Golden, CO— PSTrax is offering a “tech trauma-free” zone for fire departments that have deployed the service to automate their apparatus and equipment checks.
PSTrax replaces labor-intensive paper logbooks with a cloud-based service that is both cost-effective and easy to implement.
"Our philosophy is that firefighters should spend their time fighting fires, not software," says Scott Bergeron, the company's Director of Operations. "That's why we take care of all the hard stuff for them, uploading every one of their maintenance schedules into a customized digital logbook. So all the crew has to do is log in from a smart phone or tablet, see which checks are due, and get to it."
Included in the implementation is full customization for a department’s specific apparatus, equipment and inventory checks, full crew training, and ongoing support.
“We design PSTrax around your department – your crew, your equipment, your maintenance schedules,” says Bergeron. “And it scales easily, whether you have 1 apparatus or 100. When there’s a question, we’re a phone call away—where you’ll get a real person, not an endless automated menu. To fire departments, it really is plug-and-play.”
In addition to being simple to install, PSTrax packs some very powerful features. “The system lets you know what’s due, when it’s due, and how to do it – without having to search for the right logsheet or checklist,” adds Bergeron. “You can even link directly to how-to articles or videos so everyone is on the same page with their inspections. This can reduce mistakes, eliminate double-work, and make crews more efficient.”
After viewing a PSTrax product demo, Frank R. Myers, Lieutenant at City of Miami (FL) Fire Rescue, emailed to his colleagues, “We need to move forward, stop using paper, and streamline our current process. The technology is available; let’s take advantage of it. It keeps up with our tradition of being innovative and cutting edge!"
David Cain, retired Deputy Chief of Operations for Boulder (CO) Fire Rescue, is a staunch PSTrax advocate. He points out that “the program keeps all checks, inspections, and information in one place. No more clipboards. If something is missing, inventory is low or equipment is not up to standards, PSTrax will email the specialists who can make it right. This helps bulletproof your department’s maintenance documentation, potentially reducing liability exposure. I wish this had been available during my tenure as a firefighter.”
Benefits include:
• Prolonged equipment life. PSTrax automates all inspections for every apparatus and piece of equipment, so no check gets overlooked. According to a 2013 Government-Fleet.com report, consistent and complete inspections can extend operating life by up to 30 percent.
• Enhanced communication. Anyone can post alerts about out-of-service or malfunctioning equipment to the rest of the station – or to specific crew members, officers, or maintenance shops. That way it gets taken care of quickly and everyone across all shifts is kept in the loop.
• Real-time inspections. The system updates in real-time whenever inspections are performed – across all users. If a crew takes a call in the middle of their checks, it’ll pick up right where they left off when they get back. This eliminates double-work and ensures that crews can use their time most efficiently.
• Valuable training tools. Customized instructions or notes can be added to any maintenance check so everyone knows exactly what to look for when performing inspections. Crews may also link to how-to videos, articles, or other resources from within the system – ideal for individuals who need a quick refresher course on how to do certain tasks before actually doing them.
• Improved safety. Accidents attributed to poor maintenance inspections compromise the safety and protection of citizens and fire department personnel. A fail-safe system to monitor these checks can substantially reduce – and even eliminate – such consequences.
• Bullet-proof documentation. Every inspection, whether done last week or last year, is time-stamped, recorded, and saved in PSTrax’s database – making it easy to prove compliance for legal, regulatory, and insurance purposes. Logs and reports can be pulled based on date, apparatus, equipment, task, or user.
• Greater accessibility. PSTrax can be accessed from any internet-enabled device, eliminating the shelf space taken up by logbooks and the hard drive space taken up by software. All information is backed up, encrypted and transmitted securely, and is available only to those with the proper user access credentials.
• Assured accountability. Each check is automatically logged so crews can see who did what, when they did it, and how it was done. Everything is transparent so that issues can be addressed right away, before they become more costly.
PSTrax is available nationwide. For more information, visit PSTrax.com or call (303) 972-9444.
