WACO, Texas — Waco Fire Department has rolled out new technology that could save emergency responders critical seconds in response time.
The department switched from a digital radio-based fire station alerting system to an internet protocol (IP) alerting system. Executive Deputy Chief Robby Bergerson said the previous system was over 20 years old and was "reaching the end of it's serviceable life."
"The radio based station alerting and dispatching was efficient for its time, but we're moving into the next chapter," Bergerson said.
Waco Fire Department is now using the PURVIS Fire Station Alerting System, an IP alerting system that allows dispatch to assign crews and trucks with the assistance of a computer-generated voice transmitted to fire stations. This ultimately reduces the number of steps in the dispatch process which can lead to crews getting on scene faster.
"Other agencies that have had Internet Protocol dispatching have seen response times reduced by as much as 45 seconds per call in some situations," Bergerson explained. "One of the other advantages is when we have multiple calls that need to go out to different fire station locations for different calls at the same time. The permit system is capable of alerting all of those stations simultaneously."
On top of being quicker, Bergerson said the system is more stable than the digital radio-based system. He believes the new system will help the department continue to grow along with the rest of the city. Right now, Waco Fire Department averages about 60 calls a day.
"As the city grows, we're getting busier and busier each year and we don't look for that to change," he added. "Using technology that will help us is always a good thing."
The PURVIS Fire Station Alerting System was approved by Waco City Council in September 2022 at approximately $400,000. The system has been operating department wide since mid-November with a few bugs being worked out.
Temple Fire & Rescue confirms to 6 News they have purchased the same system and hope to have it operation at every station by July 2024. 6 News is also told other Bell County stations are considering making the switch.