Letters to the Editor
departments
Computer Concerns
Wethersfield, Conn.
I read your article on computers in the January issue with great interest. As the retired chief of the University of Connecticut Fire Department, I have been interested for several years in the use of computers for the fire service. I have been particularly interested in their use for computer-aided dispatching, prefire planning and department administration.
I agree with you that there is a great potential for their use and that the fire service is just becoming aware of what computers can do to improve operations, reduce operational costs, eliminate human error and standardize dispatching.
Working as a consultant, one of the problems I have encountered is individuals who have a limited knowledge of computers and systems, and a limited knowledge of fireground operations who recommend systems that will not do the job the fire service requires. This will only create additional problems and as a result hinder the use of the computer which can be such a valuable tool. I hope that in your future articles you will attempt to impress upon your readers that both hardware and software for fire service use must be compatible with other computers. This will allow the exchange of information between users, whether they be other departments or central dispatch facilities. This could be a very important means of communications during emergencies.
Burton Booker, CPP
