The professional rescue centres (CS, CSP, CPI) are structures composed mainly of professional firefighters (SPP), who are agents of the local civil service. These centres can carry out several missions simultaneously, such as firefighting and civil security missions. The departmental fire and rescue services (SDIS), present throughout France, coordinate all the rescue centres in the same department.
Professional rescue centres are constantly on the alert. They need to optimize their time and have an efficient platform for managing their resources. The eBrigade tool perfectly meets these needs thanks to its features dedicated to professional rescue centers and firefighters.
How to become a professional firefighter
To join a professional fire brigade, it is necessary to:
- Passing the firefighter exam
- Meet the eligibility requirements : French nationality, clean criminal record
- Respect the medical and physical conditions : medical fitness, endurance
Centralized interface and real-time operation
The firefighters of France are managed by the SDIS (departmental fire and rescue service) which organizes the activity of all the fire centers and rescue centers of the department.
Intuitive interface
The interface allows you to have a global vision in real time of all the logistics and see if it is operational. Indeed, it is possible to manage the vehicles, consumables and all the equipment present at the rescue center directly via the eBrigade application. For consumable items, you can always keep an eye on your inventory and update based on consumed or expired products. The app notifies you when stocks are low.
Vehicle
Regarding vehicles, you have the possibility to see in real time which vehicles are used and by whom and have access to all the information about the vehicles such as the expiry dates that need to be renewed for technical inspections or insurance for example, the (operational) status or availability.
Personnel Management
It also makes it possible to manage all staff in terms of absences or leave. Staff schedules and schedules are accessible in a few clicks. No more loss of information or time spent checking emails, with eBrigade, the professional firefighter no longer makes a paper or email leave request but a digital request via the application. Once the request has been made, the person in charge can grant or refuse it directly. In addition, eBrigade allows you to enter absences by entering the duration and the reason, so you can see who is absent in the second that the staff declares themselves absent.
Centralization of information
eBrigade aggregates all the important information of each staff member by creating personal files for each one. He can thus keep all the important documents of the staff of your rescue center such as their driving licenses, their medical certificates of fitness, FDF1 or other skills. This eBrigade feature allows you to sort and organize all the documentation of the rescue center. You have the possibility to fill in all the personal information (address, contact, telephone, license number…) on this form and it will be very easy to find everything in a short time.
Grade
By consulting the personal files of the SPP, you will also be able to instantly know the ranks thanks to pictograms indicating the hierarchy, so you can know if you are dealing with a lieutenant, a corporal, a colonel, a warrant officer or even young firefighters (jsp). The grade evolves according to the level of seniority and/or the titles and diplomas.
Planning tool
Overview
This global real-time vision of what is happening at the rescue center makes it possible to anticipate. Quickly ordering missing products, for example, or planning a technical inspection or repairs on a vehicle. The app therefore makes planning easier.
Manage replacements
You can manage replacements based on absences with eBrigade. As an SPP, you can make your requests for replacements. The head of the guard validates or refuses the request for replacement and the replacement. Unlike volunteer firefighters, professional firefighters have a fixed schedule that is directly accessible via the interface. In case of absence, you can contact the replacement directly.
Manage activities
Thanks to its calendar of activities, eBrigade allows you to manage activities such as guards, trainings, ceremonies, meetings… Staff can directly inform of their presence and find out about the activity via the eBrigade application. For professional SPs, it is possible to set up the working regime of the on-call teams, for example 24/48 or 24/72, manage the staff in a 12-hour or 24-hour regime or in SHR (Non-Rank Service).
Manage skills
The application also allows for skills management and storage of staff information. You have a follow-up on all the skills of the professional firefighters of your rescue center, so you can keep them up to date. You can schedule initial and/or continuing training and have access to a configurable hierarchy of skills. Indeed, to become a firefighter and remain one, physical fitness conditions for example are necessary, skills must be up to date and you must train regularly.
Assignment
The application makes it possible to automatically assign the on-call staff to the equipment and vehicles of the rescue centre according to their skills (ambulance licence / apparatus leader / ESP etc.). This automation takes into account the availability of staff, and planning is efficient and fast.
Time optimization
Time saving
This planning interface and the automation options are a real time-saver for operational managers. For example, the on-call manager has to create a roster every day and this takes a lot of time. eBrigade makes it easy to create on-call rosters over several weeks.
On-call roster
This allows you to create all the guard boards in advance. You can choose the required workforce and the required skills. Thanks to the data in the application, the distribution of on-call shifts is done automatically ! PPS are assigned on on-call days according to their team and work schedule, taking into account expected absences.
Special case of SPVs
One of the big benefits of the automated on-call roster by eBrigade concerns the volunteer firefighter personnel (SPV) who will be assigned to the on-call duty only on certain days depending on their availability and skills. They can also make it easy to replace absent PPS. Indeed, the SPVs are present on a voluntary basis, they do not have a fixed schedule.
Courier Service
Other features of eBrigade save a lot of time. Thanks to the messaging service available on the app, it is much easier to exchange! Send an email or text message directly through the app. eBrigade also allows you to send an alert : the relevant staff receives an SMS directly. Communication is smooth and efficient, no loss of message.
Scoring
Another example, PPS can indicate their arrivals and departures thanks to the clocking tool which is fast, efficient and avoids the possibility of error.
Statistics
Finally, the eBrigade application gives you access to statistics on the activities carried out, graphs or curves including, for example, the participation of the staff. A certain time optimization that allows the staff not to worry about statistics, they are done automatically: many Excel tables can be extracted from each report and from most pages of the eBrigade application.
Captain Xavier BERTHOD
Professional rescue centre in Colmar
- What do you like most about eBrigade?
Ease of use and the possibility of centralizing the information necessary for human resources management (planning, training, skills,…)
- What for?
It is a very easy to use tool that does not require a lot of computer skills and is within everyone’s reach. The simplicity of use and the adaptation to daily needs make this tool a must in the management of the staff of a rescue center.
- How much time would you estimate per day saved since using eBrigade?
Time equivalent to about one and a half days per month.
- What has eBrigade brought you since its use?
– Centralization of information related to human resources
– Automatic online posting of individual staff availability
– Possibility of various statistics
– Competency check at maturity
– Follow-up of medical visits
– Follow-up of PPE controls
– Follow-up of physical controls
– Scheduling of on-call shifts
– Planning of trainee staff
- Here are 3 situations where eBrigade has been essential for you:
– Creation of monthly on-call schedules
– Proficiency checks
– Replacement management
