Firefighters face a variety of situations every day. They must be prepared with tools to assess the risks they encounter on-scene, in order to make confident decisions.

• At a structure fire, what is the damage? Where are the hotspots? What is the best entry point? What is the smoke and visibility situation?
• During any incident, are there radio and other communication challenges?
• Will the team be connected and stay connected—with each other and with incident command—for accountability?

Accountability has many applications in the fire service. They range from understanding air management to knowing who is on scene and who is in an alarm to properly deploying and evacuating firefighters at the right time. The common thread at the center of accountability is the ability to stay connected to every person on the fireground.

Technological advancements have made it possible to connect various components of firefighter equipment so that they work together to better assess the risks on the fireground and enhance firefighter safety—at the emergency scene and remotely.

MSA G1 SCBA FUNCTIONS

The MSA G1 SCBA technology system is capable of functions that go well beyond delivering air. It offers the ability to see, hear, and react quickly to risks that firefighters encounter, made possible by communications and connectivity.

Firefighters can hear better on the fireground—no interrupted or incomplete communications—and their voices can be heard distinctly. The system’s integrated electronic voice amplifier eliminates inhalation noise, providing clear firefighter-to-firefighter communication. The amplifier links wirelessly through Bluetooth to popular radios, cancels interference caused by background noise, and is connected to a single, central battery located on the unit that is available in a lithium-ion rechargeable option.

MSA G1 SCBA’s integrated thermal imaging camera enables firefighters to see through smoke. The G1 facepiece has no electronic components to minimize weight, reduce firefighter stress and fatigue, and improve overall performance. There are no electronic components on the outside of the facepiece that may result in snag and entanglement hazards.

LUNAR CONNECTED DEVICE FUNCTIONS

LUNAR is a wireless handheld search-and-rescue device that provides Firefighting Assisting Search Technology (F.A.S.T), personal thermal imaging with edge detection, and connectivity.

F.A.S.T. combines direction and distance information with thermal imaging to help find separated teammates and decrease response time.

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.

LUNAR offers three types of connectivity providing local monitoring, remote monitoring, pairing with the G1, and an ad hoc network enabling F.A.S.T. In addition, being cloud-connected means all of the LUNAR devices’ information is stored in the cloud for post-scene evaluation and reporting.

MSA G1 SCBA + LUNAR CONNECTED DEVICE TOGETHER

Using the MSA G1 SCBA in conjunction with the LUNAR Connected Device on the fireground provides multiple advantages:

• Scene monitoring
• Unmatched situational awareness
• Individual accountability for all firefighters
• Enabled cloud connectivity
• Open radio traffic

When firefighters arrive at a structure fire, they will be able to share critical information quickly and accurately from the first minute. When the G1 is paired with LUNAR, the team is better informed about the risks their environment fosters and they are able to make more confident decisions.

Firefighters wearing MSA G1 SCBA are connected to LUNAR by embedded Bluetooth technology that provides data such as estimated air pressure, time remaining on the SCBA, and the status of the battery to local incident command and someone remotely monitoring—providing accountability for all members of the team. In addition, LUNAR provides the wearer with unmatched situational awareness through the use of its thermal imaging capabilities.

When a LUNAR is in alarm, all other LUNAR devices in the network are notified, leaving radio traffic open for other communication. Once an active search is initiated, the searching LUNAR device displays how far away the device in alarm is and it provides directional feedback.

The generated device and personnel data is available on-scene and archived in the cloud for future use such as aiding in preventative maintenance, training, and general business decisions.

Using the MSA G1 SCBA and the LUNAR Connected Device together is all about giving firefighters and incident command confidence that the entire team is accounted for and that they’re getting real-time information to make confident decisions.

A NETWORK OF SAFETY

The MSA G1 SCBA + LUNAR Connected Device are part of the MSA Connected Firefighter Platform that also includes the following.

• MSA HUB provides a wireless gateway to the cloud, enabling wireless on-scene data for local and remote Incident Command for additional eyes on the scene and a more seamless post-incident evaluation.
• FireGrid cloud-connected software feeds incident and firefighter data to on-scene officers and remote personnel in real-time, from the moment a firefighter jumps off the rig, ensuring everyone back at the station knows what’s happening on the ground. FireGrid also offers applications to address maintenance, inventory management and reporting needs.

MSA is committed to continually being at the forefront of evolving technologies that emphasize PPE compatibility and connectivity to enhance firefighter safety.

Learn more about MSA G1 SCBA and LUNAR Connected Device as part of the MSA Connected Firefighter Platform at MSAfire.com/connectedfirefighter.