Low-Cost Computers For the Fire Service
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A new tool is now available for fire service use. It’s not an altogether new invention, but like the hydraulic rescue tool and SCBA—both invented for other uses—the tool can be adapted for fire department use with amazing results. It can’t extinguish fires yet, but it can improve almost any other task.
The new tool is a low-cost, desktop microcomputer.
Of course, expensive larger computers have been used for years by big business and scientists. The difference is that the new microcomputers do not have to be operated by specialists. Anyone with a little effort can operate a microcomputer, including children. Last year the National Center for Educational Statistics reported that 52,000 microcomputers and terminals were being used by children in schools.
Personal computers
Over the last few years, the miniaturization of computer parts advanced significantly—and prices dropped to true bargain levels. Now individuals at home and at work can afford to have their own personal computer costing less than $5000. So can fire chiefs, training officers and small departments.
With a fire department microcomputer, information on budgets, personnel, maintenance, fire loss and inspections can be stored, referenced, updated and evaluated easier than ever before. It can free administrative officers and clerical staff from tedious, repetitive work. It can write a faster report. It can tutor and test fire fighters. It can do these things and more if the fire service accepts the potential of small computers.
At this time, however, the use of computers in the fire service is only in the same relative position as the use of radios was 50 years ago.
“There are, without doubt, great possibilities,” said an August 1930 editorial in Fire Engineering, “in the use of the radio in the fire service. And yet little advantage has been taken of this new development of science . . . but as time goes on, it will be taken up more and more by chiefs …”
Certainly some individuals were not easily convinced then about radios, and even some advocates held back full praise. A 1935 article in Fire Engineering conceded that radios would be useful, but as no more than an auxiliary to the fire alarm telegraph.
Have no doubt
Now, of course, no one denies the critical role played by radio communications. Nor should anyone doubt that computers will become just as essential as radios, and in much less time.
Thus far, computers have little invaded the fire service because they were so expensive. Articles in Fire Engineering have described computer-aided dispatch systems costing $15 million in New York, $6 million in Chicago, and $1.2 million in Minneapolis. Those are large cities requiring sophisticated systerns larger than a microcomputer can handle, and they have them. But such funding is harder than ever to squeeze from local governments.
The hardware and software of a low-cost computer system.
INPUT: First the system must receive the Information to be processed. Material can be stored in magnetic form (like a tape recording) and read into the computer from a disk drive, above left. Or material can be typed in letter by letter on the keyboard, center. PROCESSING: A microprocessing unit, tucked away In the same housing as the keyboard, acts as an electronic brain to switch the bits of information along the proper internal paths for reading, sorting, calculating and remembering.
OUTPUT: Information requested by the computer operator is routed out to the display screen for instant viewing, above, or to a printer if a permanent copy is needed.
The most important part of the system, however, is the software—the step-by-step instructions directing the computer brain to do the particular kind of work needed. Computer programmers work out these steps and store them on disks, above left … ready for input.
Wide World Photos.
Medium-sized and small departments and individual divisions of large departments were left out—until now.
The desktop computer industry is so new it didn’t exist before 1975, yet by 1980 microcomputers accounted for more than 36 percent of all computers sold, according to Datamation magazine. And Interface Age, another computer magazine, reports that 400,000 micros were sold in 1980 alone. It predicted sales will increase almost 2 million in 1985.
They’re everywhere
Two of the biggest names in microcomputers are Apple, sold in 1500 stores around the world, and TRS-80, sold in 8000 Radio Shack stores. Clearly there is a big movement in small computers, with emphasis on small. Apple Computer cofounder Steve Jobs’ motto: “Don’t trust any computer you can’t lift.
While computers have become smaller and less expensive, their computing ability has not been sacrificed. In fact, computers have improved their price-to-performance ratio in almost unbelievable increments. With understandable pride, computer people say that an advanced microprocessor chip (the engine or brain of a computer) costing $20 today packs the computing ability of a much larger unit that 15 years ago cost a steep $15 million!
As a result some fire departments have already begun to use microcomputers. Fire Engineering has reported on a Wisconsin department’s dispatch system using an Apple micro and a Florida department using a mobile TRS-80 on a hazardous materials apparatus, both in the $3000 range.
The Ohio Fire Academy is one agency taking an aggressive stance. It has already conducted one seminar on the use of low-cost computers, and another is scheduled for March. Representatives from 21 departments attended the first. In their comments about the seminar, some attendees verified that assistance was needed.
Fire service applications
But some criticized the seminar content as not being sufficiently tied in with fire service applications. Indeed, this is a major challenge that lies ahead. The usefulness and technology of computers must be better merged with the needs of the fire service. Microcomputers are relatively easy to use, but it will take more effort than just plugging one into the wall.
Mike Fay, a former fire fighter and current EMS instructor who has his own Apple computer, intends to provide some assistance. He has organized a fire service and EMS microcomputer user’s group for exchanging information. It will receive and share reports of creative applications of computers, comparisons of systems and software, and mistakes to avoid—always with the fire department or EMS point of view. Interested persons can contact Fay at 26 Upper Trail, Fairfield, Pa. 17320.
Software
As constructed, a microcomputer has only the potential for doing many things, just as an auto in a driveway has potential for going somewhere. The auto needs a driver and a road map. With computers, the equivalent of a map is a set of step-by-step instructions called a software program. Different software programs are needed if a computer is to compute numbers, search a file for names or ask questions in a test.
The fire department user does not have to know how to write—or program—these instructions into a computer. They are fed into the machine as easily as a cassette tape is loaded into a tape recorder.
Hundreds of different programs are available which may be adapted to fire department use. Or a department may choose to have someone write an individualized program for a fee. Three sample software programs will be described, but first it is best to look at the equipment—called hardware—that is used to process the information in which you may be interested.
One way to understand the overall function and some of the terminology of a computer is to look at a digital watch, which can be thought of as a specialized computer already programmed to do a limited number of tasks.
The digital watch has a microprocessing unit—the brain—which keeps track of the changing seconds, minutes, hours, days and months. It may also be able to remember an alarm setting. It’s in there somewhere, and most users of watches or computers never know much more about the microprocessor’s technology.
The watch can only compute changing time after a person sets the correct time. In computer terms, this communication with the microprocessor brain is called input. The input device is the button on the side of the watch. It is important to remember that any computer is only as accurate as the information it receives.
Output is the term used to describe the results of a computer operation so the operator can read it. The watch’s output device is the screen or watch face where the user sees the time.
Versatile desktop computers have similar parts and a few additional items.
Keyboard input
The desktop computer’s microprocessing unit can do many, many types of functions, but it is still very small. It is usually contained in a box along with a typewriter-like keyboard for input. Again, for now it is not necessary to know much about how the thing works.
The keyboard is used to talk to the computer. In computer-aided dispatching, the address is given to the computer by typing it at the keyboard. With computerized maintenance records, you might type in that. Engine 6 got an oil change today.
Screen or printer output
There are two main types of output devices for microcomputers: the video display screen and the hard copy printer. Hard copy simply means a sheet of paper that can be held in the hand, as opposed to the output on the display screen.
A video display looks like a television screen but it is designed to display words and numbers instead of moving pictures. When you have typed an address for dispatching, the screen lists the fire companies to respond and perhaps lists other information about the building on fire—if your planning and software provided for having that extra information. The words on the screen may also show you what kind of maintenance is due next for Engine 6—again, if your maintenance software provides for this.
The screen is nice for showing information instantly after it is asked for, but it is not very portable if you want to take along to a fire the dispatching information about hydrant or standpipe or hazardous materials location. For that, you need a printer. It looks something like a teletypewriter, but smaller. This output device gives a typewritten copy of the information on the screen. It is much faster than a typewriter. One common printer operates at 80 characters per second.
Information storage
Right now you may store dispatching, personnel or maintenance information in boxes or filing cabinets. Computers store information in smaller spaces and allow much faster retrieval. Part of the electronic wizardry of computers is their storage ability.
A typical microcomputer can store about 48,000 characters of information and show you any part of it in a fraction of a second. But if you want to be able to dispatch to 1000 buildings in your town and store information about each one totaling 100 characters, then you are going to be handling 100,000 characters of information. No problem, however, because these small systems provide auxiliary storage.
Many, many thousands of characters more can be stored for almost instant retrieval on floppy disk or audio cassette recording devices. The latter work like a regular tape recording except that computer information is stored instead of music. The record-like floppy disks are much faster and store more information, but they cost more, too. For critical fire department use, however, the disks are much better.
A floppy disk drive is a small box that turns the disk very rapidly until it finds the necessary extra information and zaps it into the computer memory and the screen.
So this is the usual hardware of a microcomputer system: The box with the computer brain and keyboard, the screen, the printer for another kind of output, and the extra storage disks and disk drive. How much does it all cost? From $2500 to perhaps $5000, according to which brand of computer, screen screen printer and how many disk drives you need. Plus the software you either buy or have prepared.
Decisions on software
Most users take existing software and adapt it to their use because creating individualized software for a single department is relatively expensive.
It’s the same way as with a training manual. One written for a particular department may be preferred. But the time, money and effort may not be worthwhile considering that another similar but general training book costs only a few dollars. A compromise is necessary.
As an introduction to the software types, let’s look at three categories: data base, educational and word processing.
Many fire department uses can be made of data base software. It can be thought of as a big filing cabinet (or a small library) in which things can be stored, found or rearranged almost instantly.
With personnel information stored on data base software, a chief could see which of a thousand fire fighters had completed a certain training course, or received a commendation, or had more than 15 years service—all without keeping separate lists or going through all the records. The computer can sort any way desired.
With maintenance records stored in a data base, a chief mechanic with a fleet of even hundreds of apparatus could see which ones are due for an oil change, or the dates and types of maintenance done on a particular apparatus. SCBA maintenance records could be reviewed instantly as well, all without numerous individual records to look at.
With dispatching details stored in a data base of a small department, a responding engine could be told many useful facts about the target location without carrying unwieldy notebooks with pages falling out. The nearest water supply, a significant landmark or the hazardous materials storage facts could be stored for more reliable recall than memory.
Tutoring and testing
Training is one of the important potential uses for microcomputers. Although skill development still belongs on the drill ground, a computer is very efficient at teaching facts and concepts and allowing self-testing.
Educational software is already being developed by the people at Sesame Street for preschool children, and computer-aided instruction will soon dominate more learning. Near Chicago, 90 percent of 4000 students in one high, school will use computers in classes each day. The superintendent of that school indicated that the only problem is when the students are computer-literate and teachers aren’t. Fire service instructors should not let themselves become obsolete.
When a fire instructor describes a subject, some in the class can tune out the information by daydreaming. If a question is asked of the class, not everyone forms an answer. Some can mentally hide and may not learn all that they should. It’s too late at test time because it’s harder to go back then.
Computer educational software guarantees interaction and learning. After a few paragraphs are presented from a lesson, a student can be asked a series of questions to make sure the right message has been learned. If the correct answer is given to a question, immediate positive feedback is given every time. The screen may flash this note: “Correct, John (or whatever the student’s name is). You’re doing very well on this section. You have 8 out of 10 answers right so far.”
A wrong answer gets immediate feedback also, along with an explanation of why it doesn’t fit. Wild guessing is not permitted. If a second attempt on a question is again incorrect, the student may be automatically routed to a review section with more basic questions.
Only when that section is understood can the student return to the original material, which still must be mastered before the next level is presented. The computer will not respond to directions to just skip the difficult items.
If a misunderstanding continues, the screen instructs the student to call for the instructor or go back and read the instructions again. (Computers will not replace instructors, only free them from low-level instruction.)
Later, fire fighters can be tested to see how they are retaining the information, and get a grade without involving the instructor in clerical duties.
Ten dollars
If a larger depart ment spent $25,000 for 10 microcomputers, and they were used to tutor and test a total of 500 fire fighters in 20 subject units each during a single year, the cost per subject unit would be only $2.50—and training for the next several years would be free of hardware costs. Spread over five years, hardware costs would be $10 per fire fighter.
If a smaller department with 30 members spent $3000 for a single small computer to instruct in the same common subjects, the five-year expenditure would average only $20 per fighter per year.
Of course, the same computer could also keep run reports, personnel records and do anything else according to what other software is available. And that type of training could proceed at any time of day, whenever convenient to each individual fire fighter.
Another type of software is called word processing. It allows words to be stored and moved around or replaced without retyping the rest of the words. For certain jobs it is much faster than a typewriter.
For example, a form letter cannot be photocopied if a personalized greeting is desired. But individually typed letters take too long. Word processing software can provide hundreds of original-looking form letters with personal greetings after the operator types only a single copy.
Generally, any report longer than five or six pages can be completed faster with word processing. If it is an important one, the report is usually written and revised a couple of times. In standard typewriter practice, if each page of an almost-final version has only one major correction, the entire page must nevertheless be completely retyped.
But not with word processing. Only the incorrect words are changed, or typed over. The microprocessor automatically makes room for additions and deletions and puts the other words back in place. The report is made letter perfect in essentially one typing. Then extra copies can be printed for less than the cost of photocopying and without the look of a copy. Low-cost microcomputers are putting exciting capabilities within reach of almost every fire department. But that is not to say that computers are the answer to every fire service need.
Indeed, some small businesses have literally been forced into bankruptcy because of fiascos directly related to purchasing a computer. The results of an unwise decision to use computers can be almost as disastrous for a fire department.
This article continues next month with tips to help you avoid common mistakes in buying and using a microcomputer.
