Wauseon Fire Selects OnSite ERT to Improve Personnel Safety: The Wauseon, Ohio Fire Department is implementing OnSite ERT software from Ann Arbor-based ERT Systems. The system will replace the department’s former, less reliable tools used to determine crew status and locations during emergencies. Purchased in part with funds from an Assistance to Firefighters grant, the department will put OnSite ERT into service at emergency scenes beginning in the fall of 2010. The technology uses a combination of lightweight ID tags, portable drop readers and Incident Command software to offer a clear, real-time view of on-scene personnel and their current locations — all from the screen of a laptop. The brainchild of retired fire commander John Ellis and technology expert Dennis Carmichael, OnSite ERT is a portable and rapidly deployable system for tracking and monitoring first responders and equipment for the duration of an emergency event. Designed specifically to meet the unique needs of firefighters, the product is gaining traction among fire departments nationwide, already in use by over 50 departments across the US and Canada, with more on the horizon. OnSite ERT has also proven beneficial for use in mutual-aid and combined-response events, streamlining operations, and improving post-incident reporting and performance analysis. The system tracks and records all on-scene activity, which helps departments comply with federal rules and regulations to further limit legal risks in the event of a tragedy. More at www.OnSiteERT.com or call (734) 327-9532.

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