While significant progress has been made in constructing fire-resistant buildings and improving fire prevention technology, fire occurrence remains a common problem we face today. According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2018, U.S. fire departments responded to a fire every 24 seconds. Then there are mountain wildfires, which burned about 4.7 million acres in 2019 in the U.S. alone.

As fire risk remains prevalent, firefighters must be equipped with the proper tools to effectively respond to these harmful situations. Thankfully, firefighting and rescue technology has come a long way. We've compiled five innovations that could change the way firefighters do their jobs. Read on to learn how they can improve situational awareness, save lives, and reduce operational costs.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence has become a breakthrough technology in most fields, and fire rescue is no exception. While still in the learning phase, NASA has developed a software application called AUDREY, which is an assistant in understanding data by reasoning, extracting and synthesizing it. In a nutshell, AUDREY collects important fire data, such as temperature, the presence of gases, how fast the fire is progressing, how long it takes firefighters to respond, and the path of fire flow. Based on this data, AUDREY recommends the best way for firefighters to best respond to the situation through wearable sensors. At the moment, Audrey is learning by working with scientists, programmers, and first responders in a controlled-burn environment.AUDREY's hope is that it will guide firefighters by advising them on how to work together.

Electric Fire Trucks

Electric cars are already a normal concept for the average driver. But what about electric fire trucks? Austrian company Rosenbauer has built the world's first electric fire truck for $1.6 million. Although it's only a concept vehicle, some fire departments, such as the North Vancouver Fire Department, are already considering incorporating this type of equipment into their fleets. Benefits of the truck include its ability to be raised or lowered to four heights to suit the terrain or the firefighters. It has a compact exterior designed for urban centers and bright LED lights. Because it is electric, the vehicle is virtually silent in operation. 

It is worth noting that an electric vehicle is convenient in urban areas where fire engines tend to have shorter journeys. This eliminates the need for regular trips to the gas station, as the vehicle can be recharged once back at the fire station.

Augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR)

AR is already being used in a variety of environments, such as the video game industry. But now it is being explored in the fire and rescue sector. Currently, firefighters carry thermal imaging cameras to help them see through flames and smoke. However, this requires one hand to be occupied at all times. To allow firefighters to operate hands-free, thermal imaging cameras are now mounted on helmets and masks. AR masks and helmets allow firefighters to see through smoke and other debris, thus improving their situational awareness.

AR is also used to train firefighters to look for digital beacons in smoke-filled rooms.

In addition, fire departments are strongly considering (and implementing) VR for training. vR allows firefighters to train for realistic scenarios, such as wildfires, that are too dangerous for live-fire training. vR training also allows fire departments to reduce economic, environmental, and personnel costs. As more and more fire departments turn to online training, VR is sure to become a complementary tool to live-fire training.

Sonic Fire Extinguishers

We know that traditional fire extinguishers use chemicals to put out fires, but have you ever heard of using sound waves to put out fires? The idea originated with two program students at George Mason University in 2017, who used a small subwoofer to propagate sound waves. Sonic fire extinguishers would provide a cleaner (and healthier) way to extinguish fires, as the compounds in traditional fire extinguishers can cause additional property damage and health risks. While the idea was originally tested to extinguish small kitchen fires, advances have been made that allow the technology to be used on a larger scale, such as wildfires. One possible application is to connect equipment Drones can effectively cover a wider area. Alternatively, acoustic extinguishers could be used to create acoustic boundaries to prevent the fire from spreading. This would be very helpful in situations such as wildfires and could help firefighters gain more response time.