After recognizing a void in responding to fire calls, a firefighter from Connecticut developed a computer system to help make things easier. He's since teamed up with a Beacon firefighter and together they're hoping to help others answer the call. Our Beth Croughan has more.

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POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- "We are the only department that is still 100 percent volunteer in the town," said New Hamburg Fire Chief Joe Moore.

The 68 volunteer firefighters in the New Hamburg Fire District cover a five-mile radius. They answer approximately 700 calls a year.

"A call can come in any time of the day, obviously," said Chief Moore.

But being that they're volunteers, members may not be at the firehouse when they do. That's where the ROVER, or Real-time Operations Volunteer Emergency Response, system comes in.

"Basically, we took the guessing game out of who is coming to the fire station for fire departments when an alarm comes in," said Jason Fisch, a City of Beacon firefighter and the Senior Consultant of Fisch Internet Solutions.

When a fire call goes out over the radio, it's also sent to firefighters via their cell phones.

"The idea is as you start to respond you indicate your intent to respond. The system will be able to show everybody when you're expected time of arrival (is)," said Geoffrey Giordano, a 26-year-volunteer firefighter and co-founder of Spotted Dog Technologies.

Who is responding and where they are pops up on this screen mounted in the department.

There's also a map of the call area and fire hydrants nearby.

"I can determine whether or not the response I that have is adequate for the situation I have, much earlier and based on real data, based on real information," said Giordano.

The service just hit a major milestone. Fisch said it now reaches 1000 firefighters on a daily basis. It's also used by 9 departments in Dutchess County.