IRIS is an information system used by several SDIS (Departmental Fire and Rescue Services) to manage human resources, personnel availability, and operational monitoring of interventions. This digital tool centralizes data that, without it, would circulate between several software programs or paper documents, with the risks of error and latency that this entails.
Technical Architecture of IRIS within a SDIS
IRIS operates as a secure extranet accessible via a browser. Each firefighter, whether professional or volunteer, has a personal identifier and password. The login provides access to a portal where duty schedules, availability declarations, and administrative information related to the rescue center are displayed.
The system relies on a centralized database at the departmental level. Updates made by an agent in a rescue center are transmitted in real-time to the CTA-CODIS (Alert Processing Center and Departmental Operational Center for Fire and Rescue). This architecture allows CODIS operators to instantly visualize the mobilizable personnel across the entire territory.
An article detailing the role of IRIS firefighter in the SDIS of Aisne illustrates how this platform has become essential in the daily management of a departmental service, from training tracking to duty planning.
The password reset procedure involves a dual sending (SMS and email), reflecting a level of security appropriate to the sensitivity of the data processed: personal contact details, medical abilities, operational qualifications.
Management of Volunteer Firefighters’ Availability via IRIS
The availability of volunteer firefighters (SPV) is the operational backbone in the majority of French SDIS. SPVs make up the largest part of the workforce, but their presence depends on their professional and family constraints. IRIS addresses this issue by offering a real-time availability declaration module.
Each volunteer can declare themselves available or unavailable from their computer or phone. The system aggregates these declarations and transmits them to the CODIS, which knows at any time how many personnel are mobilizable by center, by rank, and by specialty.
This visibility changes the game for room leaders. Before this type of tool, checking availability often involved successive phone calls, delaying the deployment of resources. With IRIS, the time between alert and vehicle departure is significantly reduced.
Specific Case of On-Call and Posted Duties
The software distinguishes several statuses: posted duty (physical presence at the center), on-call (availability at home with a defined response time), and free availability. This granularity allows CODIS to adapt the deployment based on the type of intervention.
For a rescue operation (SUAP), a posted duty crew will be prioritized. For reinforcement on a large-scale fire, the system may call upon personnel on-call or available in neighboring centers.
IRIS and the Monitoring of Operational Skills
Beyond availability, IRIS integrates a training and skills component. Each firefighter has a profile that lists their qualifications: first aid, vehicle operation, chemical risks, high-altitude rescue, etc.
- The training module records completed courses, refresher training, and renewal deadlines, preventing oversights on time-limited qualifications.
- Firefighter nurses, whose role has been strengthened since the Matras law of November 25, 2021, participate in training personnel in first aid and emergency care; IRIS allows tracking of these sessions.
- Group leaders can extract dashboards by specialty to identify centers lacking qualified personnel for a given risk.
This traceability has taken on additional significance with recent parliamentary work around the creation of a dedicated employment framework for health personnel in SDIS. The precise management of the skills of firefighter nurses and doctors relies on tools like IRIS, capable of cross-referencing medical abilities, ongoing training, and operational assignments.
Known Limitations and Improvement Areas of the IRIS Software
IRIS is not uniformly deployed across the territory. Each SDIS chooses its management tools, and some departments use competing solutions or internal developments. This fragmentation complicates inter-departmental mutualizations during external reinforcements (reinforcement columns for forest fires, for example).
The ergonomics of the interface, designed several years ago, do not always meet current user experience standards on mobile. For a SPV declaring their availability from their phone between two professional appointments, navigation fluidity matters.
Another point of concern is data security. The system stores medical information (abilities, restrictions) subject to GDPR. SDIS must ensure that access is compartmentalized: a center chief should not have the right to consult the detailed medical file of an agent, only their operational ability.
Interoperability with Other Systems
The question of interoperability arises with alert management software (SGO), geolocation systems for vehicles, and medical regulation platforms of the SAMU. A smooth data exchange between these software components would further reduce intervention times and improve coordination between services.
SDIS using IRIS are working on these bridges, but harmonization remains a long-term project, dependent on departmental budgets and the technical choices of each vendor.
The tool has transformed the daily management of the rescue centers that have adopted it. Its value lies less in a technical feat than in its ability to provide a quick overview of the actual state of mobilizable forces in a department. The next step will depend on its ability to communicate with other civil security information systems.