The Challenge
The City of West Sacramento Fire Department serves a population of approximately 50,000 residents across a diverse response area that includes urban, industrial, agricultural, and water-based environments. With five stations and around 75 personnel, the department responds to a wide range of incidents while working closely with neighboring agencies, including the City of Sacramento.
After nearly two decades using its previous RMS, the department recognized it was time for a change.
“We knew there would come a day when we needed something more up-to-date and technologically friendly,” said Battalion Chief Mark Hull. “Our previous system had served its purpose, but it was going to be unsupported, and we needed to get ahead of that.”
Beyond modernization, the department faced a critical operational challenge: data sharing in the field.
As a non-transport agency, West Sacramento Fire relies on a third-party ambulance provider (AMR) for patient transport. Historically, this meant crews relied on paper documentation to transfer patient information.
“We were still using paper PCRs and physically handing information off to the ambulance,” Hull explained. “That was one of the biggest hurdles we knew we needed to solve.”
At the same time, crews were dealing with duplicate documentation workflows, entering the same information multiple times between paper and digital systems—costing valuable time both in the field and back at the station.
The Solution
To modernize operations, West Sacramento Fire implemented ImageTrend’s Elite™ Rescue platform, along with CAD integration, Continuum™, and Fire Investigations.
Solving field data sharing first
Early in implementation, the department prioritized connecting with its ambulance provider.
“When we brought that challenge to ImageTrend, and they made it a priority,” said Hull. “They got the right people in the room, and we were able to figure it out.”
Crews can now electronically share patient information directly in the field—eliminating paper handoffs.
A structured, hands-on implementation
The department worked closely with ImageTrend’s team through regular working sessions and in-person training across all shifts.
“We spent a lot of hours working through the buildout,” Hull said. “Anytime we needed support, the team was responsive and available.”
This collaborative approach helped the department successfully go live on January 1, 2026.
Reducing duplication through connected systems
With CAD and staffing integrations, key details like incident information and crew data now automatically populate reports.
“That eliminates duplicate work and improves accuracy,” said Hull.
Crews now complete reports in the field, significantly reducing time spent re-entering data later.
Turning data into something usable
Even early on, the department is using dashboards and reporting tools to better understand operations.
“The ability to visualize data with charts and graphs is huge,” Hull said. “It’s exactly what we were looking for.”
These tools allow the team to begin identifying trends in call volume, response patterns, and operational demand.
Streamlining investigations and documentation
The Fire Investigations module has improved how the department captures and manages incident data.
“Being able to document in the field and have everything available back at the workstation saves time,” Hull said.
Uploading photos and managing investigation details is now faster and more centralized.
The Outcome
While still in the early stages of adoption, West Sacramento Fire has already seen meaningful improvements:
- Reduced Documentation Time: Crews are spending less time completing reports thanks to field-based documentation and reduced duplication. “Once crews got past the learning curve, they’re finding it much easier and less time-consuming,” Hull said. Department leaders also noted that ImageTrend has reduced redundancy in report writing, saving countless hours spent documenting information across the organization.
- Real-Time System Improvements: One of the most impactful changes has been the ability to make immediate updates to workflows and forms. “We can make a change and push it out to the field within minutes,” said Hull. “That’s been one of the biggest game changers.” For a department that has responded to nearly 5,000 calls for service since January 1, 2026, those efficiencies carry meaningful value because every call requires a documented report of events.
- Streamlined Administrative Processes: Back-end workflows, such as report requests and approvals, are now fully electronic. “That’s been a big time saver,” Hull said. On the administrative side, staff shared that finding past incident reports has never been easier, with multiple search options now available at their fingertips.
- Stronger Partnership and Support: The department emphasized the value of working with a team that understands fire service operations. “Having people at ImageTrend who understand how things work in the field made a huge difference,” said Hull. They also described the expanding use of AI within ImageTrend as a “welcomed addition” as the department continues to evolve its workflows.
What’s Next
As West Sacramento Fire continues to build on its implementation, the team is focused on expanding its use of data to support operational insights and decision-making. “We’re just getting started with reporting and data analysis,” said Hull. “But the potential is there to really understand our operations in ways we couldn’t before.”
As they continue capturing data over the next year, the department expects to gain deeper visibility into call volume, response patterns, and resource allocation—unlocking new opportunities to improve performance and planning. “It’s really about thinking bigger,” Hull added. “What do we want to be able to do now that we have this data?”
For other agencies considering a similar transition, Hull emphasizes the value of learning from others and building on what already works. “You don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” he said. “Start with templates from other agencies, customize them, and build from there.”
Reflecting on the experience so far, Hull summed it up simply: “We’ve had a great experience with ImageTrend. It’s customizable, responsive, and really helps us save time and improve how we operate.”
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