Innovation in the fire service has brought significant developments to the technology behind personal protective equipment and other devices. With these technological advancements comes the ability for the various pieces of a firefighter’s gear to become increasingly connected and work together, all in an effort to help keep that individual safe on the fireground.

LUNAR from MSA is the latest example of how new tools and devices can be integrated into a firefighter’s other equipment, including the MSA G1 SCBA. LUNAR is a wireless, handheld search and rescue device that includes firefighter-to-firefighter ranging, edge detection enhanced thermal imaging, and cloud connectivity to FireGrid. The G1 SCBA was designed as a technology system that equips firefighters with the revolutionary safety capabilities of today with the ability to be seamlessly updated as technology changes in the future. As part of that evolution, the G1 SCBA connects to LUNAR through embedded Bluetooth technology. This connection provides a continuous stream of information, with LUNAR able to show data such as estimated air pressure, time remaining and battery life all on-screen for a complete safety point-of-view.

Both LUNAR and the G1 SCBA are part of the MSA Connected Firefighter Platform of products that work together to help keep the team connected on- and off-scene to create a network of safety.

When used with the G1 SCBA, LUNAR can:

• Send real-time information to Local Incident Command enabling visibility of people and incidents for confident decision making
• Keep individuals connected to the entire crew on- and off-site and on and off air
• Connect to FireGrid Monitor to provide complete real-time, on-scene visibility including:
  • Estimated time and pressure remaining on SCBA
  • Which individual is in distress and who is searching for that individual
  • Whether an individual is in motion, manual or hardware alarm
  • The duration of an incident

LUNAR marks a key advancement in supporting firefighter safety, providing firefighter-to-firefighter ranging, connectivity, and thermal imaging to every individual on the fireground. Its search and rescue technology provides instant notification that an incident has occurred and that a team member is in need of rescue – this form of alert is independent of IC and other communication devices, such as radios.

By making LUNAR compatible with the G1 SCBA but not integrated with it, LUNAR still allows for accountability across all individuals on the fireground, whether on or off air, and provides personal thermal imaging for greater situational awareness. This expands the use of LUNAR beyond structural fires to other emergency incidents and types of fire service response.

Learn more about LUNAR and the MSA Connected Firefighter Platform here.