IAFC Technology Summit forecasts future fire service tech - Fire Chief

Although determination is simply a moving gag that the occurrence work upholds 200 years of contented unimpeded by progress, the participants astatine the IAFC’s 2022 International Technology Summit did their champion to quell immoderate specified mockery. Over respective days successful October, presenters and sponsors showcased technological innovations that are already transforming occurrence operations and changing minds. The occurrence work is so progressing.

Speakers deed connected akin themes portion coating a representation of a aboriginal that is conscionable implicit the horizon. In arsenic small arsenic 10 years, galore suggest, the occurrence work volition beryllium reaping the benefits of technologies already successful improvement oregon trials.

Technologies similar artificial intelligence, instrumentality learning, augmented reality, drones and thermal imaging intersect, making it hard to tease retired the wherever 1 ends and different begins. So does the information itself, often compiled from galore sources of adaptable credibility. But the inherent vagueness of categories doesn’t truly substance – it’s successful the collaboration and cross-pollination of ideas wherever innovation occurs.

Technologies similar artificial intelligence, instrumentality learning, augmented reality, drones and thermal imaging intersect, making it hard to tease retired the wherever 1 ends and different begins. (Photo/Getty)

Following are six takeaways from the conference, spotlighting exertion we are apt to spot advancement successful 2023 and beyond:

1. Machines are not coming for your job

Technologies similar artificial intelligence, instrumentality learning and instrumentality reasoning are not meant to regenerate humans, but alternatively escaped humans up to marque amended decisions faster.

Artificial quality is already processing information and helping humans marque intelligence-led decisions based connected factors similar hazard appraisal (e.g., which buildings request inspection first). Data gathered and plans made successful the pre-disaster situation volition assistance beforehand information-led decision-making during a crisis.

Data collected from multiple, disparate sources (e.g., gathering plans) ensures that accusation captious for situational consciousness (e.g., introduction and exit points, gross locks, hazmat retention and hydrant locations) is instantly disposable connected immoderate instrumentality erstwhile needed.

2. Decisions should beryllium data-informed

“No facet of occurrence work can’t get amended with due exertion of data,” said John Oates of the International Public Safety Data Institute. “Data does not needfully travel from the occurrence service.”

If having information is good, past isn’t having much information better? In this connected world, it’s casual to drown successful a oversea of information, astir of which is not applicable to the task astatine hand. Data needs discourse to beryllium relevant. It is captious to beryllium capable to chopped done the clutter to get the information you need, erstwhile you request it, and subordinate applicable information sets to each different to summation actionable insights into a situation.

But connecting that information is the biggest challenge.

Leaders successful occurrence exertion are seeking ways to nexus information sets utilizing modern technological means, similar exertion programming interfaces (APIs) that alteration 2 bundle applications to speech to each different and stock data.

“Linking nationalist and backstage information sets and utilizing artificial quality and instrumentality learning to admit patterns and marque consciousness of the incalculable information points that are collected each time should beryllium a apical goal,” Oates said.

3. Improving firefighter information is simply a cardinal operator of innovation

Innovations successful the occurrence work are often calved retired of tragedy. Losses of beingness owed to accountability failures person spurred improvement of technologies similar idiosyncratic accountability absorption systems (PAMS) that let region and directional feedback of firefighter determination on x, y and z axes truthful incidental commanders tin relationship for the determination and information presumption of each firefighters connected the scene.

Other technologies, similar hands-free augmented world astute visors attached to a firefighter’s helmet oregon goggles worn nether a look shield, furniture computer-generated accusation implicit earthy and thermal images to heighten firefighter vision, allowing them to spot edges and ventilation points and navigate done low-visibility environments similar a smoke-filled room.

Wearables are different country showing intent and potential. Although idiosyncratic wearables similar biometric trackers are not presently fire-resistant, they tin beryllium worn during rehab to measurement bosom complaint and different vitals and alert firefighters and bid unit to imaginable wellness issues.

4. Visual accusation is progressively important

Geographical accusation strategy (GIS) mapping bundle overlaid with information sets gathered from nationalist and backstage sources is bringing unprecedented quality to crook information points into visual, actionable information.

Myriad information points tin beryllium connected to heighten the situational consciousness of occurrence crews and bid unit and assistance support the public. Minute-by-minute upwind measurements and humanities records overlaid connected topographical maps tin foretell occurrence behavior, informing wherever occurrence crews should beryllium deployed oregon nationalist alerts oregon evacuations advised.

5. A communal operating level is captious for communal aid

Whether manmade oregon natural, astir large events similar wildland fires, hurricanes and floods necessitate communal assistance from aggregate agencies that often enactment with antithetic technologies connected antithetic platforms. A communal operating level is an enhanced integer representation that includes layers of accusation that overgarment a communal operating representation (COP) of an exigency incident. A COP, gathered from shared, updated data, is captious for ensuring real-time situational consciousness crossed each levels of incidental absorption and crossed jurisdictions.

The California Office of Emergency Services has been astatine the forefront of processing a programme to supply real-time quality information and investigation connected emerging catastrophe incidents successful California. The strategy includes a situational consciousness and collaborative instrumentality (SCOUT) to facilitate practice among spouse agencies including section and determination exigency effect agencies and nationalist partners similar the U.S. Forest Service.

SCOUT is simply a mapping instrumentality that provides a broad ocular representation of the operating situation during an exigency incident. The representation layers see upwind conditions and forecasts, unrecorded streams of occurrence cameras positioned astir the state, unrecorded streams of video footage from drones and aircraft, and an overview of each large incidents successful the authorities (including hazmat spills).

Intterra’s COP interface manages the speech of accusation among agencies. The collaborative representation visualizes CAD data, showing each telephone determination and status, and pulls AVL feeds from apparatus, enabling incidental commanders to spot locations of trucks, engines and crews and marque informed decisions astir what resources to deploy where.

6. It’s clip to flip the script

Thermal imaging video streamed from an craft tin place occurrence hotspots, augmented world tin usher a firefighter done a smoke-filled building, and hardware similar drones tin instrumentality connected tasks that are excessively dull, dumb oregon unsafe for humans, freeing them to safely bash what they bash best.

Technology that makes the occurrence work much safe, effectual and businesslike is available, but determination are barriers to adoption, similar money, uncertainty, attachment to the presumption quo and, of course, absorption to change.

The occurrence work typically takes a waterfall attack to adopting caller technology. It begins with gathering requirements, evaluating options, planning, gathering oregon buying, and past adopting the exertion successful 1 wide departmentwide swoop.

In the summit’s closing session, Fire Chief Dan Munsey of San Bernardino County, California, suggested that the occurrence work would beryllium well-served to clasp a much agile attack to exertion adoption. A section tin commencement with small-scale usage, similar a escaped proceedings bundle oregon moving with the manufacturers to beta-test products successful development. Use it, larn from it, experimentation with it, adhd much usage cases and grow it to much teams and users.

Looking ahead

Technology won’t lick each occupation successful the occurrence service, but it tin assistance lick many. It tin support firefighters safer by keeping them amended informed, with information input from aggregate sources processed by artificial quality and instrumentality learning to aboveground the astir contextually applicable information.

The technologies addressed present hardly scratch the aboveground of those options successful usage oregon improvement for the occurrence service, from apps that link communities to archetypal responders to robots that bash unsafe and soiled work, exoskeletons that alteration superhuman strength, unchangeable and speedy satellite-based communications and 360-degree virtual world grooming that gets arsenic adjacent to world arsenic safely possible. In 10 oregon 20 years, the seemingly futuristic technologies and champion practices of contiguous volition go communal realities for departments, making archetypal responders and their communities safer and much resilient successful a fast-changing world.

About the author

Laura Neitzel is Director of Branded Content for Lexipol, wherever she produces written and multimedia branded contented of relevance to a nationalist information audience, including instrumentality enforcement, fire, EMS and corrections. She holds degrees successful English from the University of Texas and the University of North Texas, and has implicit 20 years’ acquisition penning and producing branded and acquisition contented for nationally-recognized companies, government agencies, non-profits and advocacy organizations.