Why an RMS isn’t the Best Tool to Manage Fire Department Training | The Difference Between a TMS and RMS

When managing a fire department, fire leaders face a multitude of challenges, from maintaining compliance with evolving standards to ensuring firefighters are trained and prepared to respond to any situation in an ever-changing landscape.

While a fire department Records Management System (RMS) is an essential tool for managing pre-planning, incident response, NIFRS data, and patient/person records, it is not the right tool to optimize training programs for maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

More than just a training tab in a fire RMS software or a generic learning management system (LMS), fire departments need a robust training management system (TMS) purpose built to strengthen preparedness and compliance. For more than 25 years, fire departments have relied on TargetSolutions as their training management system to simplify and streamline all training—live skills, in-person, and online.

Understanding the differences between an RMS and TMS is crucial to make an informed decision about technology investments that align with your organization’s needs.

What is a Training Management System (TMS)?

A TMS is specifically designed to support all aspects of training, certification management, and compliance tracking. It enables fire departments to centralize, deliver, evaluate, and document training efficiently while helping to ensure all members meet regulatory requirements.

Key features of a fire TMS include:

• Granular Tracking of Training Activities: Log and monitor completed courses, drills, live skill evaluations, and policy acknowledgment for each member.
• Flexible Course Delivery: Deploy pre-loaded online courses, custom content, and SCORM courses.
• Certification and Credential Management: Customize training plans and automate alerts for expiring certifications to ensure continuous compliance.
• Detailed Reporting and Analytics: Generate comprehensive reports on training progress to easily identify gaps and simplify response to audits or records requests.

For example, fire departments can leverage a TMS, like TargetSolutions, to assign training tailored to individual roles, such as Firefighter I/II, Engine Driver, Fire Instructor, HAZMAT response, EMT provider, etc. to ensure personnel are always prepared and compliant.

What is a Records Management System (RMS)?

The primary focus of an RMS is incident management. It is designed to document the details of the emergency response, including the actions of multiple response teams, the resources involved, and any patient care or relevant public interactions for reference as needed for state and federal reporting, court cases, FOIA requests, etc.

Key features of an RMS include:

• Incident Reporting: Document NFIRS(NERIS)-compliant and patient care data.
• Pre-incident Planning: Access and update building layouts, mapping, hydrant locations, and risk assessments.
• Case Management: Documenting details of investigations, etc.

Fire departments would use an RMS to complete tasks like logging fire scene and emergency response details, generating incident reports, and maintaining a historical record for future needs.

Exploring the Limitations of Using an RMS for Training

Although some RMS platforms include basic training modules, they typically lack the specialized tools required to manage complex training needs comprehensively.

The training limitations of an RMS often include:

• Lack of Pre-Loaded Training: Training modules often do not offer a comprehensive library of quality online courses to support blended learning and help fulfill training and compliance requirements.
• Minimal Reporting Capabilities: RMS systems may only provide surface-level training data, falling short of the detailed analytics needed to optimize programs and meet regulatory reporting requirements.
• Limited Certification Management: Many RMS platforms do not support highly customizable training trackers that simplify and automate certification tracking and recertification planning.

Training tabs within an RMS are also known to be clunky and not very user-friendly, as they are often not prioritized for deeper investment as an add on module.

Why Fire Departments Need a Purpose-Built TMS

Firefighter training is too critical to be an afterthought within a general RMS. A TMS provides a centralized hub for delivering, tracking, and validating all training-related activities while making it easier for departments to adhere to NFPA, ISO, OSHA, and other regulatory and industry standards.

Here’s how a TMS like TargetSolutions outperforms an RMS for training management:

• Deliver Comprehensive Training: Assign department content, link to third-party content, manage in-person events, design custom tests, or access TargetSolutions’ robust libraries of NFPA-based fire, CAPCE-accredited EMS CEUs, OSHA and compliance, and other relevant online courses.
• Streamline Credential and Compliance Management: Leverage pre-loaded ISO and EMS recertification training trackers and build custom training plans to simplify and expedite bundled training tracking needs. Boost accountability and save admin time with progress insights, automated alerts, and auto-renewal options.
• Get Real-Time Insights and Run Flexible Reports: Knowing who has not completed training is just as important as knowing who has. At-a-glance dashboards and comprehensive reports with configurable fields keep admins and leaders informed with granular training details that drill down to training hours, pending and completed assignments, and skill competency across individuals and teams.
• Centralize All Training: Manage 100% of training in one place for total oversight and insight into the success of your training programs. Track online and in person training, digitize hands-on assessments, manage licenses and certifications, capture policy acknowledgements, and easily share resources and important information.
• Enterprise Training Capabilities: Simplify and unify training efforts across departments for seamless co-response. Ensure consistent standards, strengthen collaboration, and improve mutual-aid outcomes with TargetSolutions’ enterprise functionality.

Bridging the Training Data Gap Between Local and State-Level Agencies

Vector Solutions provides fire departments with the only local-to-state connected solution on the market that helps solve training reporting challenges by connecting fragmented systems.

AgencyConnect automates training submissions between local and state entities, with same-day completion reporting from TargetSolutions to state-level certifying bodies or academies on the Acadis® Readiness Suite.

This revolutionary approach simplifies and expedites training reporting and strengthens compliance for improved emergency preparedness and response.

Why Choose Vector Solutions for Your Training Management Needs?

As the industry leader for training management software, Vector Solutions delivers a comprehensive TMS designed to meet the unique demands of fire departments.

Built and tested to align with industry standards, the platform offers customizable functionality to fit your department’s specific needs, unmatched connectivity between agencies, and responsive customer support to ensure your success.

With Vector Solutions, you can elevate your training programs and ensure your team is always safe, prepared, and compliant.

Request a demo to learn more about how Vector Solutions can help elevate your training programs.