NFPA Journal - January/February 2014 - (Page 24)
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the fire protection research foundation
Kathleen h. almand, P.e., FSFPe
Data Deluge
I
F
s today's emergency first
irst graf.
responder drowning in data? The
built environment is increasingly
a sensor-rich sea that can provide
firefighters with vast amounts of
Body
potentially useful data, from detailed
building plans and people movement to real-time fire growth. A look
at the NFPA product catalog reveals
an overwhelming array of new and
evolving information-management
technology "solutions" for the fire
service and other first responders.
The firefighter of tomorrow will be
sensor- and tool-enhanced to make
the best use of these streams of inforOUR pROject will identify
a number of knowledge gaps
that impact the use of this
valuable data.
this is a call-out.
mation. For now, though, what do we
do with this deluge of data? How do
we manage all of this information so
that useful data can be seamlessly integrated into firefighter job performance
before, during, and after a fire event?
The Fire Protection Research
Foundation has been asked by the
National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) to develop a
research roadmap to answer this
question. The project is part of a
larger NIST initiative to harness what
it calls "cyber physical systems" to
advance societal goals. In plain terms,
a cyber physical system is one where
networked systems interact with the
real world. In the world of emergency
response, such a system encompasses
several aspects of technology and the
data created by it. For our Research
Foundation project, we have divided
24
NFPA JOURNAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014
NFPA JOURNAL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
this world into three sectors: data
gathering, data processing, and data
use, which can also be described as
decision making.
A look at data gathering illustrates
how firefighting already benefits from
this sector, and how further implementation of smart systems will aid
firefighters even more in the future.
Sensors and data recorders already
play an important role in all aspects
of firefighter safety and job performance, starting with onboard gear
and personal protective equipment.
The Foundation recently completed
a study on the interoperability issues
surrounding this gear, a key issue
for smart systems. (For more on the
study, "Interoperability of Emergency
Responder Electronic Equipment,"
visit nfpa.org/foundation.)
Not only are firefighters now able
to receive real-time information on
their immediate surroundings, but
they are themselves sensors of current
conditions, providing valuable information to other responders. Data
gathering also takes place in all other
stages of the firefighting environment,
from mobile apparatus and robotic
delivery systems to building monitoring and control systems, all the way
to infrastructure and community data
systems-all of which can inform
firefighting and actively respond to
emergency conditions to assist it.
Our project will identify a number of knowledge gaps that impact
the use of this valuable data. These
gaps can affect the technologies that
gather data, the knowledge base
and algorithms that most effectively
process data and convert it into
meaningful knowledge and beneficial
decision-making tools, the methods
of effectively communicating
the information to those who
need it, and more. The new NFPA
Technical Committee on Data
Exchange for the Fire Service is at
the forefront of understanding this
information and in applying it to
the standards it is developing.
Cyber physical system research
is at the top of the agendas for
many organizations involved in
preparing society for the next generation of firefighting technology.
NIST recognizes the potential for
these systems to increase fire
safety and the safety of emergency
responders, and I'm glad that
NFPA, through the Foundation,
will bring the voice of the emergency responder community to
this important research effort.
Kathleen h. almand, p.e., fsfpe,
is the executive director of the Fire
Protection Research Foundation.
Photograph: Shutterstock
Illustrations:
For firefighters, how much information is too much?
http://www.nfpa.org/foundation
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - January/February 2014
NFPA Journal - January/February 2014
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
In Compliance
First Responder
Research
Wildfire Watch
Outreach
Firewatch
#Are You Prepared?
Life and Death at Memorial
Barrier Smarts
Perfect Storm
Conference & Expo Preview
Section Spotlight
Product Showcase
Looking Back
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