Agreement Between NASA And The Chicago Fire Department Could Lead To Improvements For Fire Fighters

The agreement opens the door for NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., and the Chicago Fire Department to work together to apply space program technologies to improving fire fighting and other emergency services.

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Dailey and Fire Commissioner Raymond E. Orosco met with NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin and the director of the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. met in Chicago on April 19, 1995 to sign the Space Act agreement. They also began discussing various technologies that could be transferred to the department to enhance fire and other emergency services.

"The Chicago Fire Department is a strong innovator in testing, developing and adopting new methodologies and technologies," said Goldin. "NASA is looking forward to working with them to explore ways space technology can be used to enhance emergency services. Ultimately, it will be the American people who benefit from what we accomplish here."

A number of candidate activities have already been identified for joint study.

The Chicago firefighters’ principal interest is in developing a personnel locator system which will enable on-scene authorities to locate, track and, if necessary, rescue firefighters within a 2,400-foot area of operations. This also would enhance the command and control capabilities of senior personnel directing fire-fighting operations.

Chicago’s second priority is in having the Marshall Center attempt to adapt dynamic structural analysis techniques to determine if a structure is in imminent danger of collapse. Such a device might be able to provide, in real time, the vibration “signature” of a structure. Studies have indicated that there is a signature change prior to a structure’s collapse. Such a device would provide fire officials with a means of determining when a structure has to be evacuated by firefighters, potentially saving them from harm.

The Chicago Fire Department also is interested in developing a new, portable air-breathing apparatus for use by firefighters. The current device has several drawbacks including expense, weight, and a long activation time. NASA's knowledge of liquid oxygen technology will form the basis for an evaluation of the feasibility of using liquid oxygen in a new breathing apparatus.

Other research possibilities include identifying the location of an emergency 911 call made from a cellular telephone, and developing the capability to warn hearing impaired drivers an approaching emergency vehicle. The Marshall Center already has been working on such an Emergency Vehicle Alerting System. This device would assist drivers with hearing loss and those operating in a high noise environment, such as a school bus full of children. The system would alert the driver and provide information on the emergency vehicle's distance and direction of approach.

The Marshall Center's Technology Transfer Office is responsible for the direct transfer of NASA-inspired ideas and solutions to businesses throughout the southeast. The office also interacts with companies and government organizations around the country.