All posts by [email protected]

Did you know platform managers can review a completion prior to it becoming a record? They can by selecting the require validation setting in activities builder when building a custom activity. This allows administrators and supervisors to confirm information submitted by users is accurate before recording in the users history.

Any activity completed with this setting will have to be validated by platform managers before it is accepted as complete. The administrator (or supervisor who has validating rights) will click on the Validate Completions icon on their administration tab. The next step is finding users to validate through the Users Select page, which makes it easy to select multiple users at one time.

After users are selected, a list of activities waiting to be validated for those individuals will appear. There are three options at this point: Validate, reject, or delete a completed activity. If rejecting an activity, you will be given the opportunity to provide instructions to the user for re-submission. Please remember activities waiting to be validated will not show up in the users history. So, if a user asks why their completed activities are not showing in their history, this could be the case.

If you have questions about the Require Validation setting in Activities Builder, or any part of the TargetSolutions platform, please check the Help Section or contact us directly.

‘Require validation upon completion’ selection is under Options while building a custom activity.

TargetSolutions allows administrators the ability to upload policies, videos and other documents for users to review. They can then place the file into a custom activity and assign it out to their users, requiring an e-signature. When the user reviews the item, they are required to provide an e-signature confirming they reviewed the attached file.

The system also has a security measure to verify users don’t check the e-signature box without opening the file. If the attached file is not opened, the box will be grayed out and restricted from being checked off. If the file is a video, it will have to play through to the end before the e-signature box is activated.

To send out a policy, video, or other file for review and require an e-signature functionality, you will need to upload the file to the File Center. After the file has been uploaded to the File Center, you will need to create a custom activity with the Activities Builder application. Once an activity has been created, it can be assigned to users through the Create New Assignments application.

If you have any questions about how to operate this tool, please contact us today!

E-signature functionality ensure users have received, reviewed and completed various activities that are required.

Summer is nearly upon us and for clients in many areas of the country that means burn season. Wildland fires pose a risk to both communities and to the firefighters who work to protect them. Since 1970, wildland fires are responsible for damage in excess of $20 billion and more than 200 firefighters have lost their lives in the process.

In an attempt to support our client’s efforts in fighting these fires, TargetSolutions has released RT-130: Annual Wildland Fire Safety Refresher.

The new four-module course in TargetSolutions’ online fire training course catalog, covers several aspects of wildland firefighter training, including fundamentals of safety in wildland firefighting operations, wildland fire behavior and strategies for predicting changes in behavior that could lead to hazardous conditions, situational awareness and injury prevention.

“Because of its importance, this course deservedly required all of the resources available to our content department,” said Content Architect Jeremy Lynch. “From the research to the multimedia, we used everything we could to deliver a course that will help keep both firefighters and the civilians they protect safe during fire seasons.”

Steve Prziborowski of Santa Clara County Fire Department was thrilled to learn of TargetSolutions newest release. He is already planning ways to incorporate the fire department software as pre-course training before conducting hands-on training.

“Great timing! We were actually looking at a way to do make-up classes for personnel who missed the annual RT-130 sessions we recently provided, and this looks like a great way to go, especially if we can then add an additional hands-on component for shelter deployment afterward,” said Prziborowksi, who serves as the department’s deputy chief/training. “Looking ahead, the four modules may lend themselves to a pre-course assignment prior to going out and getting some hands-on experience.”

If you have any questions about this or any other course in TargetSolutions’ online fire training catalog, please contact us today!

About TargetSolutions
TargetSolutions is the leading provider of web-based technology solutions for fire and EMS organizations. These solutions enable organizations to maintain compliance, reduce losses, deliver curriculum, and track all station-level tasks, certifications and training activities.

California fire departments participating in the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CFFJAC) training program can track completion of all JAC training, both TargetSolutions and other training, using TargetSolutions’ online training management platform.

TargetSolutions provides custom JAC reports for fire departments in California. To get started, you will need to notify TargetSolutions Account Manager Kegan Konrady, who manages California, and send him corresponding JAC ID numbers for individuals enrolled within JAC.

Once this is done, TargetSolutions will update your site with a JAC code builder found under Reportable Components within the Activities Builder application. This allows you to easily assign customized JAC codes to any custom activity on the platform. All TargetSolutions courses have a prebuilt JAC code attached to them that will automatically update the system when a course is completed.

The final step is to pull a JAC Monthly Submission report to send to California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee. TargetSolutions has a prebuilt report that is easily accessible under the Generate Reports tab. With just a few clicks the report is ready to be sent to California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee, which is currently working with a large number of clients and is familiar with TargetSolutions JAC reporting solution.

If you have any questions about CFFJAC or anything else related to TargetSolutions, please contact us today.

TargetSolutions newest application, Save and Assign, goes live tonight at 11 p.m. (PST). This new tool gives administrators and supervisors the ability to partially complete different portions of the same activity. The end result is more consistent online record keeping and improved efficiency when delivering repetitive activities, including evaluations, certificates, inspections, etc.

The application, which is accessible for platform managers through the Administration tab, can be found underneath the Record Completions tool. Here are four key ways departments will be able to utilize the Save and Assign application:

Evaluation Forms: Platform managers can create an evaluation form and partially complete it before delivering to users. After receiving, users are required to respond and provide e-signatures. This eliminates paper files and gives managers more flexibility assigning the same template to multiple users.

Certificate Completions: In addition to providing platform managers and users with the ability to complete different portions of the same activity, Save and Assign relieves managers from having to upload multiple certificates on behalf of employees.

Training Records: Complete certain portions of an activity for consistency, while leaving other information for users for accuracy. For instance, complete fields like instructor or location and allow the user to enter notes or complete a class evaluation.

Group Training: Deliver videos or presentations as a group and then log any data about the session accurately. This feature requires more information from users, making online record keeping stronger in case of an audit.

TargetSolutions has created several different support articles that can be found in the Help Center. There is also a new Save and Assign Tutorial Video available in the Help Center. If you have any other questions about this tool, please contact us today!

TargetSolutions prides itself on delivering both innovative technology and exceptional customer service. Our latest application is what happens when those two critical missions blend together.

After hearing the same request from several different clients, TargetSolutions took action with the new Save and Assign tool. This enhanced assignment-building tool that will be released for the first time Thursday, May 30, allows platform managers and users to complete different portions of the same activity. The end result is more consistent records management system and efficiency when delivering repetitive activities, including evaluations, certificates, inspections, etc.

“Departments looking to give both platform managers and users the ability to partially fill out an activity before assigning it are going to love this new application,” said TargetSolutions’ Product Manager Misty Pratt. “This is really done with the goal of making training records more accurate by letting admins have supervisors and users complete separate parts of the same activity.”

TargetSolutions wouldn’t be the company it is today if not for the tremendous feedback of clients like Bill Voorhies of DeKalb Fire Department in Georgia. Chief Voorhies spent several months working as one of TargetSolutions’ beta clients during the creation of this new tool.

“Save and Assign helps keep training records consistent,” said Voorhies, whose department joined TargetSolutions in January of 2011. “By giving users the ability to fill in information related to a location, or an instructor, and then send it back complete is important to the integrity of our training records.”

Voorhies also says the ability to batch-enter information will save a significant amount of time.

“Our entire department recently had to attend a customer service class, but different people went at different times,” Voorhies explained. “With Save and Assign, we’re able to fill in information for everyone about the class and then let individuals enter the specific date they attended. That’s a big help.”

TargetSolutions’ Director of Clients Services Jenny Fergason sees huge potential in the Save and Assign application for departments that are logging their probationary reports online.

“Officers now have the ability to complete a probationary firefighter report electronically for probationary members,” Fergason said. “Then, they can send it to the probationary member for final validation and to provide their e-signature. This application provides departments the ability to provide a second layer of validation to their activities. Many clients have requested this feature and we’re excited to be able to deliver an easy-to-use solution.”

Here are four ways departments will be able to utilize the Save and Assign application:

Evaluation Forms: Platform managers can create an evaluation form and partially complete it before delivering to users. After receiving, users are required to respond to questions or provide e-signatures. This helps departments eliminate paper files and gives managers more flexibility when assigning the same template to multiple users.

Certificate Completions: In addition to providing platform managers and users with the ability to complete different portions of the same activity, Save and Assign relieves managers from having to upload multiple certificates on behalf of employees. Now, they can just save the template and have users upload their own certificates.

Training Records: As a platform manager, your employee training records need to be accurate and consistent. Save and Assign allows you to complete certain portions of an activity for consistency, while leaving other information for users for accuracy. For instance, complete fields like instructor or location and allow the user to enter notes or complete a class evaluation. This tool simplifies records and information management.

Group Training: Save and Assign gives platform managers a way to deliver videos or presentations as a group and then log any data about the session accurately, while still assigning the material to allow a test to be taken or feedback to be provided by the user. This feature requires more information from users, making employee training records stronger in case of an audit.

Voorhies said he was impressed by TargetSolutions’ willingness to adapt and improve the platform for its clients.

“Everyone has been very responsive in finding ways to make things work better,” he said. “It’s not just about making it work globally either, but all the way down to my department.

If you have questions about the new Save and Assign application, please don’t hesitate to contact your account manager. You can also learn more by searching Save and Assign in the Help Center of the platform.

About TargetSolutions
TargetSolutions is the leading provider of web-based technology solutions for fire and EMS organizations. These solutions enable organizations to maintain compliance, reduce losses, deliver curriculum, and track all station-level tasks, certifications and training activities.