Case Study: George Mason University improves campus emergency response with First Due

First Due on Campus A Collaboration for Public Safety at George Mason University

The customer, George Mason University, faced a significant challenge in coordinating emergency response between its large campus, which has its own police force, and the multiple external fire and EMS jurisdictions from the City of Fairfax and Fairfax County. Their paper-based system for sharing critical building and hazard information was outdated and impossible to maintain, leading to responders sometimes using maps that were ten years old. This communication gap also extended to their dispatch centers, which often operated without mutual awareness.

The solution implemented was First Due's software platform, which provided a single, easy-to-use digital system for pre-planning and sharing real-time data. The university used First Due to map hazards, update construction road closures instantly, and integrate it into their dispatch process, which closed the critical communication gap. The measurable impact includes 1,400 professional firefighters now having immediate access to accurate data, and dispatchers receiving notifications that have enabled them to send police to begin life-saving measures like CPR before an ambulance even arrives. First Due also plans to deploy its Community Connect program to allow students to self-report medical needs, further enhancing campus safety.

George Mason University

Gregg Black

Director of Emergency Management and Fire Safety