Product Name: Hive
Topic/Problem:
“Each year more than 100 Firefighters die in the line of duty and over 80,000 are injured (Karter and Molis, 2009; United States Fire Administration, 2009)”. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, “Lack of firefighter accountability is one of the top five causes of firefighter deaths.” (NIOSH). Currently there are no accurate and intuitive ways to locate firefighters in real time while on scene of a fire. Additionally, a study done by the National Fire Protection Association showed that, “Cardiac events have accounted for 44 percent of deaths over the past 10 years” among Firefighters (NFPA). Firefighters lack the ability to monitor real time health changes in the fire station and on fire calls.
Without the ability to quickly respond to emergency situations while on scene of a fire tragedy may strike. One such example of this is the infamous case of the Worcester 6, where on December 3, 1999 six brave Firefighters ran into a cold storage facility and never returned to their families at the station or at their homes. Upon entering the “maze-like interior” of the building, “conditions deteriorated rapidly, and interior firefighters became lost with no viable escape route”. With this information in mind, How might we better locate and monitor the health of firefighters to prevent line of duty deaths and injuries?
Thermal Imaging Camera_alarm Mode
Modular Charger_assembly
Thermal Imaging Device_assembly
Solution:
The solution presented here is a system of products that allows Firefighters to be better protected from the moment they walk in the door of the fire station to the moment they leave to go home to their families. Through the integration of locating and health monitoring technology into the Hex smart band, Firefighters and Incident Commanders are better prepared to respond to life threatening emergencies immediately as they happen. The HIVE digital command board and Swarm utility thermal imaging camera work together to direct other crew members to the Firefighter in distress. Inspired by honey bee locating, the Swarm camera uses haptic motors to signify the distance away from the distress call by change in vibration intensity. In addition to haptic feedback, visual indicators will appear on screen providing real time directions. Through use of a modularly designed system, mutual aid respondents can join a fire scene and instantly be accounted for, better protecting all of those who are putting their lives at risk.
With the use of all of these products, Fire departments can better protect their crew members and more efficiently save the lives of their family and yours.
List of References:
FirefighterNation Staff – 4.1.2010, FirefighterNation Staff -, By, & Staff, F. N. (2021, January 13). The importance of accountability. FirefighterNation. Retrieved May 1, 2022, from https://www.firefighternation.com/firerescue/the-importance-of-accountability/#gref
NFPA releases Annual FF fatalities report – firehouse. (n.d.). Retrieved May 2, 2022, from https://www.firehouse.com/safety-health/news/21008860/nfpa-annual-firefighter-fatalities-report-2017-findings
DM;, K. K. S. T. D. D. J. (n.d.). Line-of-duty deaths among U.S. firefighters: An analysis of fatality investigations. Accident; analysis and prevention. Retrieved May 1, 2022, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21376916/#:~:text=More%20than%20100%20firefighters%20die,occurring%20between%202004%20and%202009