When a Mayday is called and a RIT team deployed, it is essential they be equipped with tools to conduct their search and rescue operation quickly and efficiently.

MSA’s LUNAR Connected Device is a situational awareness and safety tool that offers three ways to enhance RIT operations to find and aid a downed, distressed, or missing firefighter.

Firefighting Assistance Search Technology (F.A.S.T.)

The LUNAR device’s F.A.S.T. Technology provides distance, directional, and thermal information to aid in rescue and can be used internal and external to a structure. Using it externally can lead to identifying the best entry point, while using it internally can help to eliminate rooms and floors quickly to reduce search time using the distance and directional feedback being provided.

For distance, the RIT member is informed that they are either within 30 feet (10 meters), within 60 feet (20 meters), within 90 feet (30 meters), or more than 90 feet (30 meters). For the directional component, the RIT member is provided a percentage, from 0% to 100%, indicating the signal strength between their LUNAR device and the one in alarm.

F.A.S.T. automatically creates an ad-hoc search and rescue network with other LUNAR devices on-scene, with no additional steps needed. This enables collaborative search, with four LUNAR device users able to search for another firefighter in alarm at once.

Accountability for Everyone on Scene

When used with MSA’s on-scene monitoring application, FireGrid™ Monitor, Incident Command’s situational awareness is enhanced through visibility into firefighter location and status information.

FireGrid Monitor’s Map View feature provides information via a map and displays the estimated location of firefighters outside a structure, as well as personalization, alarm status, team information, air pressure information, and last known location if the firefighter loses GPS connection.

LUNAR Connected Device is a personal accountability device that can be used for search and rescue in mutual aid responses. LUNAR devices being used by different fire departments during a mutual aid response communicate with each other and have the ability to search for other devices in alarm. This connectivity is accomplished through the independent, self-forming ad-hoc LUNAR search and rescue network, which is an always-on connection between all active LUNAR devices on-scene.

Personal Thermal Imaging

Personal thermal imaging with edge detection identifies hot spots and ventilation points, improving situational awareness and making it easier to navigate through environments with low visibility. Edge detection is a thermal palette exclusive to LUNAR devices that accentuates areas of temperature difference with a bright green highlight over a white-hot overlay.

LUNAR Connected Device provides RIT members and Incident Command with decision-making data to aid in prioritizing where to search first, helping to reduce search time.