When a firefighter gets trapped in a burning, smoke-filled building, his buddies can’t save him unless they can find him, and fast. Scientists at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have been working the problem for years, and this week they are testing the most promising solution yet.
On Tuesday, WPI will host a public demonstration of the Geospatial Location Accountability and Navigation System for Emergency Responders, or GLANSER, a black box designed to track every movement a firefighter makes, and broadcast that data to a command post. If a firefighter carrying the system becomes lost or trapped, commanders could direct colleagues to that person's exact location.
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I'm betting if these units are deployed for use throughout the working day, their life expectancy will be measured in days, or maybe hours.