The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) announced this week an agreement to partner on building the National Mutual Aid System (NMAS) with health and safety solutions company Intermedix and spatial analytics company Esri.
The NMAS will replace the IAFC’s Mutual Aid Net tool built in 2008. Emergency response personnel use the tool to manage and track resources during mutual aid responses.
“The IAFC is extremely pleased to partner with Intermedix and Esri to build the next generation of the National Mutual Aid System,” Tommy Hicks, IAFC’s chief programs & technology officer and assistant executive director, said. “Ensuring that emergency managers and responders have real-time information and resources at their fingertips is an essential to protecting their communities from harm.”
The NMAS will use Esri’s ArcGIS, a location intelligence platform, and Intermedix’s WebEOC, a crisis information management software. WebEOC will allow IAFC to manage information sharing, event reporting, and task management as well as connect with partner agencies and organizations during response efforts. ArcGIS will add a location element to this information management.
“Intermedix looks forward to our partnership with IAFC and an expansion of our partnership with Esri,” Bob Watson, president of preparedness solutions at Intermedix, said. “Our mission is to serve those who save lives, and the National Mutual Aid Net project is perfectly aligned with that mission. The only effective way to respond to emergencies is through collaborations and partnerships between public and private organizations. The National Mutual Aid Net takes that principle and puts it into practice. We are honored to be a part of this undertaking.”