{"id":1222,"date":"2012-12-27T10:03:29","date_gmt":"2012-12-27T18:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveviewgps.com\/blog\/?p=1222"},"modified":"2025-09-17T10:48:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T17:48:20","slug":"gps-location-technology-track-lost-disoriented-firefighters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.liveviewgps.com\/blog\/gps-location-technology-track-lost-disoriented-firefighters\/","title":{"rendered":"New GPS Location Technology to Help Track Lost or Disoriented Firefighters"},"content":{"rendered":"

Between 1977 and 2011, 4,325 firefighter deaths<\/a> occurred in the United States, reports the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). But thanks to advanced GPS tracking technology<\/a>, signal routers, and a vital signs monitor, it’s hoped that firefighter lives can be saved, including firefighters who have become lost or disoriented while fighting a fire.<\/p>\n

The Department of Homeland Security\u2019s Science and Technology Division has created three forms of technology to aid the tracking and safety of firefighters. Alongside the GLANSER<\/a>, (G<\/b>eospatial L<\/b>ocation A<\/b>ccountability and N<\/b>avigation S<\/b>ystem for E<\/b>mergency R<\/b>esponders) tracking device used for tracking the firefighter\u2019s location, they have also developed a signal router called the WISPER<\/a> (W<\/b>ireless I<\/b>ntelligent S<\/b>ensor P<\/b>latform for E<\/b>mergency R<\/b>esponders) and a vital signs monitor called the PHASER<\/a> (P<\/b>hysiological H<\/b>ealth A<\/b>ssessment S<\/b>ystem for E<\/b>mergency R<\/b>esponders).<\/p>\n

According to Charles Werner, the fire chief in Charlottesville, Virginia, firefighters usually have partners with them, but occasionally they can get separated. Since firefighters are in high-stress and high-anxiety situations where debris could fall at any moment, there is an extremely high risk of injury. Structural issues often contribute to a firefighter becoming lost or disoriented.\u00a0 If separation occurs, the radio signal might not be available and the firefighter could take a long time to be found conventionally. GPS trackers allow the rest of the team to monitor their vitals and locate them quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you get into zero visibility, and you get disoriented, it\u2019s probably one of the scariest feelings you\u2019ll ever have,” said Firefighter Chief Werner. \u201cYou\u2019re in an intolerable environment \u2014 it\u2019s literally unsurvivable without protection, but you only have a limited amount of air, and depending on how hot it is, you can only stand the heat so long. And, when you\u2019re a fire chief, it\u2019s your worst nightmare \u2014 you realize that you only have minutes in a lot of cases to actually save the firefighter who is lost. It takes everything that you\u2019ve got and everybody that\u2019s on the scene to make that happen,” Werner noted.<\/p>\n

The GLANSER tracking device is a portable device capable of tracking up to 500 firefighters and their location inside a building up to 50 stories high. The device can reveal what floor the firefighter is working on and pinpoint what area of the floor the firefighter is on.<\/p>\n

This is necessary since approximately 90% of injuries to firefighter is from a lack of radio signal when blocked by tunnels, walls, or trees.<\/p>\n

Partnered with GLANSER, is the PHASER device, which helps to monitor the vital signs of a firefighter, including his body temperature, pulse, and blood pressure. These devices work in tandem by sending information over a 900-MHz frequency. If the firefighter gets out of range, the WISPER system will be activated which then sends fire-resistant routers along their path in order to track his location.<\/p>\n

Before the GLANSER, PHASER, and WISPER devices were produced, firefighters relied on emergency alert buttons on their 20th century radios. However, a firefighter who is disoriented or confused may not think to press the button or have to fumble to fight it. They are often stuck in a cloud of thick, acrid smoke making it impossible to see their radio. Radios sometimes include GPS technology, but it is not as advanced as the GLANSER with top accuracy that works anywhere in the building.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s probably the fire chief\u2019s worst nightmare \u2014 to have a lost firefighter and not know where he or she is,\u201d he said. \u201cTo be able to resolve that issue and rescue a firefighter probably would be one of \u2014 if not the \u2014 most important technologies that we\u2019ll put in place,\u201d said Werner.<\/p>\n

The GLANSER GPS tracking device gives the commanders the opportunity to see a three-dimensional map showing the exact location of each firefighter. They can watch the map as the firefighters make their way through the building, include an altitude reference point. The location is said to be accurate within three meters, approximately the height of a typical floor in a building with more than one story. The floor won\u2019t appear on the device, but it will show if they have gone up or down stairs which can be compared to where they entered the building.<\/p>\n

Check out the video below to see a depiction on how the technology works.<\/p>\n