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Center for Firefighter Safety Research and Development. Management Team. MFRI Internationally recognized firefighting training Institute Outreach to firefighters and policymakers Demonstrations and training Product assessment and end-user input Fire Protection Engineering Department
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Management Team • MFRI Internationally recognized firefighting training Institute • Outreach to firefighters and policymakers • Demonstrations and training • Product assessment and end-user input • Fire Protection Engineering Department Unique national resource in fire science education over the past 50 years • Research coordination • Project management • Fire dynamics, fire modeling, burn injuries, smokemovement, toxicity
Key Contributors • Small Smart System Center A multi-disciplinary center for research and education in small and highly integrated systems with physical and Information components • Sensors • Data analysis • Electrical & Computer Engineering Research programs that cover a wide spectrum of activities in Communications, Computer Engineering, Electrophysics, Microelectronics, and Nanotechnology • Department of Kinesiology Study of human physical activity from a variety of perspectives and at many levels of analysis
Goals • Bring together University based resources in a coordinated fashion to generate solutions using proven research methodologies • Develop solutions incorporating new and current technology in all aspects of firefighter safety
Goals • Evaluate the effectiveness of the solutions utilizing real world fire incidents and scenarios • Make the solutions and technologies available for commercialization in a cost range affordable to fire departments
R&D Process • Identification of firefighter safety needs • Research, development and prototyping • Interactive assessment at MFRI • Product refinement and manufacturing • Product performance assessment by end-users at MFRI • Technology transfer
Technology Transfer • Engineering Research Center Development and commercialization organization within UM • Technology Advancement Program University based incubator that provides business and technical support for technology-based start- up companies (750 new jobs created while securing $325 million in investment funding) • MIPS program Matching grants for industry/ university research projects leading to product or process development (more than 150 projects brought to commercialization)
Homeland Security • Firefighters are the first responders to acts of terrorism • The proposed research directly addresses operational deficiencies identified in the 9/11events • The outcomes of this research are applicable within the entire first responder community
Past Research Efforts • Environmental and physiological analysis of over 200 firefighters in live-fire training evolutions • Provides guidelines for the national fire service on health management of firefighters during training • Funded by DHS Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
Past Research Efforts • Greater appreciation of hypo- hydration in firefighters • Better understanding of hydration needs of firefighters • Published Hydration Policy for Firefighter Training
Current Projects Firefighter Accountability Technology Thermal Performance Indicator Firefighters and Intensive Resistive Exercise
Firefighter Accountability TRX Sentinel Tracking System • Mobile unit and remote command station • Provides seamless tracking indoors and outdoors • Requires no antenna setup-deploys rapidly during emergencies • Allows incident replay for training and lessons learned
Thermal Performance Indicator • Designed to timely alert firefighters to excessive heat exposure • Dual sensors on the gear outer surface sample once per second • Processors predict up to five scenarios based on each sample • Head’s up display communicates information to the firefighter
F.I.R.E. Study • Assessing a broad range of physical attributes thought to be important for firefighter performance • Will establish the efficacy of a strength training program designed to improve these physical attributes and performance in CPAT
Future Projects • Firefighter Accountability Technology • Vapor Dynamics and Smart Garment Technology • Physiological Effects of Structural Firefighting
Center for Firefighter Safety Research and Development 4500 PAINT BRANCH PKWY COLLEGE PARK, MD 20742 301.226.9960 www.mfri.org/fireresearch