While progress has been made to control its destructiveness, fire remains a serious threat. According to a 2004 US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST; Gaithersburg, MD, USA) report, the long-term costs to injured firefighters were between $2.8 and $7.8 billion in compensation payments and medical expenses annually.

Firefighters running into burning buildings, "become trapped..., lost,... [and] disoriented in the fire; they run out of air," explained Steven Edwards, director of the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute at the University of Maryland (MFRI; MD, USA). Tragically, rescuers often fail to find the firefighters.

TRX Systems (Greenbelt, MD, USA) and MFRI have found a solution to the tracking problem. They use algorithms with inertial sensors that can pinpoint destinations to track firefighters. The difficulty firefighters have in communicating with the "outside world" is addressed by MESH networks. TRX creates a wireless network connecting the firefighters to one another and to the base station outside. Tracking information is sent through the network until the firefighter's radio is found.

Video fire-detection (VFD) systems, such as AxonX's (Sparks, MD, USA) SigniFire IP (Internet Protocol) camera, can help to reduce damage from the fire as well as that caused by extinguishing systems. Since it relies on visual analytics, this camera can detect fires early by identifying smoke plumes before they would set off conventional spot-type smoke detectors. This process allows security personnel to respond to the fire before it gets out of control and put it out without having to resort to sprinkler or suppression systems, or call the fire department.

A third strategy followed by NIST researchers is to find alternative ways to allow firefighters to battle structure fires under wind-driven conditions, while minimizing the risk to their lives. These experiments led to the development of several technically simple solutions: fans, crooked nozzles, and flame-retardant blankets to reduce the unpredictability of wind-driven fires. "The results have been profound," said Jerry Tracy from the New York Fire Department.

Technology is reducing the risks involved in firefighting. In the future, fewer firefighters will lose their lives in the course of saving others.

Related links:
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute at the University of Maryland
TRX Systems
AxonX