Rip and Run Development Update

  Tuesday, December 16th 2008

Testing for my Rip and Run software is proceeding along quite nicely. This month I completed some milestones:

1. Integration with Google Maps
2. Address resolution via Google Local Search and Google Geocoder - note that these are free services.
3. Successful integration with Firetracker software. This will ultimately allow us to upload all the data from county rip and run sheets directly into the Firetracker software - this means the potential to completely remove paperwork from the fire reporting process all together!
4. Integration with voice message systems. These allow me to take Rip and Run content - for example, the call location and type of emergency, translate it into speech, and then send that audio directly to someone's cell phone. There have been well documented reports of the county paging system not working - so many of our members do not get notified of an emergency. The ability to automatically reach our firefighters via a different medium could be crucial to our organization.
   
   This is could serve in the place of SMS Text Messaging (next on the list) when a member does not have text messaging as part of their cell service plan.
   
   Basically this audio sounds like something you would hear in a public service announcement or some emergency radio test. Click here for a sample:
   • Wilton Medical Arts Test Dispatch (675 Kb .wav file)
5. SMS Text Messaging - text messaging has become a very common form of communication in our society. There are other counties who also afford volunteers the ability to receive emergency dispatches via SMS text messages on their cell phones. My software integrates with a third-party cell carrier, and will send SMS text messages to our members. This functionality is still being developed, but it is anticipated that it will be completed in January.
6. AIM Messaging - I have developed an AIM bot that will instant message a registered firefighter of a given emergency. Much like the email alert functionality, this is particularly useful to members who are online all day at work for example.
7. Email Alerts - Rip and Run information is also configured to be automatically emailed to firefighters (those who are subscribed). This is particularly important for those firefighters who work in offices where cell phones may not work (or you aren't permitted to have them), and you are at your desk the majority of the day. This gives you the ability to get notified of emergencies without pagers or cell phones.

Integration with the County is tentatively scheduled to begin in the middle of January - to give everyone a break during the holiday season. Currently, the only Rip and Runs configured for this service are Maple Avenue faxes.

One final note, if you want to participate in any testing - please feel free to contact me and I will configure things. Once all pieces are completed, there will be more formal announcements and postings in the firehouses.

Any questions, please just let me know.

posted by spackmann in Rip and Run Development at 11:49 AM (632 day(s) old)  Permalink