Choosing NFIRS Records Management Software

ImageTrend, FireHouse, CityScape and New World, these are the first four NFIRS Records Management Software systems that come to my mind. The FEMA website lists over 80 vendors for NFIRS Records Management Systems.

FEMA also publishes design documentation, allowing individual departments to build and customize their own NFIRS Records Management System. Clearly, NFIRS Reporting software is a competitive market. What makes one reporting software standout from another? Following are a few observations of my own:

1. At the top of my list would be ease of data entry. Nothing can tank a software application faster than cumbersome user interfaces. If users hate it, they won't use it and the data they enter will be minimal at best and inaccurate at worst.
2. Also, ranking high on the list of necessities would be control over data. How accessible is the data, how is easy the data to tap for reporting and analytical purposes?
3. Cost of purchase, implementation and on-going use. This is no small factor. Don't forget that most reporting systems are "software as a service" solutions. This means your department will not only be purchasing any initial setup fees and customization, but there will also be on-going fees associated with any software you purchase.
4. Closely related to control over data and costs, are standard reporting capabilities. What types of standardized reports are available? What will your department need to have custom built? How much will the customization cost?
5. Standard NFIRS Modules included in package, and cost of any additional modules your department will need.
6. Enhanced capabilities, beyond NFIRS requirements. Does the software you're considering have any capabilities beyond standard NFIRS requirements? If so, do the enhancements add value for your department?
7. If you're migrating to new reporting software, what capabilities does a potential replacement have for importing your legacy NFIRS data?
8. Process of porting data from the NFIRS Records Management Software to the U.S. NFIRS Database
9. Recommendations from other Departments you know. This can be a very important way of learning about potential software. What do decision makers at other Fire-Rescue Departments who are using the software you're considering think? What do they like, what would they change?

The above points are just a few things to consider when researching NFIRS Reporting software. Software purchases are major undertakings for any organizations. For Fire-Rescue Departments, a software purchase has added dimensions that other organizations don't need to take into consideration. Fire-Rescue Departments are always accountable to local tax payers. They must be willing to defend decisions they make to local governments and citizens alike. So, overall, the most important question a Fire-Rescue decision maker should be asking is, "how will I explain this decision to my local government, or on TV, to the citizens of my community"?