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First Due Announces End-to-End Platform for Fire Departments

The New York-based SaaS company is investing in the consolidation of software tools that address different vital functions of agency customers, hoping to replace legacy apps with a single window.

As firefighters and first responders have adopted new tools and technology over the years, departments have found themselves depending on a mix of devices and software that get upgraded at different times and don’t always interface. This is at the core of the industry’s ongoing debate about interoperability around network and radio communications, but it’s an issue right down to back-office tasks like staffing and compliance management.

Aiming to simplify fire department operations from a technical standpoint, the New York company First Due has consolidated several software tools onto a single SaaS platform that it hopes will be an end-to-end alternative to cobbled-together legacy systems.

First Due touted its new Fire and EMS Suite in a news release this month, describing it as a single cloud platform to deal with documents and processes related to pre-planning, fire prevention, incident reporting, scheduling and personnel, assets and inventory, community engagement and emergency response.

In the statement, CEO Andreas Huber said the notion of consolidating software across all of an agency’s vital functions will be key to the company’s strategy in 2021 and beyond.

"Agencies have been asking for a one-stop shop for many years," Huber said. "They have too many different products to train their staff on, vendors to deal with and integrations to manage, ultimately leading to unnecessary cost and effort."

The company’s co-founder and head of product, Rami El-choufani, said in a statement that their clients have been struggling for years with a buildup of legacy applications.

"Over the past few years, we've seen a push to modern cloud products to fill in the gaps. However, this has resulted in adopting many disconnected applications to run a single agency,” he said. “As you can imagine, this results in greater cost, reduced operational effectiveness, and at the end of the day, increased risk to first responders and the community."

Founded in 2016, First Due makes software for fire departments, EMS and law enforcement, serving clients of different size from volunteer agencies up to fire departments in Seattle; Fort Worth, Texas; Charlotte, N.C., and Santa Monica, Calif. The company was featured in a ResponderXLabs road show in 2019 and is now backed by several venture capital funds, including NY Angels, Inc., Teamworthy Ventures, TechNexus Venture Collaborative and Collate Capital. The news release said First Due is working on new electronic patient care reporting software, as well as incorporating machine learning, artificial intelligence and connected vehicle solutions into its product lineup.