LIT#4 for testing the INGENIOUS K9 Vest was conducted on September 8, 2020, and was organised by ICCS in the framework of the first round of Laboratory Integration Tests (LITs). This LIT took place virtually, like all the rest of the same round lab tests, due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions in force in September 2020.
Smart Boots can augment a First Responder (FR) situational awareness, providing lifesaving warnings and alerts that no other wearable device can offer. The smart boot system by CyRIC is a wearable tool that boosts the INGENIOUS Next Generation Integrated Toolkit (NGIT) and enhances individual or team operational capacities. Smart Boot system is composed of hardware, i.e. the smart insole pair located inside the FR regular safety boots and of software, i.e. Boot Edge Software (BES) hosted on the FR Uniform.
UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have shown to be a valuable instrument to inspect indoor spaces, such as damaged buildings. The images collected by these platforms are useful to understand the environment, detect relevant details such as the presence of possible hazards and localize trapped people before First Responders (FR) enter inside. So far, this useful information needs to be extracted by human operators from long image and video sequences, requesting an additional effort for the rescue team on the field. In this regard, an automated procedure to automatically extract the useful information would make the use of UAV more effective, giving tangible support to FR’s prompt action.
Rescue operations in both small-scale emergencies and major natural or man-made disasters are undoubtedly more dangerous than in the past and the needs of First Responder teams have increased. The INGENIOUS project, funded by the European Union and the Republic of Korea under the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program, aims to assist First Responders to be more effective and save more lives during natural and manmade disasters and crises by exploiting novel technologies.
Wildfires, floodings, earthquakes and man-made incidents are striking Europe on a regular basis. These crises are often unforeseen and elicit a complex response mechanism, involving different categories of first responders such as firemen, police, medical operation teams and volunteers. The participation of such heterogeneous groups with specific operational procedures and chain of command, poses real challenges in terms of coordinating actions and getting a clear overview of the emergency response.
Developing emergency response technologies for detecting and managing waterborne pathogen contamination events
During emergency response operations, first responders are at risk of being exposed to dangerous pathogens (such as norovirus, e. coli and v. cholerae) through skin contact, ingestion or inhalation. These pathogens pose a significant risk of illness, disease or even death. Currently, there are very few available field-validated technologies to assist first responders when having to operate within an environment with such dangerous pathogens.
First responder Advanced technologies for Safe and efficient Emergency Response (FASTER) is a H2020 project aiming to help and protect first responders during their operations and enhance their capabilities in terms of situational awareness and communication.
