Introduction
NFIRS 5 Alive allows you to merge response data. Here's why that's important. Let's say your NFIRS 5 data does not include seconds in it's time fields. However, your raw CAD data does include this finer level of accuracy. With NFIRS 5 Alive you can select the fields you want to update with more accurate information. Here's another reason why you might want to merge your CAD data into your NFIRS 5 data.
When you load your NFIRS 5 transaction files you load a lot of data used in reports. However, NFIRS 5 data does not distinguish between Time of Alarm and Time of Dispatch. Also, NFIRS 5 does not track the time the apparatus begins its response (wheels-turning) to the scene of the emergency. These short-comings eliminate three critical calculations:
Call Processing
Turnout Time
Travel Time
In addition to "Time Responding" you may have other data elements you wish to enter into the system. Examples include latitude & longitude, call priority, map page, etc.
If you have a Records Management System (RMS) system that receives data from CAD you may be able to obtain the CAD data you need from your RMS system. If you are manually entering CAD data from a printout or fax CAD data may only be available from the CAD itself.
The Basics
1. NFIRS 5 Alive does not need CAD data to perform analysis. If CAD data is available it can supplement NFIRS 5 data with additional CAD times and details, but it is purely an option. All 7,200 built-in reports will operate without CAD data.
2. NFIRS 5 transaction data is fairly complete except it does not transmit the time a call is received or the time the apparatus begins its response to incidents. The lack of these two fields in a standard NFIRS 5 export affects only "Call Processing", "Turnout" and "Travel Time" calculations.
3. You may not have to secure raw CAD data to secure the missing time field data. If "Call Time" and "Enroute Time" is present in your RMS system you may create a standard ASCII (text) export from your RMS system and feed it into NFIRS 5 Alive. Each row should represent the response of one apparatus to an incident. Use a separate row for each apparatus response. Include the following field columns; Incident Number, Call Received Date, Call Received Time, Dispatch Date, Dispatch Time, Enroute Date, Enroute Time. Set-up your CAD import and the required fields will be merged into your existing Incident and Apparatus records.
4. Whenever CAD data has more accurate timestamps it should be merged into existing NFIRS 5 data. You must import your NFIRS 5 data first. While CAD data can be used to create Appartus records, it's best use is to update existing NFIRS 5 data with accurate timestamps.
5. CAD data will overwrite existing NFIRS 5 data. For example, if your NFIRS 5 Incident has an "Alarm Time" of 04:35, the CAD system's more accurate "Call Time" (04:35:22, for example) will overwrite the NFIRS 5 data and update response measurements to the more accurate CAD data.
Begin by organizing raw CAD data so it can be viewed in a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel. Each row in the spreadsheet defines a response. Each column in the spreadsheet defines a data element like, "Incident No.", "Exposure No.", "Date of Call", "Time of Call", etc. Using this approach you would have as many "rows" of data as you have responses. You would have as many "columns" of data as you have data elements you are tracking. It's good to include as many data elements as you have available from your CAD system.
Microsoft Excel allows you several options for formatting Date/Time Stamps, Dates and Times. If you select a column you can easily change the format used to display times in that column. Here's a list of the date and time formats that can be read by NFIRS 5 Alive.
Prepare to load CAD data by pressing the Preferences button. Then click on the CAD tab. Select the type of CAD data you wish to load.
There are four import types available:
1. Incidents loads a CAD record for each incident. It's used to update the Incidents table in NFIRS 5 Alive. If your CAD system tracks the first arriving company it's a good idea to include that data element.
2. The Companies import type loads a CAD record for each response of a company to an incident. If you have a structure fire, for example, the Companies import type would include a separate CAD record (row) for each responding company. The Companies type is used to merge CAD data into NFIRS 5 Alive Apparatus and Patients tables.
3. Some CAD systems may organize Incidents and Companies data in the same raw CAD data. NFIRS 5 Alive allows you to import incidents and company records at the same time if your data can track two data elements separately. The "1st Company" data element (first arriving fire department company) is used to distinguish CAD records you wish to update NFIRS 5 incidents. The "Company" data element is used to distinguish CAD records you wish to update Apparatus and Patients. Both the "1st Company" and "Company" data elements need to be included in this import type. The "Company" field should always be blank when importing Incident CAD data. The "1st Company" field should always be blank when importing Apparatus and Patient CAD data.
4. If you choose Company Events the application will display fields for entering the event codes used for Dispatch, Enroute, Arrival and Available. Company Events loads company data one event at a time. One line of data is used to load the timestamp for each event code. At minimum each line of data includes the "Incident Number", the "Call Timestamp" the "Company" involved, the "Event" (event code) and the "Event Timestamp". NFIRS 5 Alive assembles CAD records from the events. This system is used by the Intergraph CAD system. "Event" and "Event Timestamp" are used in Company Events only.
After selecting the import type you will need to select the delimiter. A "delimiter" is the character used to separate data elements in a row of data elements. The most commonly used delimiter is "Tab". If you save your Excel spreadsheet as "tab delimited text" (".txt"), the data elements in the spreadsheet are separated by the "tab" character. Each row of data (responses) are separated by "carriage return / line feed" characters. So when working with raw CAD data in an Excel spreadsheet make sure you always select the "Save As..." option under the File menu. Always save your spreadsheet as a tab delimited ASCII text file (".txt").
Here's the technical specification for creating CAD data "Companies" import:
CAD Export Specifications
NFIRS 5 Alive can process CAD export files that provide information about each piece of fire APPARATUS involved in the incident, one record equals the response of one piece of apparatus to one incident.
The export needs to identify the SAME INCIDENT NUMBER the fire department uses to track the response in NFIRS 5 as well as the DATE and TIME the incident occurred.
If you prepare a small export file you'll be able to text your export.
Formats
The following field formats are supported:
Time Stamp YYYYMMDDHHMMSS or YYMMDDHHMMSS or MM/DD/YY HH:MM:SS
(Year, Month, Day, Hour, Minute, Second)
Date MM/DD/YYYY or MM/DD/YY or YYYYMMDD
Time HH:MM:SS or HHMMSS or HH:MM or HHMM
If a Time Stamp is provided it is not necessary to provide the date and the time. If a time stamp is not available in one of the formats above both the date and the time should be provided in separate fields.
Fields for the Export
Incident Number (Must be the incident number that’s used in NFIRS 5 data)
Time of Call Stamp (If stamp is not available use two fields, Date of Call and Time of Call)
Station Assignment or District where the incident took place
Fire Department Apparatus ID
Time of Dispatch Stamp (If stamp is not available, Date of Dispatch and Time of Dispatch)
Enroute Time Stamp (If stamp is not available, Date of Company Enroute and Time Enroute)
On Scene Time Stamp (If stamp is not available, Date On Scene and Time On Scene)
Unit Clear Time Stamp (If stamp is not available, Date Clear and Time Clear)
Number of Responders on Apparatus (optional)
Address of the Incident
City of the Incident
Zip of the Incident
Type of Call (if available)
Map Page (optional)
Fire Demand Zone (optional)
Longitude (optional)
Latitude (optional)
Each field should be separated by a tab character. A carriage return / line feed character should be used to mark the end of each record. Null values are allowed if data is not available. Tabs should be used to hold data field placement.
Field order is not critical. But please identify each column (field) in the export if a different order is used.
Excel spreadsheet files will work. All you need to do is to configure the export in Excel and export as tab-delimited text.