In the Media

August 1, 2013Read more...

What is Data Good For?

Download PDF (EMS World, August Issue, 2013) Alexander Garza, MD, MPH, former FirstWatch medical director and homeland security advisor and Nick Nudell, systems integration manager, discuss the necessity of collecting and evaluating data in real time to improve the quality of patient care. They provide examples of how different agencies around the country are putting their data to use.

May 23, 2013Read more...

How Technology Keeps New Orleans Alert In Real Time

Download PDF (JEMS, May MCI Issue, 2013) To monitor health-related threats, New Orleans turned to the FirstWatch Realtime Situational Awareness System, which is used by systems throughout the world. The sophisticated system tracks information entered into computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems in real-time, and immediately sends an alert via email or text message to designated public health and safety officials if it detects certain symptoms or trends of concern.  

January 25, 2013Read more...

High Anxiety: National Security Events Take Collaboration, Planning

The Democratic and Republican National Conventions are two of the United States’ most important and highest stakes gatherings. As thousands of elected officials, delegates, and media representatives descended on the respective host cities, public health and safety officials from the local, state, and federal levels worked with FirstWatch to prepare for threats—manmade or natural—that could disrupt the events.

January 13, 2013Read more...

Public Safety teams in New Orleans use FirstWatch system for Super Bowl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSqdFqs2WYI Public Safety, Homeland Security and Public Health teams in New Orleans use FirstWatch every day for real-time situational awareness & data surveillance. FirstWatch is especially helpful during high-profile special events like the 2013 Super Bowl, Mardi Gras, Sugar Bowl or NCAA Final Four. FirstWatch analyzes 9-1-1 emergency call data (in real-time) to provide Public Safety & other authorized stakeholder groups with secure web based data views, tools & automated alerts related to trends, patterns or geographic clusters of potentially concerning...

September 20, 2012Read more...

KSTP Channel 5 “Data Watchdog”

Local Minneapolis station KSTP Channel 5 featured FirstWatch in the news segment “Data Watchdog” Now Tracking Minneapolis 911 Calls City of Minneapolis Emergency Communications Center (MECC) & Hennepin EMS interview on ABC (KSTP) about deploying and using FirstWatch real-time Dashboards and data analytics and automated alerting for the 911 Communications Center, as well as EMS, Police and Fire teams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jmtf0KTf8E

July 4, 2012Read more...

More 911 Centers Are Using Real-Time Data to Improve Performance

(The Journal of Emergency Dispatch, 2012) By Jenifer Goodwin Last year Thomas McEntee, general manager for American Medical Response (AMR) in Riverside, Calif., was looking for ways to improve response times in his service area, which encompasses some 5,500 square miles and just under 2 million people. "When we started to drill down and look at each individual time interval and where there were opportunities for us to save a few seconds here or there, one area we decided to focus on was...

February 29, 2012Read more...

EMS Royal Flush

Download PDF (Journal of Emergency Medical Services, JEMS, February 2012)Against all odds, Jersey City Medical Center EMS reinvented itself and achieved five major national EMS recognitions. Their epic efforts set a new standard for overcoming adversity, EMS system redesign, clinical excellence and employee acceptance–and implementing electronic processes like FirstWatch was part of the solution.