Alex Ford
Executive Chairman
Founder of Praetorian Digital — Police1, FireRescue1, EMS1, and Corrections1 — with decades in public safety media and technology.
Our Story
Turning data chaosinto clarity.
First Arriving was built by people who have spent their careers advancing how first responders get information. Long before First Arriving, our founders pioneered the earliest online communities in public safety — Firehouse.com, Police1, FireRescue1, Firefighter Nation and EMS1 - connecting the profession and changing how departments shared knowledge. That work was driven by a simple mission: get the right information into the hands of first responders so they can do their jobs better and come home safe.
Today, the challenge has flipped. First responders aren't short on information — they're overwhelmed by it, scattered across dozens of disconnected systems, none built for real operational use. First Arriving brings it together: our department-specific platform unifies data from 140+ systems into a single operational view, empowering agencies to make the right information accessible anytime, anywhere — improving decisions, readiness, and performance while reducing liability.
Our Evolution
From a public safety media pioneer to a real-time information platform.
The Roots
Digital communities
It began with the earliest online communities for first responders — Firehouse.com, Police1, FireRescue1, EMS1, and Corrections1 — connecting the profession nationwide.
2018
The PSIN acquisition
Acquiring the Public Safety Information Network transformed First Arriving from a communications company into a technology company.
2021
A modern technology platform
Alex Ford joined as Executive Chairman, and a dedicated technology subsidiary accelerated deeper integrations, automation, and early AI.
Today
1,500+ agencies
A real-time operational platform used across North America — delivering clarity to stations, command centers, and mobile devices.
Leadership
Built and led by people who've served — more than 200 years of combined experience in public safety.
Dave Iannone
Founder & Chief Product Officer
Founder of Firehouse.com and Firefighter Nation, a veteran entrepreneur and lifelong first responder and leader.
Nick Bruckner
Chief Revenue Officer
Aligns sales, marketing, and success around one thing — customer outcomes.
Ker Madrid
Chief Financial Officer
Runs finance and operations so the business stays steady and the mission comes first.
Kate Leatherby
VP of Sales
Leads the sales team, helping agencies find the right package and the fastest path to go-live -- and an experienced Paramedic
Adam Privette
Director of Engineering
Bill McAuliffe
Director of Professional Services
Stephanie Harvey
Director of Marketing
Matt Rhodes
Chief Technology Officer
Michael Pahl
Customer Success Lead
What Drives Us
The values behind every deployment.
Mission First
Everything we build serves the people who protect our communities.
Built for Real Ops
We design around how departments actually work — not how software wishes they did.
Integrate Everything
The more we connect, the clearer the picture. 130+ integrations and counting.
Always On
24·7·365 reliability, because the mission never stops.
See what clarity looks like for your department.
Schedule a demo and see dashboards in action — built around your operation.