Each year, the fire service is introduced to a wide array of new and advanced technologies, all of which are designed with the singular goal of enhancing firefighter safety and operational effectiveness. To their credit, there have been many manufacturers, product developers and entrepreneurs of all types who have greatly enhanced our profession over the years.
In recent years, we’ve seen monumental advancements in fire service technologies such as the modern SCBA, which now includes enhanced communications equipment, telemetry, electronic accountability systems and integrated PASS alarms. Our thermal imaging cameras are now smaller, more resistant to thermal insult than ever before and they provide a much more defined heat signature to help differentiate the objects we encounter during our search and rescue operations. Our personal protective ensemble has seen advancements with improved levels of thermal protection, the integration of enhanced materials that provide better heat release rates and improved user mobility. All of these technological advancements have increased our level of safety and provided us with the opportunity to improve our performance as firefighters and fire officers.
Unfortunately for us, there are many more great ideas, concepts and technological advancements that never get adopted by the fire service. Some fail to function as promised, some are not reliable enough to be used in the extreme environments in which we work and some are simply too cumbersome to be used during active firefighting operations.
A few months ago, while teaching at a Technology Symposium in California, one of the firefighter attendees made a comment regarding the developing technologies for the fire service. He said, “Technology needs to be designed to fit our operations; our operations should not be designed around the technology.” At the time, I agreed with this statement. In fact, I felt it was something that should be shared with anyone who was or would soon be designing or developing a product for the fire service. Then more recently, a colleague of mine sent me an email with a statement from a firefighter who was participating in a technology focus group. The firefighter was quoted as saying, “Can’t I just be Iron Man” (a reference to a fictional character who wears a powered suit of armor equipped with an assortment of weapons and technological devices that allow him to protect the world from the evil doers)? This too is an interesting statement in and of itself. But the two statements combined are what I believe presents the greatest challenge for those attempting to adopt and/or develop advanced technologies for use within the fire service.
As firefighters and fire officers we want the tools and equipment we use to be designed for us; in fact, we’d prefer the tools and equipment be designed by a firefighter because they understand the demands of the job. We also want them to work flawlessly, and in many (if not most cases), we don’t want to modify our existing operations to accommodate the use and application of these advanced technologies.
The first two of these statements, I can agree with; in fact, I strongly agree with both of them. But the latter is where I see the problem. We work and volunteer in a dynamic environment that changes each and every day. The less-combustible contents of years past have been replaced with much more volatile synthetics, building materials and techniques have changed dramatically, thus further compromising the integrity of our work environment. And modern research, both fireground and health based, continues to provide us with factual justification to explore new and alternative technologies. Yet we (and I include myself in some cases) continue to demand that technology adapt to our pre-established, longstanding methodologies and techniques.
I think most would agree that the technologies that are most likely to be adopted and accepted within our ranks (and anywhere within society as a whole for that matter) are those that require the least bit of change by the end user. But for any technology to be accepted, there must be some form of behavioral change or modification by the end user.
While it would be nice to simply don a powered suit equipped with an assortment of technologies that allows us to perform superhuman feats (aka Iron Man), the reality is this: To be a successful firefighter or fire officer, we must be adaptive and willing to change the way we operate to accommodate the advancing technologies. When afforded the opportunity to use an implement new tools and technologies, we simply invest the time and training required to develop the desired skills to achieve proficiency.
Let us never forget that what makes a firefighter unique is their selfless dedication and relentless drive to save lives and protect property. Until technology provides us with that magic potion, it’s up to us to make the necessary changes, be receptive to try new technologies and adaptive to the every changing environment in which we serve.
pull quote:
For any technology to be accepted, there must be some form of behavioral change or modification by the end user.
