Smart Firefighting

How can we translate science into action? Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! In this episode: Is it possible to create a fire safe world? Why is communication between prevention and response stakeholders so important? How to keep asking "Why?" until you can't anymore Fire Safety Engineer Wojciech (Woj) Węgrzyński tells us more! An Associate Professor and a Deputy Head of Fire Research Department at the Building Research Institute, Warsaw, Poland, Woj earns his living by, "setting stuff on fire and trying to model that with a computer." He's passionate about fire safety and engineering plus loves experimenting and combining knowledge from different disciplines. His latest research areas are visibility in smoke, smart smoke control systems, and wind and fire coupled modeling. Waj is also an author of 25 peer-r

Here's some tips for positively transforming your fire house's culture: Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! In this episode: What is change management of technology? Why fire service leadership starts from the top down How to implement real change in the fire service Learn from the expert in dynamic and progressive executive leadership Daniel (Danny) Kistner! The retired fire chief used his 40+ years' experience in public safety to create DTK Consulting - a coaching and executive education for adaptive leadership, innovation, mobile integrated healthcare (community para-medicine), and other topics related to organizational development with an emphasis on public safety subjects. Join our SFF Community! Head to www.smartfirefighting.com to discover how SFF accelerates innovation for emergency responders, to fin

Why do masks never seem to fit right?! Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! In this episode: What is 3D Fit? The challenges of masks fitting properly on public health & safety workers How technology can improve the fit of masks Find out from Mike Gugino, inventor of 3D FIT! Mike has worked in the respiratory protection fit testing process for many years and has oversaw thousands of annual fit tests. Mike knows the frustrations around fit testing all too well and while he was working in this role, he decided that there had to be a better way. So he created the app 3D FIT (still in development!) as an alternative respiratory protection fit test that only utilizes a smart device. Thanks to his innovation, Mike will help save first resopnder and medical workers time while making them safer with better fitting

Here's how to remain true to yourself as you move up the ranks of the fire service. Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! In this episode: How to have a healthy balance of disagreement amongst peers Various tactics to become a better leader Why does change management of technology matter? Learn from Dr. Jeffrey L. Buchanan - a retired Fire Chief with more than 21 years of public safety and government experience. Jeff is a consultant and principal at The.Buchanan.Group LLC. As the Fire Chief for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue (LVF&R), Jeff had oversight of day-to-day operations for more than 800 employees and a total budget that is in excess of 200 million dollars. Amongst many other things, he is also an adjunct instructor in the Master of Urban Leadership program at UNLV and an instructor at the College of Sout

Want to know about emerging cases of AI? You're in the right place... Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! In this episode: What’s the difference between narrow vs broad AI? What is hybrid intelligence? What does true innovation mean? Find out from Bart van Leeuwen - owner of Netage B.V., Station Instructor at Brandweer Amsterdam-Amstelland & Certified Situational Awareness Master Instructor for SA Matters. Bart combines more than 20 years of experience as an operational fire fighter, and over 20 years of leading Netage. Netage is a software tool used to deliver Smart Data for Smarter Firefighters, and operates on a global scale for fire services and related organizations. Currently, it is heavily involved with the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) on various smart data topics. Bart's unique backg

What is arguably the most important skill for firefighting? Problem solving. Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! In this episode: How can classrooms integrate technology? How can we adapt along with the evolving fire service? How can education systems teach better problem solving? Hear from Western Wake Fire & Rescue's Caption and the Fire Academy Instructor at Chapel Hill - Carrboro City Schools: Travis Adkinson. At the age of 18, Travis found himself applying to volunteer as a firefighter alongside a friend; and almost 20 years later, Travis finds himself teaching students the intricacies of fire prevention and fire safety. This interesting conversation covers aspects of education trends in the classroom, how to use immersive learning as a tool for public safety, and how to adapt to the ever-changing f

Bringing everyday solutions to the South Asian Fire Service... Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! In this episode: How to ask customers the right questions How to ensure solutions consider local & cultural contexts The history & evolution of Brijbasi Get in the know with Udit Agrawal - the Director at Brijbasi who is passionate about understanding the challenges firefighters face on a daily basis. Brijbasi supports the Indian Fire Service in terms of Training, Fire Apparatus, Equipment or any other solution. With over 50 years of working together, the firefighting fraternity has made Brijbasi who they are today. Brijbasi’s wide range of products and solutions include Aerial Ladder Platforms, Turbo Hydro Jet Fire Fighting, Mobile Water Transport (Hydraulic Submersible Pumps), Airport Crash Fire Truc

Want to know how to get involved with advancing public safety? Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the eighth episode of our TSI Mini Series. Hosted in Texas during October 2022, Technology Summit International - IAFC's newest conference - brought the tech of the future to today’s fire and emergency service professionals — helping them reduce risks to their communities, improve their ability to respond to emergencies, and save lives. In this episode: What is TEEX Tested? How TEEX guides start ups & public safety through technology adoption How to get involved & vet your technology at Disaster City Find out from Ray Ivie: Test & Eval Director at Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service - TEEX. Working across A&M system facilities - including Brayton Fire Training Center, Disaster Cit

Since we cannot deinstall and reinstall the fire department... Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the seventh episode of our TSI Mini Series. Hosted in Texas during October 2022, Technology Summit International - IAFC's newest conference - brought the tech of the future to today’s fire and emergency service professionals — helping them reduce risks to their communities, improve their ability to respond to emergencies, and save lives. In this episode: Why are global meetups important? How can the fire service explore evergreen solutions? How is adopting technology a big challenge AND solution? SFF met up with Stefan Truthän - the progressive driving force and visionary behind hhpberlin who has been responsible for the operational and strategic development of the company since 2008. As Chief Organizat

How can we ensure that technology is relevant for public safety operations? Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the sixth episode of our TSI Mini Series. Hosted in Texas during October 2022, Technology Summit International - IAFC's newest conference - brought the tech of the future to today’s fire and emergency service professionals — helping them reduce risks to their communities, improve their ability to respond to emergencies, and save lives. In this episode: What is the 3 horizon framework? How can we improve that framework? How can we embrace ambiguity? Hear from Microsoft's Director of Technology Strategy and Public Safety & Justice Sai Narain. Sai has led high performing project teams developing technology strategies to solve strategic planning problems for Fire Chiefs, EMS Managers &

If we don't ask the hard questions, then we won't solve the hardest problems... Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the fifth episode of our TSI Mini Series. Hosted in Texas during October 2022, Technology Summit International - IAFC's newest conference - brought the tech of the future to today’s fire and emergency service professionals — helping them reduce risks to their communities, improve their ability to respond to emergencies, and save lives. In this episode: A peak into new technology that provides the ability to see through smoke Should first responder rethink how to use their hands & eyes during fires? Why is it important to consult first responders throughout the engineering process? Get the scoop from Andrew Leaman, Canadian entrepreneur & VP of Fire & Defense Solutions at Long

Tech won't solve all of your problems, but will help you find solutions if you know how to use it... Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the fourth episode of our TSI Mini Series. Hosted in Texas during October 2022, Technology Summit International - IAFC's newest conference - brought the tech of the future to today’s fire and emergency service professionals — helping them reduce risks to their communities, improve their ability to respond to emergencies, and save lives. In this episode: What is Technology Summit International (TSI)? What is the difference between being data-driven and data informed? Why is funding still the biggest challenge? Learn from Scott Roseberry, an experienced Battalion Chief with a demonstrated history of working in the public safety industry. Skilled in not only Fire Servic

By the way: CRR = community risk reduction! Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the third episode of our TSI Mini Series. Hosted in Texas during October 2022, Technology Summit International - IAFC's newest conference - brought the tech of the future to today’s fire and emergency service professionals — helping them reduce risks to their communities, improve their ability to respond to emergencies, and save lives. In this episode: How the definition of "emergency" is changing How to use technology to run high call volume Why limiting resource strain should be the goal Get some insight from San Antonio Fire Department's Chief Bryan Norris. Chief Norris has served SAFD for the past 20 years, moving up the ranks from firefighter to Division and then Assistant Chief before he became Deputy Chief in 2022.

How can you maximize brain power - and what does that really mean? Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the second episode of our TSI Mini Series. Hosted in Texas during October 2022, Technology Summit International - IAFC's newest conference - brought the tech of the future to today’s fire and emergency service professionals — helping them reduce risks to their communities, improve their ability to respond to emergencies, and save lives. In this episode: How to use data to make informed decisions Why customer feedback should be the design philosophy How to reduce first responders' cognitive load Hear from Alex Gorsuch, the co-founder and CTO of Ascent Integrated Tech which builds the unifying command dashboard for warfighters, firefighters, and SWAT officers by providing actionable insight on the heal

Sometimes you don't need to go bigger, but just need to start small... Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the first episode of our TSI Mini Series. Hosted in Texas during October 2022, Technology Summit International - IAFC's newest conference - brought the tech of the future to today’s fire and emergency service professionals — helping them reduce risks to their communities, improve their ability to respond to emergencies, and save lives. In this episode: - How to find a clear solution to a defined problem - Why understanding the science behind fire enables fast decision-making - How to plan without a budget Current Secretary of the IAFC Tech Council and Battalion Chief Cory Claborn joined the fire service in 2020 as a volunteer firefighter while attending Stephen F. Austin State University. He graduated

Here's how to make mistakes in a safe learning environment... Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the eleventh episode of our Interschutz 2022 Mini Series. Interschutz 2022 was an international trade show hosted over six days and included exhibitions plus engaging forums covering the various aspects of firefighting, rescue services, civil protection and safety and security. In this episode: - A comparison between the U.S. and European fire services - How to use simulation tools within daily training - How a simulation sandbox prepares first responders before live training Emergency responders benefit from experiencing incidents in a safe, controllable, repeatable, and measurable environment. As a previous firefighter himself and the International Sales Rep for XVR Simulation, Emiel Stevens supports Police a

Fun fact: almost all first responders are already using GIS - they just may not know it! Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the tenth episode of our Interschutz 2022 Mini Series. Interschutz 2022 was an international trade show hosted over six days and included exhibitions plus engaging forums covering the various aspects of firefighting, rescue services, civil protection and safety and security. In this episode: - What is GIS? - How is Esri founder Jack Dangermond using GIS technology to try to save the world? - Why Esri invites all startups to use GIS and help empower first responders Chief Mix Cox - retired Chief of Henrico Fire and current Director of Fire & EMS Solutions at Esri- covers how first responders and small businesses can leverage Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to enhanc

How can we make sure new innovations are sustainable? Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the ninth episode of our Interschutz 2022 Mini Series. Interschutz 2022 was an international trade show hosted over six days and included exhibitions plus engaging forums covering the various aspects of firefighting, rescue services, civil protection and safety and security. In this episode: - What does the move towards electrification look like for first responders? - How can we use constraints for breakthrough innovations? - What’s the difference between Interschutz 2015 and Interschutz 2022? Back in Germany, SFF spoke with Vic Naidu who is the Senior Business Development Manager and Program Director for T & K Commerce. T & K offers customized, speciality, turnkey engineering solutions for Special Purpose Veh

"Technology" and "change" do not need to be dirty words in the fire service.. Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! This is the eighth episode of our Interschutz 2022 Mini Series. Interschutz 2022 was an international trade show hosted over six days and included exhibitions plus engaging forums covering the various aspects of firefighting, rescue services, civil protection and safety and security. In this episode: - How can virtual reality (VR) improve recruitment and retention? - How can VR be a tool that supports mental health? - How does immersive learning offer additional sets and reps? SFF learned how technology companies are getting creative from Evan Wing who has a background in banking and executive management, currently serves as a Lieutenant on the Middleton Fire District (WI) - the largest volunteer distri

How can you build a solution around the problem instead of trying to play the matching game? Hello Smart Firefighting Community! Welcome to another episode of covering real world innovations via interviews with fire service and technology industry experts that empower YOU to develop your very own Smart Firefighting strategy! In this episode: - What is TEEX Testing and Innovation Center (TT & IC)? - Why is it important to get 3rd party validation? - How can we work with stakeholders to transfer technology into public safety and DOD markets? Jason Moats, Ph.D. is the Director for the TEEX Testing and Innovation Center (TT&IC). In this position, Dr. Moats oversees technical services to assist and guide technology developers as they develop and refine technologies for the public safety, workplace safety, and homeland security ecosystems. The TT&IC also collaborates with researchers and scientists to develop technical solutions for the unique challenges of these same ecosystems by managing, coordinatin