abstract have you ever wondered what a firefighter usually...
TRANSCRIPT
Abstract
Have you ever wondered what a firefighter usually wears inside a burning
building to keep him/herself safe? All of the present technology took many years to
evolve, and the equipment was very different than it is now. We have decided to call
the new technology MayDay Tracker. Coming up with it was a very long process. There
are many things that the technology will need to be able to work. There are also
positive and negative consequences caused by our invention, the MayDay Tracker.
The MayDay Tracker Present Technology
Personal Protective Equipment
The present technology is firefighter personal protective equipment. The outer
shell of a firefighter’s suit repels water and resists erosion. It is made of flame retardant
material. It also has a lot of reflective markers so firefighters can be seen in the dark.
Trousers are also made of flame retardant material. The inner layer has a thermal layer
and moisture barrier. Modern jackets and pants are made of resistant fabrics such as
Nomex and Kevlar. Nomex is a brand name for a “heatandflameresistant” textile
made by DuPont chemical company. Nomex burns when you hold a flame up to it, but
it stops as soon as the source is taken away. It takes a lot of time for heat to travel
through Nomex, and hopefully by that time, the firefighter are away from the flames.
The materials and temperature resistance have improved along with new
additions of small accessories assembled into the coat for rescue, many pockets for
various tools, and removable knee pads. Firefighters wear thick, heavy gloves to
protect their hands from burns, cuts, or scratches. They also protect them from
chemicals. Since a great part of firefighting and searching is done by feeling things,
gloves are very important.
All the gear added together (including the breathing equipment) weighs about
roughly 50 pounds. Then, they have to carry around axes, or other tools. As a result,
they weigh a lot.
There are many limitations to the gear. One thing is that the gear is really heavy,
and that makes it hard to move around quickly. Most of the time, they have to crawl
around and climb up stairs with all that weight. Also, when a firefighter is trapped in a
building, none of the gear enables them to be located.
GPS locator
GPS stands for Global Positioning System. A GPS Tracking device is mostly
used for finding people, stolen property and vehicles anywhere on Earth. In vehicles,
you can also use a GPS to find your way around and get from one place to another.
“Find my Iphone” is an app that uses location services to locate an apple product. It
uses information from satellites, radio waves, cellular Wifi, Bluetooth, and other GPS
systems. If there is not a clear line between your cell phone and a satellite, your device
determines your location by using other Wifi around you, or iBeacons.
Some GPS trackers can be as small as a microchip. A power source is not
required to make microchips work because they use radiofrequency identification
(RFID) technology.
You are able turn the device on during the setup assistant or later through the
location service setting.
Indoor Mapping
Have you ever used Google Outdoor Maps to find the quickest route to a
vacation place? Indoor mapping is very similar. It allows people to see the inside of
buildings to find different stores, rooms, and floors in a mall or other buildings. The
indoor map has to meet all regulations, rules and laws of the Google program. One law
is that the structure has to be a public building. People must get permission to upload
the map to the website. It takes time and precision to make sure the map is accurate.
The NFPA
NFPA stands for National Fire Protection Association. They create fire and
building safety codes and standards. Their main goal is not only to prevent disasters,
but also to help make them stop. All fire product makers have to have their products
approved by the NFPA to put them to work. The product has to meet more than 300
different standards. If we create the new technology, it has to be approved by the
NFPA before it can be used for real.
History
In 1731, Jacobus Truck made the first fire helmet.
In the 1800s, firefighters wore trench coats that were made of leather, canvas, or
rubber with a wool or cotton lining because they are both flame resistant and in hot or
cold temperatures. Rubber slickers were later worn over them for extra heat protection.
During and after the World Wars, firefighters wore long rubber trench coats, long rubber
boots, and the traditional fire helmet. The boots (often known as the “ threequarter
boots ”) covered the person’s leg up to above the knee.
In 1836, Henry T. Gratacap made a fire helmet almost like the one we use today.
It was referred to as the “traditional” fire helmet.
In late 1800s and early 1900s, firefighters simply wore street clothes because
the toys back then were made out of horse hair and other not easily burned materials.
The fires weren’t so strong. Now, toys are made out of plastic and are burned more
easily requiring the need for more protection
Personal protective equipment was designed by the founder of Morning Pride. It
was established in 1921 by Lawrence J. Grilliot.
Nomex and Kevlar was invented in 1967 by Dr. Wilfred Sweeny, a scottish
scientist working at the worldfamous DuPont laboratory in Wilmington, Delaware.
It wasn’t until after World War ll when the equipment got more advanced. The
NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) wanted to see a coat with three separate
layers. The outer layer is fire resistant and can withstand temperatures of 500 degrees
fahrenheit for five minutes. The middle layer prevented water from soaking the
firefighter. The inside layer protected against the three heat transfer methods.
Two terrible tragedies taught all firefighters many things. The first tragedy was
called the Hackensack Ford dealership fire. It was in July 1, 1988, when a horrible fire
first lit up the dealership’s attic. Many firefighters went in to put it out. Then, at 3:36, the
60 ton roof collapsed, killing the captain and 2 other firefighters in the building.
The second tragedy that we learned about was called the Worcester Cold
Storage Warehouse Fire. It was on December 3, 1999 when a police officer noticed
smoke coming from the top of the building. Four engines, two ladders, a rescue
company, and a district fire chief were summoned to the scene. Two firefighters who
were sent into the building to look for homeless people were lost, sending more
firefighters in to find the lost firefighters and the homeless people. Four more
firefighters also became lost and radioed for help, saying that they were running out of
air and couldn’t find their way out. The fire was put out, and search and recovery
operations started. They didn’t find the firefighters’ bodies until December 11, 1999, 8
days later.
Future Technology
The new technology will be called MayDay Tracker. The MayDay Tracker is a
tool designed to help locate firefighters when they are trapped as a result of a fire. A
GPS microchip that has to be able to withstand extreme heat will be located in the steel
toe of the boot so if anything falls on it, it won’t be damaged. A small camera with
thermal vision will be connected to the helmet. There is indoor mapping of buildings
that are public and this information, plus the GPS’s location will be viewed on an app. It
will see where the microchip (firefighter) is on the indoor mapping with a red dot. It will
show where the firefighters are located by tracking their path through the building.
Firefighters outside the building will be able to know where all the firefighters are, and
they can rescue them.
The thermal vision camera is a backup in case the microchip dies out. It will be
put on their helmet and able to track the firefighters down by recording their trail. If it
stops working, the firefighters can search around where the fireman was last recorded.
The camera has to be able to see through smoke and fire, and withstand extreme heat.
In addition to this a noise alert will be triggered on the missing firefighter to warn and
show location through sound.
Many firefighters die because they can’t get out of a building in time.This
technology is important because if the firefighters can be found and rescued, less of
them will die.
The indoor map will show where the firefighters are located with a red dot. It will show the floors, room, and stores. If a firefighters called a mayday, it will show that they need more help.
the firefighter would be here
This is the camera, we could put it somewhere under the rim of the helmet so if anything falls on it, it won’t be damaged.
This is the microchip. It will be located in the steel toe boot.
Breakthroughs
There are many breakthroughs to make our new technology work. First, for the
GPS microchip tracking, it has to be able to track through walls, ceilings, smoke, and
fire. The microchip has to withstand extreme heat, be light, and be small, to put it in the
steel toe of the boot. The GPS that tracks the firefighter has to see different floors and
specific locations. The indoor mapping has to show where the microchip is. For
example, it will tell the floor number, the store name, and where the firefighter is located
in the store. If they know where the microchip is, they can find where the firefighter is.
For the indoor mapping, it has to be on a special app for only firefighters to use that can
find where the other firefighters need to be rescued from. Next, the backup camera has
to be light and small. It will have to be able to see thermal vision because there will a
LOT of smoke, fire, and many other things. Our GPS Tracking Device must follow
these breakthroughs in order for it to work
Design Process
To come up with this final idea, we had to research and discuss many details.
We first wanted to help firefighters stay cool and be comfortable. We wanted to put fans
or ice packs in their jackets to help them, but when we went to the firehouse to visit, we
found out that the cooling already exists. When we started to do other research, we
found information about flame resistant gear. We changed our minds and started using
that idea. But when we researched further, we found out that the current technology is
already very good and safe.
After, when we talked to our mentor, (the Cresskill firehouse chief) we got many
more new ideas. We wanted to choose either lighter gear to go up the steps easier,
longer lasting and lighter air packs, or a tracking system (GPS). When we started to
research the history of tragedies, we found out that many firemen died in the tragedies
because they couldn’t be found and ran out of air. That was when we decided to do the
GPS tracking device. When we talked to our mentor again, he said that the GPS must
be able to see floors to see specific locations. With that, we decided to use the indoor
mapping for it. Also, we wanted to make a backup in case the technology failed. We
chose to use a special camera for it.
Consequences
There are many pros and cons for our new technology. Some of the positive
things are that MayDay Tracker will track firefighters and keep them safe. Because it
keeps firefighters safe, families feel better about their firefighter, so they don’t have to
worry as much. It also can prevent future tragedies. MayDay Tracker works
automatically, so you don’t have to fidget with it. MayDay Tracker can be used in
situations, other than firefighting. Because firefighting gear is already very heavy, no
additional gear is added.
Some of the limitations of MayDay Tracker is that the invention costs a lot of
money. We are also unsure whether or not the NFPA will approve the technology.
Firefighters cannot use the gear unless the NFPA approves it. It will take a lot of time to
get the technology into the firefighter’s suit because the old gear has to be changed.
Finally, because MayDay tracker needs an app, it will have to be created. Many public
places will have to upload the information onto their data base.
Bibliography
About Google Maps." Indoor Maps – About – Google Maps. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. Adely, Hannon. "Hackensack Tragedy from a Quartercentury Ago Changed the Way Fires Are Fought [video]." NorthJersey.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2014. Carey, Bill. "Remembering and Learning from the Worcester Cold Storage Warehouse Fire Tragedy | Firefighter Nation." Firefighter Nation. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. "Get the Facts on Microchipping." Get the Facts About Microchipping. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. "IOS 7: Understanding Location Services." Apple Support. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. http://support.apple.com/enus/HT201357 "Personnel Navigation, Locating and Tracking." Personnel Navigation. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014. Staff. "The Evolution of PPE | Firefighter Nation." Firefighter Nation. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.
Website Graphics Page #1 of 5
Effects: Fire engine siren sounds will be playing in the background. Firefighters, family members, and the public can submit questions and comments.
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Effects: The breakthrough picture will start out black and the “Breakthrough” will crash through the picture.
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Effects: Sirens are playing in the background. Smoke from the picture below rise to cover the background of the webpage.
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Effects: The plus and minus sign rotate between thumbs up and thumbs down. The money picture starts in a stack and spreads across the page.
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Effects: A hand “writes” the information across the web page until it all appears.