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Integrated Firefighter Location and Physiological Monitor

Jim Duckworth Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Paul Nahass Foster Miller Inc.

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Project Motivation

12/3/99: Six firefighters died in a warehouse fire literally within a few feet of safety in Worcester, MA.NFPA:

lost/trapped 3rd ranking cause of fatalitiesstress related heart attacks > 50% deaths

Lives would be saved by a location, tracking, and physiological monitoring system which

displays locations, paths, and landmarks (exits, etc.) andphysiological statusfor multiple responders in 3 dimensions, requiring no pre-installed infrastructure and minimal setup

Must be inexpensive and transparent to users

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Project Goal & Partnerships

Test feasibility of location and tracking combined with physiological monitoring:

Monitor individuals, provide warning of harmful stress before a serious eventLocate these and others within buildings

• Indoor location and tracking is very difficult!By summer 2008 develop proof of concept system

Partnership:WPI – Location & Tracking, System IntegrationFoster Miller – Physiological MonitoringGlobe Manufacturing – PPE integration and VOCWorcester Fire Department

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System Overview

Personnel Unit

Reference units

Commander Display

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Prototype System Goals

Fundamental capabilities:3-D location of each user relative to a chosen reference pointGraphical display at the incident command centerGraphical path information on all users

Accuracy: ±1m Range: 20m Number of simultaneous users: 3Location updates every 2 seconds Physiological information telemetry

Heart Rate: ± 2.5 beats/minRespiration Rate: ± 2 breaths/minOxygen Saturation Level: ±2%Skin ±1°F, and Environment Temperature ±5°FPosture and Activity Level

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Building Testing

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Locator – Operational & Physical Specs

3 Radios!Transmitter - ranging signal Physiological wireless channels (PSM T-shirt and Pulse Ox)Command and Control

Support 100 locatorsUpdates each secondLow power, long battery life, automatic on/offMonitor and report environmental status data

Temperature, movement, diagnostics, distress button

Small size, lightweight

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Location Results ‐ Religious Center

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Location Error Plots - example

2nd floor error: 0.3m1st floor error: 0.68m

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Physiological Status Monitoring (PSM) System

Platform being developed for multiple applicationsMonitors Heart Rate, Respiration Rate, Skin Temperature, Activity Level and PostureComfortable t-shirt form factorExtremely flexible sensor platformDesigned for military to withstand rugged environments

PSM T-Shirt

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Physiological Status Monitoring (PSM) System

Complete sensor suite integrated into performance garment

HardwareOn-body computer and transmitterOn-body, integrated accelerometerPC connectivity for data download and storage (USB)Individual products: Watch for real time feedback & monitoring

Software• CD-based• Powerful functionality tailored to specific needs

and budgets

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Physiological Testing – Pulse Ox

WFD requested addition of pulse ox so we can monitor oxygen saturation levelsWireless pulse-ox device developed at WPIDevelopment supported by USAMRMC (TATRC) grantBattery powered - >200 hours (1 sec updates)

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Physiological Monitoring Testing

Test subject in prone position

Test subject in turnout gear

Test subject crawling

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Physiological Testing – Verification

Testing to confirm PSM data agreement with portable capnography and pulse oximetry systemsSubjects tested in FF gear mimicking FF activities

Capnograph

WPI Locator

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Respiration Rate With Turnout Gear

StandingWalking

Face DownFace UpSitting

Crawling

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Heart Rate – No Turnout Gear

StandingWalking

Face DownFace UpSitting

Crawling

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Skin Temperature – With Turnout Gear

StandingWalking

Face DownFace UpSitting

Crawling

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Activity Level

StandingWalking

Face DownFace UpSitting

Crawling

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Religious Center – FM Respiration

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Religious Center – FM Heart Rate

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Situational Awareness DisplayLocation and Physiological Monitoring

Interface developed with input from WFD

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Demo

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User Community FeedbackWorcester Fire Department – many meetingsInternational Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)

Redmond Symposium (Chicago, IL) - Oct 2007Boston Fire Department Health and Safety Committee

Boston, MA – Mar 2008Worcester County Fire Chiefs

Worcester, MA – April 2008Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC)

Indianapolis, IN – April 2008State and Provincial Professional Firefighters Association

Anchorage, AK – May 2008Cleveland Fire Department Health and Safety Committee

Cleveland, OH – June 2008WPI workshop – August 2008Calgary Fire Department Health and Safety Committee

Calgary, AB – August 2008

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Fire Fighter Surveys

Globe Manufacturing surveyed the firefighting community to determine firefighters’ perceived value of an integrated location and physiological monitoring system.The survey was administered in the Globe trade show booth at

IAFF Redmond Symposium, Firefighter Health and Safety, Chicago October 2007FDIC Indianapolis April 2008

Survey results were consistent between the two venues - with a very positive response to the system presented.Biggest concern raised was radio signal transmission out of the building - as this is currently a significant issue for firefighters.

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Firefighter Survey Results

Firefighters surveyed said theystrongly agreed that a real-time physiological monitor would improve firefighter safety, particularly while wearing Hazmat Gear and during Fire Ground operationsstrongly agreed that the addition of real-time location monitoring on the Fire Ground would improve firefighter safetywere very willing to wear a modified T-Shirt during operations and training to collect data were willing to add a 1 lb radio to their current gear in order to collect and transmit the required data.

Well over 90% of respondents expressed interest in testing the combined locator/physiological monitoring system and 100% requested further information on the system.

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FDIC – April 2008

Globe Manufacturing Booth

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Successes and Challenges

System Integration (physiological and location)new custom radios and hardware – performed well

Excellent new Situational Awareness DisplayLocation with Physiological Monitoring

Physiological Monitoring performed well PSM shirt and WPI Pulse OX sensorResults comparable to commercial instruments

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WPI Workshop - Demo

Tuesday morning Demonstration of physiological monitoring

Wednesday – live testing by WFDIntegrated location and tracking with physiological monitoring system

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The rest of the WPI, FMI, Globe Mfg teams Worcester Fire DepartmentThe support of FEMA – Fire Prevention and Safety Grant

Thank you!Jim Duckworth, rjduck@wpi.eduPaul Nahass, pnahass@foster-miller.com

www.ece.wpi.edu/Research/PPL/

Acknowledgments