenson.

(Video & Article) In the case of an emergency, seconds matter. For years, people living on Madison’s southeast side had to wait between 10 to 15 minutes for emergency crews to respond. That response time will be cut drastically starting today, with the official opening of Fire Station 14.

(Video & Article) The state-of-art system replaces old and outdated equipment. Companies stopped making spare parts for the old systems. It was so bad, a KETV investigation revealed some firefighters resorted to using a “pop can alarms.” They set pop cans on top of 911 printers and would listen for them to fall when emergency calls come in. “From where we were six months or a year ago with the status and quality as it was, with the system reaching the end of its life, compared to where we are with this 21st century system, it’s just night and day,” Fire Union President Steve LeClair said.

(Article) The new Fire Alert System will replace obsolete communication equipment and officials say this new digital equipment can save lives by getting first responders to the scene of an emergency faster. “We’re learning that processing times can be reduced and we’re looking forward to that. Some of the technology also provides for a quicker alert in the dispatch center to the fire station,” says Fire Chief Dan Olsen.

(Video and article) Omaha Fire Chief Dan Olsen said, “We’re learning that processing times can be reduced and we’re looking forward to that. Some of the technology also provides for a quicker alert in the dispatch center to the fire station.” Officials believe the Fire Alert System will get first responders on the streets faster when answering emergency calls.

(Article) It replaces an antiquated system, installed in the early 2000s, that had been obsolete for several years. The old system had become prone to breakdowns. Parts were so scarce that county and city officials sometimes turned to eBay to find them. Repairs sometimes took weeks.The new system was pretty much completed by September. It is being well received by firefighters, said Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick of the Omaha Fire Department. “It’s pretty cool technology, definitely state of the art,” Fitzpatrick said. “It’s come a long way.”

(Video and article) Jim Haden, Sioux City Fire Rescue EMS Director, says technology also HAS played a roll in lowering that response time. He says the new dispatch system has helped, along with having screens around the station with the address of where crews are headed.

(Article) The new system also has a computer-automated voice and “heart-saver” tones. “Instead of going from zero to 120 right away when the alarm used to go out with loud jarring tones, now it’s a gradual light and sound and a voice with no emotion,” said Battalion Chief Scott Fitzpatrick.

(Video) Sioux City Fire Rescue’s Fire Marshal Mark Aesoph says, “A fire will double in size approximately every thirty seconds inside your home. So by shaving fifteen to thirty seconds off of our response time it’s huge. I mean that is a much smaller fire that we are arriving to which produces greater likelihood of good outcomes.”

(Article) Sioux City Fire Rescue on Monday began using a new station alerting system to dispatch rescue calls, which department officials say is a significant step forward in technology that will shave several seconds off response times. Fire Marshal Mark Aesoph compared the switch to an upgrade from a rotary phone to the latest iPhone or Android.

(Article and Audio) Sioux City Fire Rescue has completed testing and fully implemented a new radio dispatch system. As KSCJ News reported two weeks ago, the automated voice dispatch should result in faster responses for fire rescue and ambulance calls.

(Article) Sioux City’s Fire Marshal Mark Aesoph says the department estimates the new system initially will cut about 15 seconds from response times and as many as 45 seconds on some calls as personnel become accustomed to it.

(Video) “A fire will double in size approximately every 30 seconds inside your home, “says Fire Marshal Mark Aesoph. “So, by shaving 15 to 30 seconds off of our response time, it’s huge. I mean, that is a much smaller fire that we’re arriving to which, produces a greater likelihood of good outcomes. People escaping safely, you know if we’re needed for a rescue and smaller fires for us to put out, which keeps our people safe.”

(Article) The Oklahoma-based Shawnee Fire Chief Dru Tischer received his request from City Commissioners for permission to enter into a contract with U.S. Digital Designs for installation of a needed Fire Station Alerting System at Fire Station No. 2 (as part of the current renovation project) and in the City of Shawnee Dispatch Center.

(Video) The Omaha Fire Department is installing the Phoenix G2 Fire Station Alerting System at two of its fire stations, with more on the way. “It’s an upgrade that has taken hold across the country,” said Assistant Fire Chief Tim McCaw said. “This is the latest and the greatest.”

(Article) Firefighters from the Elkhart Fire Department are giving the thumbs up to a new dispatch system that has helped reduce their response times. Before the installation of their new Phoenix G2 station alerting system, they were dispatched with an outdated system that wasn’t always dependable.