GPS Firefighter Tracking Integrated into Wildfire Incident Command Posts
In a boon to first-responder safety, two companies have teamed up to deliver GPS tracking and remote connectivity for situational awareness and tactical collaboration in situations where cellular networks are unavailable or unreliable.
RoGO Communications, which develops life-saving technologies for wildland firefighters, and LBiSat, a satellite communications leader, have melded the latter’s Continuity+ LEO/GEO satellite connectivity with the former’s DropBlocks 2.0. DropBlocks are small, lightweight, and ruggedized devices that go with firefighters to transmit IoT sensor data from remote areas.
RoGO’s DropBlocks accompany firefighters to provide tactical coordination and life-saving situational awareness. The devices transmit GPS location data as well as hyper-local weather information, including temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and barometric pressure, to help monitor wildfire threats and anticipate their spread. They also provide point-to-point communications.
DropBlocks were initially created so that wildland firefighters could avoid being trapped by spreading fire. However, they have since been found applicable to support other first responders in various classes of emergency operations.
RoGO Communications was founded to develop technology that will save lives of wildland firefighters who often still use handheld compasses, paper maps, and two-way radios. Its technology augments rather than replaces those traditional tools. All data is synced to the cloud and shown in the RoGO web portal, providing a geographical interface that shows the locations of all personnel and the fire weather conditions across the operational scenario.
LBiSat’s role in the partnership is to provide satellite communications between the RoGO DropBlocks and incident command posts through its Continuity+ and Personal Cell Tower technologies. The company’s enhanced support for tactical resource coordination hopes to save lives by providing a full view of the operational situation and the risks involved.