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Volunteers tell Lancaster County commission FirstDue incident reporting remains unreliable after years of problems
Summary
Commission members and volunteers described repeated failures and a confusing interface in the FirstDue incident reporting system, saying some reports take hours to complete and that attempts to split departments or otherwise simplify entry were unsuccessful. Staff said they would add the issue to next month's agenda for follow-up.
Members of the Lancaster County Fire Commission and volunteer representatives spent part of the meeting describing persistent problems with the FirstDue incident reporting system that some volunteers said have lasted "2 and a half, 3 years."
A volunteer described the process as a "labyrinth," saying forms reset and pages change colors during entry, which can turn a short report into a multi‑hour task. "It's very aggravating. It's very aggravating that it's sitting over here for 2 and a half, 3 years, and we still cannot move forward on this for some reason," the speaker said.
Commission members said they had asked the vendor and noted inconsistent explanations: one vendor response reportedly said departments could not be split for reporting; another representative had suggested the opposite. A speaker said the county staff member who could answer technical questions was not present at the meeting.
Why this matters: reliable incident reporting is used for billing, state reporting and operational records. Volunteers told the commission that entries sometimes are submitted manually because the software does not record them correctly, which could affect departmental records and reimbursement.
Direction and next steps: a commission member said the issue would be put on the agenda next month for further follow‑up and asked staff to seek clearer guidance from the system administrator or vendor. A speaker also asked staff to email needs for AFG (Assistance to Firefighters Grant) gear purchases and related invoicing processes.
Ending: Commissioners and volunteers urged staff to get a firm technical answer and a timeline for fixes; the commission scheduled the issue for continued discussion at its next meeting.
