Franchising in the Emergency Services Field

 

It may sound a little crazy to apply the concepts of a sandwich shop, bowling alley or hair salon to the Emergency Services Field.

According to the International Franchises Association the first modern day franchisor was likely Martha Matilda Harper, a Canadian American who began to franchise the Harper Method Shops in 1891.  Headquartered in Rochester, N.Y., she included in her hair care franchise many of the elements we have come to expect in a modern commercial franchise system including initial and continuing training, branded products, field visits, advertising, group insurance and motivation.  Harper started her salon business in 1888 and grew the franchise system to more than 500 salons and training schools at its peak, with the last location closing in 1972. 

The definition of a franchise according to Oxford Language dictionary is:

“An authorization granted by a government or company to an individual or group enabling them to carry out specified commercial activities, e.g., providing a broadcasting service or acting as an agent for a company's products.”

So, if the need exists for a service or product and a business has the service or product available for consumption, then it can be franchised.

The Blue Cell, LLC which began in 2009 operated for a number of years as a sole proprietor LLC primarily conducting training courses. As hundreds and eventually thousands of students attended our courses a small percentage began to inquire about exercise design and simulation. Over the next few years, a small internal exercise capability was created. In 2012 The Blue Cell, LLC acquired Command School TTX out of Lancaster, PA. The acquisition provided a substantial East coast / Midwest client list going back to 1989 and a lot of H.O. scale buildings, matchbox cars and vests. The acquisition also came with a full exercise archive, over 25 years in the making.

The archive studied, turned into intellectual property and re packaged in 2017 into the emerging Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation format focusing on three of the seven levels of exercise and made available for sale as TTX Vault.

In our current post global pandemic world, the need for exercise is greater than ever, attributed to the lost time due to the disease, the recognition of response and preparedness deficiencies and a work force in many cases that really does not want to work. These elements have created the perfect storm of opportunity.

In April 2023 The Blue Cell, LLC will present for purchase 10 geographic franchises that will be available for sale with over 200 pre-canned exercise products through an online store. The stores will have several adjoining products and services to support the exercise needs of government agencies (large and small), fixed facilities, private businesses, airports, hospitals, Colleges and Universities, large corporate campuses and more. Well on our way to success the International Franchise ( servicing Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Greece)  of TTX Vault has been reserved by a Canadian Emergency Services firm that will also act as a master franchise holder with significant input on product re-design, online presence, branding and new product development.

To learn more please contact Todd Manns, Founding Owner / Managing Partner- The Blue Cell, LLC. toddmanns@thebluecell.com

The Reality of Hybrid Training

If asked in 2019, do you think virtual and hybrid training would be an acceptable way to teach ICS 300 and ICS 400, I would have said “no way.”

At the end of that year the firm that I founded was very much still committed to traditional classroom training deliveries. We had acquired a training space east of Denver and had built it out with a main room, conference room and a few offices. One of those offices initially was designed to broadcast a podcast from. This was all in an effort to be more effective in our communication with key clients in the Rocky Mountain West and Alaska, and possibly start down the road of virtual live distance learning.

As Covid became a reality, so did the concept of how to deliver standard curriculums. Fast forward to 2023. The Blue Cell, LLC has now mastered the concepts of both VILT (virtual instructor lead training) and adding to that a live classroom. We are now being contracted to deliver not only ICS 300 and ICS 400 in a hybrid configuration, but also other courses and levels of exercise.

Through trial and error over the past few years, hundreds of deliveries and constantly looking to adjust and improve how to do it, we are now confident delivering any course in these advanced configurations.

Last week we found validation in our concepts with a delivery for a unique client. It wasn’t a Fortune 10 company, or the DOD, or a major jurisdiction.

The client was FEMA Region 8 Staff !

After 15 years in business this was the first time our minority and veteran owned business had ever been asked to do something directly by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Being only 15 miles as the crow flies from our offices we were honored to train and support with our broadcast from their offices on the west side of Denver.

The delivery itself ended up with 10 students in the classroom and 13 students online virtually. The course had tuning in participants from Montana, Department of Defense personnel, local FEMA personnel, FEMA IMAT members and the FBI.

Our primary platform, Microsoft Teams worked flawlessly and The Blue Cell, LLC team of instructors and techs did an amazing job.

The seamlessness’ of this delivery puts to bed once and for all can it be done, is it allowed, and how do you do it / what are best practices.

I am grateful for the talented team and equally talented and eager students and want to thank our strategic partner The Colorado Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for their consistent support.  Check us out at www.thebluecell.com and www.thenimsstore.com.

April 29, 2022 Press Release

 

Denver – Today The Blue Cell, LLC is announcing six new Destination Training Courses (D series). The D series brings together advanced hybrid learning techniques with both in-person and online virtual student participants. These courses leverage The Blue Cell’s vast experience with instructing 200+ virtual courses in 2021 and our technology investments that will enable hybrid deliveries.

“Our new D series has been in the making since 2011 and will give select participants an unparalleled experience at a location that is ideal for the crisis and consequence management adult learner” – Todd Manns, Founder and Managing Partner at The Blue Cell, LLC.

For those choosing to attend training in-person, these courses will be held at our Interactive Training Center (ITC). Opened in 2019, the ITC is located in the Southlands Lifestyle & Entertainment District in the southeast Denver Metro Area. The destination cohort is limited to 10 select in-person students and additionally up to 30 students admitted virtually, creating the ultimate hybrid experience.

Destination Series Training Courses (D series)

• Advanced Exercise Design Course (this course offers college credit)
• Advanced Planning Concepts: Developing Incident Action Plans (course can be found in the NTED State and Federal national catalog, #NE-001-COMM)
• Incident Leadership and Decision Making Workshop
• IMT Development Workshop
• Using Electronics, Gear and Software on an Incident
• Business Disaster Resiliency and Continuity Academy

* For more information and to sign up go to https://TheNimsStore.com/

About The Blue Cell, LLC

The Blue Cell is a minority and veteran owned Homeland Security and Emergency Management training and exercise firm.  With over 13 years of delivering in-person, virtual, and hybrid training, customized light exercise, and leadership consultations to first responder and consequence management professionals at all levels of government and private sector organizations.   The Blue Cell is the World's most active in-person and virtual Incident Command System and Consequence Management training company.

Media Contact:

Jim Erickson
Managing Director of Sales & Marketing
jimerickson@thebluecell.com

#EMERGENCY MANAGERS, #FEMA TRAINING, #FIRE FIGHTERS, #FIREFIGHTER. #TRAINING, #ICS300, #ICS400, #LAW ENFORCEMENT, #ONLINE EMERGENCY AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT COURSES, #ONLINE FEMA COURSES, #VIRTUAL ICS300, #VIRTUAL ICS400

ICS 300 COURSE COST COMPARISON

FREE In-person 3-day ICS300 Class

	Cost/Unit	Quantity	Extended
In-person Free class	$0	1	$0
Driving to location cost (1)	$.575 per mile	150 miles	$86.25
Lodging cost (2)	$96.00 per night	3	$288.00
Meals & incidentals (2)	$55.00 per day	4	$220.00
Return from location cost (1)	$.575 per mile	150 miles	$86.25
Grand Total			$680.50
Out of Office			Limited availability
COVID-19 Risk			EXPOSURE

 

 

LIVE VIRTUAL 3-day ICS300 Class

	Cost/Unit	Quantity	Extended
In-person Free class	$250.00	1	$250.00
Driving to location cost (1)	$.575 per mile	0 miles	$0
Lodging cost (2)	$96.00 per night	0	$0
Meals & incidentals (2)	$55.00 per day	0	$0
Return from location cost (1)	$.575 per mile	0 miles	$0
Subtotal			$250.00
Less NEVERFORGET20 Discount*			($50.00)
Grand Total			$200.00
Out of Office			Available
COVID-19 Risk			NONE

 

1.       https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/standard-mileage-rates

2.       https://www.federalpay.org/perdiem/2021

* Discount code valid August 27 – September 30, 2021 (cannot be combined with any other discount).

Announcing ICS Positions and Features Learning Program

 

July 27, 2021

Announcing ICS Positions and Features Learning Program

Denver – July 27, 2021 The Blue Cell, LLC announces ICS Positions & Features Learning Program.  This new series of NIMS / Incident Command System (ICS) courses provides an in-depth, working knowledge of the 8 Command and General Staff positions.  Since Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, issued on February 28, 2003, all government agencies were mandated to adopt NIMS for managing and responding to manmade and natural disasters post 9/11.

 

Incident Command/Unified Command/Initial Attack, Public Information Today, Liaison Officer & Agency Reps, Safety Officer, Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance, all are included in this new series designed for those who need to apply ICS practices quickly in the field.  “This program is a practical application of ICS in today’s world where people don’t have time to attend a week long position specific course, but simply need to understand and get the job done”, Todd Manns, Founder and Managing Partner at The Blue Cell, LLC. Program announcement video: ICS Positions & Features Learning Program

 

These courses are for adult learners who are accustomed to higher education learning techniques. With a combined 12 hour in-depth dive into each position, each position course will include a capstone project utilizing The Blue Cell’s proprietary Chelsea County simulation environment.  The ICS Positions & Features Learning Program courses will have 5 elements: 

1.       Indoc/Pre-work

2.       Self-paced LMS

3.       Virtual Coaching Session

4.       Capstone Activity Project

5.       Ongoing Mentorship

About The Blue Cell, LLC

The Blue Cell is a minority and veteran owned Homeland Security and Emergency Management training and exercise firm.  With over 12 years of experience delivering in-person and virtual training, customized light exercise, and leadership consultations to first responder and consequence management professionals at all levels of government and private sector organizations.   The Blue Cell is the Nation's most active in-person and virtual Incident Command System and Consequence Management training company.

Media Contact:

Jim Erickson

Managing Director of Sales & Marketing

jimerickson@thebluecell.com

Blue Cell Owner / Managing Partner Todd Manns Appears on the Disaster Zone Podcast

One of the outcomes from the coronavirus pandemic is that our normal training sessions have been disrupted. People can’t gather into classrooms. A solution to that issue, and one that will be used going forward is virtual training that goes beyond the online Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) self-paced learning. This podcast is an interview with Todd Manns, Owner and Managing Partner of The Blue Cell. In this session we discuss what their course offerings are and how the instruction is conducted. There are many benefits, to include being able to mix and match attendees from different areas of the country and from different disciplines. 

Listen to the complete podcast here 

A piece also appeared in GovTech Magazine

 

                                                  

                                     

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:  January 29, 2021

 

CWFIMA Contact: Tracy LeClair                                   The Blue Cell, LLC Contact: Jim Erickson

(970) 471-5284 / tleclair@eagleriverfire.org        1-800-866-0840 x 3/ Jimerickson@thebluecell.com

 

 

CWFIMA PARTNERS WITH THE BLUE CELL, LLC

TO PROVIDE VIRTUAL CLASSES FOR 2021 WINTER ACADEMY

 

Colorado Springs, CO – Each January, the Upper Arkansas Valley Wildland Fire Foundation hosts nearly 1,000 emergency responders during the week-long Colorado Wildland Fire & Incident Management Academy (CWFIMA). Despite the challenges of COVID-19, this year’s classes are still taking place, albeit in a slightly different format. Many of the 2021 Winter classes are taking place virtually, with the assistance of a long-time partner.

 

The Blue Cell, LLC, as the most active in-person and virtual Incident Command System and consequence management training company in the United States, was the perfect choice to partner with CWFIMA to host ICS-300 Intermediate Incident Command System (ICS) for Expanding Incidents on January 26-28, 2021. The effort this week was a first of its kind, instructing over 100 students in three separate virtual ICS-300 sessions simultaneously from The Blue Cell Interactive Training Center in Aurora, Colorado.

 

Students participated from 20 states, across 5 times zones, and represented numerous local, state, and federal agencies as well as private and nonprofit organizations involved in emergency response. A similar offering of ICS-400 Advanced ICS for Command & General Staff in Complex Incidents is scheduled for March 30-31, 2021.

 

“The Academy remains committed to its mission statement of providing both cognitive and hands-on incident management knowledge, instructed by the nation’s brightest authorities,” explained Academy Incident Commander Jim Krugman. “This year we just had to get a little creative in how we fulfilled our commitment to our students.”

 

Since its inception in 1994, the CWFIMA has worked collaboratively with local, state and national agencies to deliver training to over 30,000 students, and offers courses and exercises related to all-hazard incident management, wildland fire, and leadership. This nationally-recognized Academy is one of the largest wildland fire and incident management training events in the United States. 

 

For a full schedule of in-person and virtual CWFIMA classes, visit www.cwfima.org.

 

The Blue Cell has an extensive upcoming calendar of virtual trainings focusing on ICS- 300, ICS-400 G-191 and G-2300. Visit www.thebluecell.com for more information.

                                                    

                                                                                ###

 

For more information about the Academy or course offerings please visit: www.CWFIMA.com or follow us on Twitter @CWFIMA and on Facebook, Colorado Wildland Fire & Incident Management Academy.