Following the recognition of its EXO 8 area monitor last year, Blackline Safety announced that their G8 safety wearable has won a 2026 Firehouse Innovation Award. This is the company's second consecutive win.

The Firehouse Innovation Awards honor innovative technology that improve emergency response and firefighting capabilities. Because G8 can "improve situational awareness and support safer decision-making during complex incidents," it was chosen.

Advanced gas detection, lone worker protection, real-time communication and real-time field data are all combined in G8 and its companion software, Blackline Live. G8 provides command teams with real-time gas readings, alerts, and accurate firefighter position, unlike conventional gas detectors that only sound an alarm locally. This allows command teams to organize a quicker response and ensure the safety of their crews and communities.

"It's G8’s remote capability — I now have alerts set to my phone, so when my guys go into an LEL environment or any type of high alarm, I immediately get notified," said Travis Rebello, hazardous materials coordinator and firefighter, New Bedford, MA, Fire Department. "And I'm on the phone with my dispatcher. What are they into? Do they need assistance? For situational awareness and firefighter safety, this has greatly increased our capability."

The prize is given at a time when fire and hazmat organizations around the world are increasingly using Blackline's connected safety technologies. The company's fire-hazmat clientele increased by 42 percent in April.

Additionally, G8 and Blackline Live have received two 2026 Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) Industrial Hygiene Awards in the areas of software and IoT-connected devices, respectively.