emergency-intro/capabilities

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Operating in the stressful and chaotic environment of an emergency scene, observations and estimations of the unfolding situation can be hard to make, even for experienced first responders or utilities work crews. The development of new digital tools for personnel accountability, command, and control will transform the way they work and train.

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Using body-mounted cameras, front line personnel can potentially live-stream footage of everything that’s going on around them – virtually putting incident commanders in their boots while they work. A picture is worth a thousand words, and that is a lot more than proper radio discipline allows. Meanwhile, dash mounted cameras in fire apparatus or police vehicles could help provide an additional outside perspective, as well as a useful overview of everything that’s going on at the emergency scene.

Unmanned aerial vehicles – UAVs or drones for short, can vastly improve information gathering to support situational awareness in emergencies. Drones can provide a visual overview to assess incident scope and severity before dispatch and arrival. Aerial footage makes it easier to assess what resources are likely to be needed for any emergency and can help highlight potential hazards and incident developments. UAVs are also useful for gathering data and video footage about incident sites, conditions, and developments, providing the big picture that can prevent first responders from being caught off guard.

Incident logs improve training and digital forensics

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It sounds like science fiction, but the Fire Protection Research Foundation, an affiliate of the NFPA, has published a report outlining a proposed Next Generation Smart and Connected Fire Fighter System. Among other things, the system would combine fireground sound recognition, prediction of firefighter exhaustion, and human/object/event recognition with thermal imaging through Augmented Reality goggles. The system relies on a communications backbone enhanced to enable the massive flow of data collected from all the various sensors in firefighter’s equipment.

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NEVER FORGET: LOSS OF DIGITAL COVERAGE HAMPERS YOUR EFFORTS

To drive the greatest value from new digital capabilities available to emergency response agencies, you need to provide a robust data connection that carries broadband internet to the frontline. Investing in drones and dash mounted cameras will not support situational awareness and help first responders protect people and property without first ensuring constant digital connectivity. Loss of coverage will mean losing tools directly dependent on data connectivity like drones, automated personnel accountability reporting (PAR) systems, access to GIS data, and incident command management tools.

Satellite communication as fallback is more accessible, more price friendly, and more flexible than ever before.

Our digital communication solutions reduce your capital expense and operational expense significantly.

A sound investment. Augmenting your radio setup with a Cobham Satcom solution brings significant savings.

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IP BRINGS NEW CAPABILITIES TO THE FRONTLINE

A picture is worth a thousand words

An eye in the sky

Incident logs improve training and digital forensics

Smart cyber firefighting

NEVER FORGET: LOSS OF DIGITAL COVERAGE HAMPERS YOUR EFFORTS