FireRescue1 Acquires EVALS to Expand Training Management Capabilities in the Fire Service and Beyond
Combination extends the FireRescue1 Academy LMS platform and content library with the leading tool for in-person skills development and tracking
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
SAN FRANCISCO – FireRescue1, one of the leading web sites serving the fire and rescue community, and Praetorian Digital, FireRescue1’s parent company, today announced it has acquired EVALS, the leader in tracking skills development and field training in fire departments and EMS organizations nationwide. EVALS will immediately be added to Praetorian’s online training portfolio, which includes the FireRescue1 Academy and EMS1 Academy.
The combination creates the first complete training management solution for fire and EMS that combines online learning content, training workflow and training event management with skills development tracking. Departments and academies will be able to address the full spectrum of their training needs, from online course delivery and credential tracking to managing their field training with video accountability and mobile app-based forms and task books.
EVALS will be immediately available to FireRescue1 Academy and EMS1 Academy online learning clients at a special rate through single sign-on (SSO) functionality, with further integration planned. EVALS customers will likewise have the option to add FireRescue1 Academy content and LMS features.
“Fire and EMS departments nationwide have increasingly been requesting tools to manage and track their field training – a significant pain point that continues to be managed through paper-based solutions in many agencies. We are thrilled to expand our ability to meet their needs with the addition of EVALS to our platform,” said Alex Ford, CEO of Praetorian Digital and FireRescue1. “Along with the EVALS team, we’re committed to delivering high-quality training tools and content that help departments and their personnel be fully prepared, better protect their communities, and come home safe.”
Based in Sacramento, CA, EVALS was founded in 2013 by Captain Matt Cole of Sacramento Metro Fire to address the workflow and tracking challenges he was experiencing day-to-day delivering skills-based training at his department. He developed EVALS though a grassroots effort, bringing together many of the leading fire instructors in California and applying the latest concepts in software as a service (SaaS) and mobile technology.
The result was a solution that enables instructors to set clear expectations, create supporting documentation, eliminate paper-based task books and more effectively measure performance in the field to maximize real-time training opportunities. Shortly after launch, EVALS was adopted by organizations outside of the fire service, including several in law enforcement, utilities, EMS and college education, who saw the benefit and the applicability of its features.
“There is a huge skills gap that needs to be bridged in our country. Nowhere is this more critical than in public safety,” said Matt Cole, Co-Founder of EVALS. “By merging EVALS with the quality content and training management tools within FireRescue1’s online training and media platforms, we’ll be able to provide a very unique training solution and take ‘Plan/Do/Reflect’ learning to the next level.”
To learn more about EVALS or about implementing a combined solution at your department, visit www.FireRescue1Academy.com.
About FireRescue1.com
FireRescue1.com serves the firefighting community by providing firefighters with the most complete range of information and resources available. Since 2005, FireRescue1 has served as a trusted and reliable online environment for the exchange of information between firefighters and departments from across the United States and around the world. For information on advertising with FireRescue1, visit our advertising section online at www.firerescue1.com/advertise.
About Praetorian Digital
Praetorian Digital is the leading digital media company in the public safety and local government market, with a suite of properties dedicated to the distribution of trusted information that helps first responders and government officials better protect and serve their communities. We run a robust network of media sites dedicated to providing up to date news, analysis and training information, including Police1, FireRescue1, EMS1, Corrections1 and Gov1
Praetorian Digital also has a thriving Online Learning division, which provides critical training to departments, agencies and other organizations via PoliceOneAcademy.com, FireRescue1Academy.com, EMS1Academy.com, CorrectionsOneAcademy.com and LocalGovU.com, with more Academies in the works for 2017 and beyond.
Praetorian also operates a Grant Services division that works closely with departments and companies in the public safety and local government markets. To date, the division has assisted in more than $100 million in secured grant funding for departments.
For more information on Praetorian Digital, visit www.praetoriandigital.com.
About EVALS
Founded in 2013, EVALS was developed out of necessity within the fire service when firefighter Matt Cole paired up with a longtime family friend, software developer Jake Toolson, to help develop a smarter training tool. They started with the idea that there is a better way to administer training in a more transparent and consistent fashion and built the EVALS software into a dynamic skills based Learning Management System. EVALS now works with hundreds of fire, EMS and police as well as public utilities.
For more information on EVALS, visit www.EVALS.net.