BHUBANESWAR: In an effort to modernise and strengthen first response system, the Odisha Fire and Emergency Services has developed an Integrated Incident, Inventory and Manpower Management System (I3M3S), a first-of-its-kind digital platform in the country for managing emergency incidents, operational resources and manpower through a unified system.
The application, which is in its final testing stage, will digitise the day-to-day operations of fire stations across Odisha and strengthen the department’s operational efficiency, accountability and emergency response capabilities. It comprises three major modules - incident, inventory and manpower management systems.
Department officials said the incident management system will facilitate digital recording, monitoring and management of fire incidents, rescue operations and other emergency calls. It will also enable systematic documentation of incidents, deployment of resources, monitoring of response activities and generation of operational reports.
The inventory module will enable centralised monitoring and management of firefighting vehicles, equipment, appliances and other operational assets. It will even facilitate better asset utilisation, inventory tracking, resource allocation and maintenance planning.
The manpower management system will provide a digital platform to maintain information of the department’s personnel, monitor manpower availability, duty deployment and other activities to support effective workforce management.
A senior official of the department said the I3M3S application has been designed as a scalable and integrated platform with provisions for future technological enhancements.
“There are also plans to integrate it with surveillance systems, GPS-enabled vehicle tracking, body-worn cameras, drone-based surveillance and other emerging technologies to strengthen situational awareness and operational monitoring,” he said.
The proposed enhancements will enable real-time monitoring of the complete incident life-cycle, from receipt of an emergency call and deployment of resources to on-site operations, incident closure and post-incident reporting, the official said.
Sources said the digital platform will also enhance data-driven decision-making capabilities of the officials through the available consolidated operational data, while the digital documentation of operational activities and improved record management at fire station and directorate levels will boost transparency and help fix accountability.
The Fire department has also planned to establish three additional subsidiary command centres in its northern, southern and central ranges of the state.
The new command centres will monitor incidents and facilitate coordination of emergency resources and supervision of operational activities within their respective jurisdictions, said the senior official. “They will also support the existing State Command Centre by strengthening information sharing, operational coordination and monitoring across Odisha,” he added.
