Colorado firefighters tested prototypes for gear that could help them save lives and survive dangerous incidents.
As part of a competition Tuesday sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, four developer teams from across the country let West Metro firefighters try out new technology, KCNC-TV reports. The developer that wins the contest will be awarded $25,000.
“None of it is anything you’ll see on the market tomorrow, but what we’re trying to do is generate these new companies and these new innovators that want to get involved in public safety and take this technology forward so it will be available for them in the next five to 10 years,” Dereck Orr, chief of the NIST's Public Safety Communications Research Division, told the TV station.
The experimental gear used haptic technology that created a vibration or touch sensation in a helmet or glove to indicate the direction to go on emergency calls. Firefighters then employed that equipment to quickly navigate a smoke-filled building.
Eventually, the vibrations could be used instead of radio communication. The technology also could eliminate firefighters needing to sometimes feel around inside smoky, burning structures.
“It has to be something that we’re not relying solely on but is going to enhance our ability to get the job done,” Capt. Todd Heinl told KCNC.
