Firefighting is an inherently dangerous environment, and maintaining constant communication and awareness is a key element in firefighter safety. Firefighters want to be connected: to each other and to their officers on- and off-site.

Connectivity can provide firefighters with personal and teammate status information as well as the confidence that local and off-scene personnel knows what is going on – in real time.

Fireground connectivity brings an additional element of safety to an often quick-changing environment:

• Individual firefighters are more aware of their environment through sensors worn by themselves or others on-scene from the moment they exit the truck
• Command has more information about how the scene is evolving dynamically with SCBA air pressure and alarm status; while remote monitoring serves as a second set of eyes, providing the capability to dispatch if a local incident commander can’t be dedicated to reviewing the information

But that level of connection is just one layer of the support needed for firefighter safety.

After the scene concludes, cloud technology can continue to provide benefits to firefighter safety, such as:

• Storage of historical scene data that can be viewed or aggregated
• Inventory management insight to understand what equipment has been used and if it was actively involved in an event

Connectivity to the cloud and on the fireground is becoming more accessible. For example, MSA’s LUNAR is a small, wireless, cloud-ready device designed to provide additional levels of protection for firefighters through enhanced vision, improved situational awareness and team connectivity. The product launch is expected for Q1/2021.

Designed for every firefighter on-scene, LUNAR connects individuals regardless of whether they are wearing an SCBA. This type of connectivity provides improved increased communication across the team and the information necessary to quickly make decisions.

Watch our latest video on MSA Safety’s Connectivity Strategy.