TEAM D

Firefighter Tracking and Monitoring System

According to the studies of the U.S. Fire Administration, which examines the in-depth analysis of the causes for deaths for on-duty firefighters, the major cause of death is heart attack with the high percentage of 44%, whereas death from injuries, asphyxia and burns form the other causes. [1]

The findings of [2] adds to this information by showing that most of the heart attacks occur at the incident as seen in Figure-1. The reasons for this situation vary. They could be the fire, gases such as carbon monoxide, increased heart rates and heavy physical exertion, the stress caused by the heat and noise exposure such as detectors, sirens and alarms. [3]

The findings of these studies clearly show the need to improve the safety of our firefighters and reduce the risks they take to save lives. Understanding what cause the heart attacks will help us to understand, predict and prevent them from happening as often. Our goal is to create a working system that will help save and improve the quality of the lives of countless firefighters and the victims they themselves are working to save.

 

Figure 1.Most of the heart attacks occur at the incident [2]. (Graphic chart src: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-133/)

Based on the studies mentioned, a system that will monitor the firefighters’ exact location, their vital signs and environmental conditions may reduce the risks of heart attack by providing a safety net of sorts in case of incidents in the field. While their vital signs and environmental conditions will be monitored in real time, they will also be able to communicate effectively with their teams including other first responders. That will make their movements in the incident easier as they will be provided real time directions and also reduce their stress by making them feel more secure knowing that their team is watching them closely and is ready to help when it is necessary.

 

REFERENCES
[1]U.S. Fire Administration, “Fire fighter Fatalitie s in the United States in 2007”,  June 2008

[2]Kales SN, Soteriades ES, Christoudias SG, Christiani DC [2003]. “Firefighters and on-duty deaths from coronary heart disease: a case control study. Environ health: a global access science source. “

[3]NIOSH Publication No. 2007-133, “Preventing Fire Fighter Fatalities Due to Heart Attacks and Other Sudden Cardiovascular Events”,June 2007

 

Image Sources used for the banner: http://ife-scotland.org.uk/category/fire-fighting, http://blog.al.com/live/2009/11/firefighters_funhouse_mobile_t.html, http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/62920.html