Torrington Fire Rediscovers TargetSolutions for Specialized Training Management

The Challenge

The Torrington Fire Department in Connecticut is a combination department of roughly 85 personnel, 55 career and 30 volunteer fire members, operating out of two full-time firehouses and one volunteer station, covering 40 square miles.

The department had used TargetSolutions for training management for years. Then, a few years ago, a broader technology overhaul resulted in the adoption of a new RMS that came with its own training management module.

The “one-stop-shop” appeal made sense at the time, as platform consolidation was a primary goal. Fewer systems to manage meant fewer vendors to call. But Torrington Fire felt the tradeoff quickly, realizing a single platform couldn’t deliver the depth and usability that TargetSolutions did for training management.

“We had been experiencing some difficulties with the other platform in terms of the training management component,” said the Assistant Chief. “It was very cumbersome and overbuilt. Navigation and customizability were not great.”

The frustration didn’t stay anecdotal; it showed up in the numbers.

“The problem was no one knew how to use it,” he said. “We had very, very low compliance with filling out training reports.”

The Choice

Torrington Fire soon realized platform consolidation came at the cost of compromised training compliance and returned to TargetSolutions.

Given the department’s previous satisfaction with TargetSolutions, the Assistant Chief knew that Vector could provide the level of depth and usability he was looking for to strengthen training documentation after stepping into his new role.

“It was leaps and bounds better than what we were doing. It just made sense, and the price was reasonable,” the Assistant Chief said. “I needed to start documenting training in a strong platform as soon as possible.”

TargetSolutions offered:

• A proven, familiar platform the department already trusted
• A purpose-built, easy-to-navigate interface designed around how training officers actually document training
• A fast, low-lift implementation at industry leading speed

The Change

Within a week or two of making the switch back to TargetSolutions, the difference was already visible in officer behavior.

“Because of what I’ve been able to build, officers can submit a training report anywhere from 15 seconds to 1 ½ minutes. That’s good,” said the Assistant Chief. “I don’t need it to have 7,000 components to it.”

With just a short time back on TargetSolutions, Torrington Fire has already achieved:

• Faster reporting now that officers can submit a complete training record in less than 90 seconds.
• Higher compliance with a quicker, more intuitive process that officers actually keep up with.
• Depth where it’s needed, not by default, by streamlining forms for routine entries that capture only what’s needed.
• Less re-entry with preloaded details saves time and allows for quick record retrieval when it’s time for ISO interviews.

By pairing purpose-built training management through TargetSolutions with their RMS, Torrington has the best of both worlds: an RMS built for incidents and a world class training platform built for everything that happens before.

Customer Profile

• 85 Total Personnel (55 Career / 30 Volunteer)
• 3 Stations
• 40 mi² Coverage Area