Law enforcement accountability is not just a buzzword or a rallying cry for distraught citizens. It is a major point of focus for agencies and the people they serve. For agencies, achieving greater accountability often requires new techniques, technologies, and training strategies—an especially effective approach when used in combination.
Ever since the first recognized mass shooting event in the United in 1949, a continued uptick in active shooter activity has left law enforcement agencies at all levels to rethink their approach—an outcome that could result in fewer injuries and lives lost. With this unpreventable and often unpredictable crime wave on their hands, agencies are adopting a variety of strategies to keep their communities safe.
Between their unique staffing model and tendency to work in rural areas, volunteer fire departments face many challenges unique among first responder agencies — and on-demand training’s strengths are perfectly suited to overcome them.
Across the country, public sector organizations have found themselves subjected to an ever-intensifying wave of financially and politically motivated cyberattacks. For responder organizations, taking preventative measures means saving money, protecting privacy, and maintaining public trust—making effective cybersecurity training for personnel a critical first step.
With an abundance of jobs and an increasingly optimistic outlook, the EMS industry’s growth shows no signs of slowing. In fact, most projections have this growth continuing into the mid-2020s. As the industry grapples with the ups and downs of protracted growth, cloud-based training management tools will prove an increasingly useful ally for the growing size and complexity of your organization.
For many, the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks is a time of deep remembrance. With the 17th anniversary drawing near and the 20th soon to follow, these seven statistics illustrate the sheer impact of the events — and the ways victims, responders, and their families continue to suffer nearly two decades removed.
Generic software is simple to use and built for a broad number of potential use cases, but that does not make it the best choice when choosing a training management system (TMS). The unique needs of public-sector organizations are best met by software built to serve the industry—a fact that holds both in the field and in the courtroom, where a lack of effective documentation can bring down even the most stringent training policies. This whitepaper will discuss the hidden and not-so-hidden downsides of “going generic” when considering a TMS by contrasting their value against purpose-built solutions, with topics that touch several aspects of first-response life: fieldwork, cybersecurity, certification, and learning exercises, among others.
For fire departments, change has become a way of life. Spurred by safer structures and a drastic reduction in fire calls, departments have continuously adapted in recent decades—a trend which projects to continue for years to come.
For California law enforcement, the stunning announcement that the alleged “Golden State Killer” (also known as the Original Night Stalker) was arrested brought a storybook ending to two-plus decades of investigation. Looking past the media fanfare and controversy surrounding the arresting team’s DNA-checking techniques, the news also brought cold case investigation to the forefront of public imagination: a highly popular, often misunderstood niche of the larger law enforcement world.
Firefighter cancer rates can be up to twice as high as those experienced by the average U.S. worker, and a Cancer Firefighter Support Network study shows that with every five degree increase in skin temperature, absorption of dangerous chemicals increases by 400%. Therefore, it's critical for firefighters to track their exposure to extreme temperatures, toxic chemicals, and hazardous conditions. Using this exposure information to show probabilities of future health issues can be key to the early intervention that may prolong the lives and careers of firefighters.
