Introduction
If data and information drive emergency response then why don’t public safety agencies spend more time analyzing their data? The main obstacles have been the cost and complexity of these systems. Business intelligence solutions can be very expensive and very complex, which translates into difficult to implement and operate.
But what if you could look at your data and see on a map that one neighborhood of your jurisdiction has more kitchen fires than any other, and see that these happened in older homes, with certain kitchen appliances, to people with certain socio-economic characteristics and cultural backgrounds? Then you could develop an information and education campaign for the people of that neighborhood and fix that problem. That is the power of analysis. That is what some fire departments are doing right now with analytic dashboards.
While law enforcement agencies tend to do more of this (think COMPSTAT and intelligence led policing), fire departments are finally seeing the light of data analysis. And one of the reasons is that the software is getting less expensive and easier to use. The Omega Group provides one of these solutions.
Solution Overview
The Omega Group helps Fire and Police departments see what is going on in their jurisdictions. The information is presented through a dashboard with maps, charts, and graphs that can be customized quickly and easily to meet anyone’s need. So the Chief sees one set of information and the Shift Commander sees another.
Their FireViewTM solution comes in two flavors – a Desktop and Dashboard.
The Desktop solution is a set of mapping tools to help analyze how resources are deployed. This tool will help you identifying incident patterns and response effectiveness.
The Dashboard solution is a set of maps, charts and reports that analyze data and provides a snapshot of recent events (like those kitchen fires described above).
The data can be sliced, diced, chopped, mixed, and matched in any number of ways. 
The FireView dashboard.
For Example
You can use these tools to:
• Analyze resource allocation (station locations, response times, and more)
• Do predictive modeling (if we close this station what happens?)
• Develop strategies to improve service
• Share information between other shifts, department, or agencies
• Analyze operational effectiveness
What Sets Them Apart
What makes this solution different is ease of use. You don’t have to have a PhD to get this solution up and running and start seeing results (it’s so easy even a Fire Chief can do it). The Omega Group staff also has extensive background and experience in public safety policy, planning, and operations. They have been there and know what you are facing.
Client Quote
“Implementing FireView has proven to be both rewarding and profitable. We look forward to maximizing our use of FireView throughout our agency.”
Randy Godwin, Deputy Fire Chief, Wilson Fire/Rescue, North Carolina
Final Thoughts
This is the kind of tool that is only limited by your imagination and creativity. You can connect to all sorts of data sources and all you need to run it is a browser. They even have a SaaS delivery model which makes it even easier and more cost effective. FireView™ Dashboard would also be a great tool for a regional purchase by a group of smaller departments that thought they could never afford this kind of solution.
Company Facts
Company Name: The Omega Group
HQ City & ST: 5160 Carroll Canyon Road, Suite 100 San Diego, California 92121
# Employees: 30
Phone: (858) 450-2590
Email: sales@theomegagroup.com
Web site: http://www.theomegagroup.com
Number of clients: 600
Clients Include: Elgin FD, IL, Wilson FD, NC, Norfolk FD, VA, Boise FD, ID
Years in business: 19
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