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 By Dave Detling, KOCO-TV

OKLAHOMA CITY ??"A new app is being touted as a game changer by first responders in their fight against Oklahoma wildfires.



Related OKC police, fire departments to... OCPD searches for shooting suspect... Police: Man shot trying to break up... Oklahoma City police investigating... Photo of Oklahoma family goes viral The Oklahoma Forestry Services has become the first state agency in the nation to utilize the Collector app during initial attacks on wildfires.



???This is really about saving time, saving lives, and saving property,??? said Mark Goeller, fire management chief with Oklahoma Forestry Services. ???It means fires can be more quickly sized up and firefighters can be efficiently deployed to the areas where they are most needed.???



Utilizing the Collector app, it's estimated that firefighters can stay an hour more ahead of a fire than without the technology. The software works wirelessly on Androids, iPhones and other smart devices.



???There have been other products out there that gave us some information, but none that provided something as instantaneous as this, ??? said Goeller.



In addition to sizing up a fire and its location with the app, the firefighters can also:

-View structures, roads and terrain

-Measure land by distance and area, including affected acreage

-Type in an address or GPS location and get directions and maps

-Attach, view and edit photos and documents

-Download maps and work offline

-Track and report incident progress



According to OFS, the agency purchased 100 licenses for departments throughout the state. The estimated cost is roughly $17,000 for one year. It's being paid for through grants.



The software is currently being used by fire departments right here central Oklahoma including Oklahoma City, Tuttle and Seminole.