New Canaan Fire Purchases New Software, Mobile Devices

Information via the town of New Canaan

NEW CANAAN, CT — Fire Chief Albert Bassett announced Monday the New Canaan Fire Department's practice of obtaining and updating commercial property structure and risk information will be accelerated with the acquisition of new software and portable data collection devices.

According to a news release, the town of New Canaan budgeted for the software, and the purchase of six iPad devices was made possible through a $2,760 grant from FM Global insurance company.

NCFD routinely visits commercial properties in New Canaan and conducts pre-incident planning, collecting information about structure materials, area, access and egress, sprinkler connections and controls, utility shutoff locations, hazards, occupancy, and special requirements in the event of an incident.

This helps the department respond with knowledge and quickness to prevent property loss and personal injury from smoke, fire, water or gas leaks, mechanical malfunction, elevator mishaps or other dangers, according to town officials.

The new portable iPad devices make the pre-incident planning more comprehensive and accurate with all the information and photos uploaded in real-time to the department’s new software program and communications network, Basset said. This compares to the former system of handwritten notes and then later transferring the information into a less efficient data management system.

"The iPads will allow firefighters and fire prevention staff to enter data and use it in real-time, which makes our program much more effective in preventing loss," Basset said in a news release, "and it will enable us to meet our department goal of visiting each commercial property each year. We appreciate the FM Global Fire Prevention Grant Program and thank them for awarding the funds in response to our application."

FM Global is a mutual insurance company whose research capability and engineering expertise are dedicated to property risk management and the resilience of clients. Through their grant program and other work, FM shares their belief that the majority of property loss is preventable, according to town officials.