How the Anderson Technical Rescue Team Found the Perfect Fit With D4H

‍About Anderson Technical Rescue Team

The Anderson Technical Rescue Team, based in South Carolina, has been in operation for nearly three decades. Initially formed from the merger of two separate technical rescue teams and later incorporating a dive team, Anderson Technical Rescue Team is a 75-member unit that supports 27 volunteer fire departments and four municipal fire departments. Their expertise covers a wide spectrum of technical rescue disciplines, including high-angle rescue, swift water rescue, and dive operations.

Challenges Faced

Prior to adopting D4H Team Manager, the team encountered challenges with their previous team readiness software solution as it wasn’t tailored to their specialized needs. Despite its capabilities, the software was primarily tailored towards traditional fire departments, resulting in the Anderson Technical Rescue Team utilizing only a fraction of its functionalities. This mismatch led to inefficiencies and limited the team's ability to effectively run their asset management, team communications, training and qualification tracking, and reporting.

Adoption of D4H

An Adaptable Platform for Specialized Response Teams

Recognizing the need for a change, the Anderson Technical Rescue Team turned to D4H Team Manager. Captain Herring's prior awareness of D4H through an upstate Incident Management Team (IMT) highlighted it as a potential solution. 

“When I looked at D4H, I saw that every tab across the top of the screen related to the needs of a specialized response team. It was exactly what we were looking for.”
— Captain Ryan Herring, Anderson Technical Rescue Team

With D4H’s features aligning directly with the Anderson Technical Rescue Team’s specialized needs, the team made the decision to transition to D4H Team Manager. 

Fast Implementation

The implementation process was smooth, facilitated by intuitive design of the software and proactive support from the D4H team. Captain Herring noted that while there’s always a learning curve associated with adopting new technology, his team members met the transition to D4H with enthusiasm and they quickly integrated the response team readiness platform into their operations.

“After two months, we had everyone up and running on the Personnel App. They love having all of their training information and team communications in one place.”
— Captain Ryan Herring, Anderson Technical Rescue Team

With over 74 members and a diverse fleet of vehicles and boats to manage, D4H Team Manager proved instrumental in streamlining communications, tracking assets, and organizing training schedules.

Streamlined Team Communications

D4H's communication tools have simplified team-wide communication. The software’s internal email functionality eliminates the need to switch between systems, keeping all team information and interaction within a single platform and streamlining important announcements, updates, and discussions.

"D4H has improved our communication with team members. Being able to actually email from inside the program has worked out great."
— Captain Ryan Herring, Anderson Technical Rescue Team

Efficient Asset Tracking

The team now effortlessly oversees its extensive equipment and vehicles, including inspections, through D4H Equipment Management. This visibility led to the realization of over $200,000 in tracked asset value. One of the standout features for the team is D4H's inspection management capabilities. Captain Herring described how transitioning inspection protocols to D4H has streamlined the process, providing timely reminders for maintenance tasks and ensuring compliance with safety standards. This proactive approach to equipment maintenance has contributed to the team's readiness for deployment in critical situations.

Easy Training Management

The team can now manage training schedules and records with ease, ensuring team members are always qualified and ready to respond. 

• D4H’s centralized team calendar provides an overview of all upcoming courses, drills, and certifications. 
• D4H proactively notifies both team members and leaders about upcoming training requirements and expiry dates, promoting timely renewals and preparedness.
• Each member has a personalized view of their completed courses, qualifications, training requirements, and on-call periods. 
• Reports on overall team readiness, areas where qualifications are lacking, or budgeting for upcoming training needs are now easily accessible for informed decision-making.

Centralized Records Management & Reporting

Instead of having information sprawled across spreadsheets, paper records, and disconnected systems, D4H acts as a single source of truth for the Anderson Technical Rescue Team. For Captain Herring, all the information he needs as a team leader is at his fingertips.

“If one of our fire commissioners or our fire chief calls needing information, I can provide the information they’re looking for instantly. Truthfully, all it takes is the time to log into D4H and I have the answer. It's just right there at your fingertips.”
— Captain Ryan Herring, Anderson Technical Rescue Team

D4H’s reporting capabilities equip leadership with the critical data they need for strategic decision-making and justifying funding.

Conclusion

From facilitating efficient asset management to providing real-time insights into training costs and scheduling, D4H's response team readiness solution has become a vital tool for enhancing operational efficiency at Anderson Technical Rescue Team.