UK company aids fire service with positioning system

The Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has joined forces with the Research and Technology lab of Thales UK, in Reading, to assist in the development of a new Indoor Positioning System (IPS), which can pinpoint people inside smoke filled buildings.

The new system is designed to aid firefighters with rescue operations

IPS uses a new form of radio signal called Ultra Wide Band, which is able to penetrate structures enabling firefighters to monitor one another three dimensionally within buildings. The Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is due to begin live trials of the equipment from April.

Group Manager Mick Johns, who is responsible for Command Strategy and Specialist Response at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This is a very exciting project to be involved with and one that could prove invaluable in the way fire and rescue services operate in the future.

“It should assist firefighters in establishing their position in buildings, in relation to one another, and also in relation to fire appliances and other objects. It will also allow Commanders to ensure that searches of specific areas are thoroughly completed as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

It has taken a team of experts nearly three years to develop the system which will be trialled by Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service but could go on to be used by other emergency services and the armed forces.

Thales UK technical manager for research, Mike Quinlan, said: “The technology and programming being used to develop IPS is unlike anything else out there. Ultra Wide Band is designed to cover a very wide band of frequencies. This enables the system to operate within buildings, which are typically very difficult environments for normal radio systems.

“Firefighters often find themselves in very dangerous positions, so IPS could be invaluable in helping them establish their position whether they are indoors or outdoors.”