IMPORTANT: Setting up EMS Facilities in the Vendor Directory is a two-part process requiring creation of the facility first in Vendor Directory > Vendor List and then updating the NEMSIS-required fields in Incident Documentation > EMS Setup > Vendor Directory. This article will take you through each step.

1. Welcome to the First Due ePCR setup process. In this step we are going to set up EMS facilities (vendors). First, let's navigate to Vendor Directory > Vendor List. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Select Add New Vendor.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Enter the address of the facility. NOTE: If the address is not within your response area, select add new address to enter the facility's address.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Next, enter all relevant data for the facility. Some tips to consider:
   
   
1. You do NOT need to fill out the Vendor License # (that's for vendors used in permitting/inspections/invoicing).
   
2. Be sure to select "EMS" for Vendor Type. That's the trigger to ensure this facility appears in the EMS Setup section.
   
3. If available, you may enter contacts here. They will carry over to the EMS Setup section.
   
4. Notes & Attachments are optional and do not carry over to the EMS Setup section.
   
   
   
5. Select Save.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. Now, head over to Incident Documentation > EMS Setup.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. Select Vendor Directory.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
8. Locate the facility you entered during steps 1-5 above. Select the edit  icon.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
9. Enter/Select the relevant details for the facility. Some tips to consider:
   
   
1. Property Use Types are from the NFIRS dataset.
   
2. NEMSIS Facility Types are from the NEMSIS dataset.
   
3. Enable the faxing sliders and enter a fax number if your agency sends ePCRs to that facility via fax.
   
4. You may edit certain details about the contact by selecting the edit  icon in the Actions column for the contact.
   
   
   
10. Select Save. That's it! Nice job...you've just added a new EMS Facility (Vendor) to your First Due account.
    
    
    

Addendum - EMS Custom Address

Best Practices

• Complete both parts of the setup process for all EMS facilities to ensure full functionality
• Use consistent naming conventions for facility display names to improve searchability
• Configure faxing only for facilities that actually receive ePCR faxes to avoid unnecessary transmissions
• Regularly review and update facility contact information to maintain accuracy
• Create custom address options for common non-facility destinations in your service area
• Test fax configurations after setup to ensure proper ePCR transmission

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: My facility isn't appearing in the ePCR destination list A: Ensure you selected "EMS" as the Vendor Type in Part 1 and completed the EMS Setup configuration in Part 2

Q: Can I modify facility information after initial setup? A: Yes, you can edit both the basic vendor information and EMS-specific details at any time through their respective sections

Q: What if a facility address is outside our response area? A: Use the "add new address" option when creating the vendor to manually enter addresses outside your mapped response area

Q: How do I handle facilities that don't have fax capabilities? A: Simply leave the faxing sliders disabled for these facilities - ePCR transmission will need to be handled through other methods

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