TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS THE LATEST INNOVATIONS FOR THE WORLD’S EMERGENCY SERVICES.

SENTINEL

A new robot designed to assist firefighters and emergency responders with dangerous and physically demanding tasks during operations has been designed by French engineering company TECDRON. “Sentinel” is a remotely operated platform equipped with electric motors and caterpillar tracks, enabling indoor and outdoor operation for up to six hours.

It is suited to fires with restricted visibility and very high temperatures such as underground fires, or those with a risk of explosion, such as at warehouses, industrial sites or refineries.

Various accessories such as thermal cameras, motorised water cannon,

LED projectors, smoke extraction fans, electric winch and sensors can be attached to the robot, making it extremely versatile and able to perform several successive tasks during the same mission.

The robot can carry up to 800kg of equipment, considerably easing the firefighter’s progression into hostile environments.

A state-of-the-art system interface enables real-time monitoring of the robot’s components, higher security checks and remote pre-diagnosis in case of incident, while a data logger allows the operator to access the logs and operations history of the robot, accelerating diagnosis should it require maintenance or repair.

GAS MONITOR

A new multi-gas detector specifi cally built for drones or other unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has been launched in the US. The FLIR MUVE C360 enables drone pilots to fl y the UAS into a scene for initial assessment, with a photoionisation detector and a suite of advanced electrochemical sensors providing a real-time continuous monitoring of chemical hazards such as carbon monoxide, chlorine or other combustible gases.

This capability will enable fi refi ghters and other emergency responders to assess situations remotely and select the appropriate personal protection equipment.

Fire crews using the device can monitor air quality surrounding active scenes before entry, and assess the fl ow of hazardous vapours both at source and in the air. As a UAS, it can bypass di cult terrain and enables response teams to quickly draw a perimeter and map known hazards, while pre-set alarm thresholds can help command units make quick and correct decisions.

“With greater accessibility to drone technology than ever before, the purpose-built MUVE C360 will provide response teams with improved situational awareness that can help save lives,” said FLIR’s senior vice-president Je Frank.

POWER SAVING

Smart mobile power systems company Stealth Power has created idle reduction technology for the New York Fire Department (NYFD). The technology, based on Azure and Windows 10 IoT Core, has been installed in almost 400 ambulances in the last year. The system automatically turns o a vehicle’s engine when idle, while keeping its electrical communication equipment, heat and A/C running, signifi cantly reducing idle time while keeping critical medical and communication devices running. The reduction in fuel consumption (up to 34%) can signifi cantly lower costs and CO2 emissions. It is estimated that by eliminating ten hours of idle time on each ambulance, the NYFD can prevent 330 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and save 15 gallons of fuel each day, amounting to savings of $3million in fuel costs. Each vehicle has also been equipped with Internet of Things technology that gathers data through an onboard module and sends it wirelessly to the cloud, where it can be analysed to provide real-time alerts and predictive analytics about vehicle usage and engine performance. This enables fl eet managers to improve operational e ciency and proactively reduce maintenance

costs. “By connecting our idle reduction system to NYFD vehicles, we can give real-time insights into operational performance,” says Stealth Power CEO Devin Scott. “They see the monetary results of lower fuel consumption, reduced maintenance and decreased engine hours, all of which extend the warranty life of the vehicle, as well as the lifespan of the vehicle itself. And an ambulance is an expensive asset for any city.”