The short answer: before a fire department signs for truck check
software, ask how it is priced, what it will cost as you grow, what the setup fee and
annual increases are, whether volunteers get a discount, whether you can build your
own checklists, whether failed items reach the person who fixes them, whether it
tracks rig inventory and expirations, whether phones need a separate license, whether
support is included, and whether you can try it yourself first.
Pricing models are the biggest source of surprise. If you want the background first,
read fire and EMS software
pricing models compared.
1.Is your pricing published, and can I see it before a sales call?
Why it matters. A chief needs a number for the board before anyone schedules a demo. If the price only comes after a call, it is hard to compare vendors fairly.
A good answer. A link to a pricing page, or a written price list sent on request.
Our answer: Yes. Every plan is on our pricing page, with a calculator. Plans start at $1,200 a year for the first station.
2.Do you charge per user, per vehicle, per module or per station?
Why it matters. The pricing model decides what happens to the bill as you grow. Per-user plans grow with your roster and per-vehicle plans grow with your fleet.
A good answer. A plain statement of the model and an example priced for your roster and fleet.
Our answer: Per station. Members and apparatus inside your plan do not change the price.
3.What will it cost when we add members, apparatus or a station?
Why it matters. Departments recruit, buy apparatus and open stations. A price that only works for this year's roster is not a budget number.
A good answer. A written figure for the next member, the next rig and the next station.
Our answer: Nothing for members or apparatus. An additional station is $400 a year on Station Essentials or $700 on Full Suite.
4.Is there a setup or implementation fee, and how much?
Why it matters. Some public quotes show a one-time implementation fee equal to a full year of the subscription, which can double the first-year cost.
A good answer. The fee in writing, what it covers, and whether a longer term waives it.
Our answer: $500 on our standard plans, waived on a two-year term.
5.How much can the price go up each year, and is that in writing?
Why it matters. Many agreements allow increases every year. A 5 percent increase compounds to more than 20 percent over four years. Ask about auto-renewal terms at the same time.
A good answer. A cap in the agreement, or a locked price for a multi-year term.
Our answer: On a three-year term the price is locked for all three years. Current customers keep the pricing they have.
6.Is there a discount for volunteer departments?
Why it matters. Most US fire departments are all-volunteer, and their budgets come from fundraisers, grants and small tax bases.
A good answer. A published discount, not a one-time favor from a sales rep.
Our answer: 25 percent off the subscription on any plan, published on our pricing page.
7.Can we build our own checklists, or do we have to use yours?
Why it matters. Crews follow a check that matches the way they walk their own rig. A canned form gets skimmed.
A good answer. A checklist builder you can use yourself, with sections, item types and a template per rig type.
Our answer: Yes. Our Checklist Builder handles sections, pass or fail, yes or no, readings, notes and photos, day-of-week items, and templates for engines, tenders, brush trucks and medic units.
8.What happens when a crew fails an item?
Why it matters. Paper's real failure is that a problem written in the margin never reaches the person who fixes it.
A good answer. A failed item creates a ticket or an alert for a named person, the same shift.
Our answer: A failed item opens a trouble ticket with the crew's photo, and any item can email specific roles when it is answered a certain way.
9.Does it track rig inventory and expiration dates, or only pass or fail checks?
Why it matters. A rig can pass its check and still carry expired medications. Checks and inventory belong together.
A good answer. PAR levels per unit, expiration alerts and restocking on the same system as the checks.
Our answer: Yes. Station Essentials includes Inventory Control with PAR levels per rig, expiration alerts and restock after a call.
10.Do crews need an app or a separate mobile license?
Why it matters. Volunteers use their own phones. An app to install, or a per-device license, slows everything down.
A good answer. Works on any phone, tablet or computer, with no extra license for mobile.
Our answer: Emergency Logs runs in the browser on any device. Nothing to install and no mobile license.
11.Is support included, and how do we reach it?
Why it matters. Some vendors sell support in tiers or by the incident. The day a check form breaks is not the day to find out.
A good answer. Support included in the subscription, with a phone number.
Our answer: Phone, email and text support is included in every plan. No support contract, no tiers, no per-incident fees.
12.Can we try it ourselves before anyone calls us?
Why it matters. The fastest way to judge software is to run a check on it. A demo you have to book is a sales call.
A good answer. A sandbox or trial you can open tonight, with sample data.
Our answer: Yes. Our live demo opens with sample data and no sales call.
One more thing to ask: references
Ask for a department your size that has used the system for at least a year, and call
the person who runs the checks, not only the chief who signed. Ours include
Garfield County Fire District 1,
a combination district with more than 30 volunteers and 18 apparatus.