Helmet-Mounted Thermal Sensor for First Responder Burn-Saver Device

The personal protective equipment (PPE) worn by firefighters protects them against burns and hazardous environments. This equipment works so well that they may not notice that their environment has become so hot that is no longer safe. Although current thermal sensor technologies (generally built in to Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) units) can trigger an alarm when the temperature is too high, no commercial device can respond fast enough to ensure that the firefighter is not exposed to temperatures that exceed the capabilities of their PPE. TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) has developed a thermal sensing and warning Burn Saver Device that can respond to changes in radiative heat flux in less than 10 seconds and changes in the air temperature is less than one minute. The device provides both visual and audible alarms along with wireless notification to the fire incident commanders. In collaboration with our industrial firefighter equipment manufacturer, we will further refine the design of our Burn Saver Device, fabricating and testing prototypes in Phase II. Testing will be done both in the laboratory and in full-scale, instrumented compartment fires. The current technology readiness level at the end of Phase I is TRL 4; we anticipate TRL 6 and the end of Year 1, TRL 7 and the end of the Phase II project, and we will be ready to submit the data needed for TRL 8 (NFPA) certification at the end of the Phase II Option.