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Post by thelurker on Dec 6, 2007 12:46:34 GMT -5
Guys I don't know if anyone has see this used, but it looks like interesting technology. Heat sensors inside your gear to tell you when you are getting to hot, and outside to tell when you are getting in too deep, brought to you by Viking Fire Suits...same company that provides Boston Fire Dept with their gear. Here is the link, What do you think?? www.viking-life.com/viking.nsf/public/nfpa-tst-thermalsensortechnology.html |
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Post by voyager9 on Dec 6, 2007 21:43:43 GMT -5
I had read something like this, not in the gear, but in the packs. It was tied into the PASS. If memory serves it could also send that information out to command.
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Post by thelurker on Dec 7, 2007 9:25:39 GMT -5
did it work on those packs??
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Post by voyager9 on Dec 7, 2007 11:38:10 GMT -5
did it work on those packs?? Not sure how well they worked, I only read about them in a trade mag. |
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Post by thelurker on Dec 8, 2007 7:07:10 GMT -5
I just realized this, these sensors not only detect the ambient air, they also detect your body temp for dangerous levels, no airpack sensor could do that. I could pass on the exterior, but the interior temps are important to avoid heat exhaustion or worse.
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Post by WebBoss on Dec 8, 2007 7:15:11 GMT -5
I understand the theory behind it, but it seems like it's getting a little too much.
Sometimes we are our own worse enemy always adding more and more crap and weight to ourselves. Fewer firefighters died while fighting many more fires back in the hip boot days... and some people ask "What are we doing wrong?" Everyone always has a bigger, better, more expensive widgit the the others.
Just my 2 cents.
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Post by voyager9 on Dec 8, 2007 8:55:24 GMT -5
I just realized this, these sensors not only detect the ambient air, they also detect your body temp for dangerous levels, no airpack sensor could do that. I could pass on the exterior, but the interior temps are important to avoid heat exhaustion or worse. Isn't it ambient air temperature that we're worried about? We already have built-in sensors for our body temp which, in general, work pretty well. The guys who ignore their body's warning signs (heat exhaustion) are the ones that would ignore the warning from the gear sensors. Ambient air sensors would be more for checking for flashover-type conditions which we may not feel through the newer gear. A better idea (at least IMHO) would be for biometric sensors such as heartrate, and GPS built into the gear. That sort of data, if relayed to command, could help get a jump on the RIT in the event something happend. In all likelyhood the sensors of either type would be used less by operational FF's and more for event reconstruction if something were to happen. |
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Post by voyager9 on Dec 8, 2007 9:00:09 GMT -5
I understand the theory behind it, but it seems like it's getting a little too much. You bring up a good point. There is always going to be some of that sentiment for any early adopters of new technology. Just like at when SCBA first came out. FF's of the day said the same thing. Now its standard everywhere. I do think that at some point it does become too much. Gear comes with more embedded technology and it becomes more expensive, more complex, and harder to maintain. The tough part is finding that line between useful and burdensome. |
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Post by thelurker on Dec 8, 2007 13:05:53 GMT -5
Bio-metrics sensors built into the gear would be an awesome idea. As far what I meant by the ambient air sensor thing, I was referring to being too encapsulated in our little easy-bake oven gear. Viking gear is doing it's best to make a light-weight gear that provides thermal protection while allowing a higher rate of thermal release thus reducing the stress on your Cardio-vascular system. I am just saying that maybe lighter gear would let you not go as deep (hence not getting into a flashover situation) while still adequately protecting you for normal fire suppression activities.
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