GURU is a tool to assist first responders in the event of a hazmat/WMD response.

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Firefighters, hazmat responders, police officers, and the military must be prepared to safely and efficiently respond to emergencies that involve dangerous chemicals, explosives, radiation, or weapons of mass destruction (WMD). A Sony PSP pre-loaded with HazMatIQ's 'GURU' based on the proven 'HazMatIQ 4-Step System' will give any First Responder immediate feedback on how to respond to a hazardous material/WMD. All current mobile devices do an excellent job of providing responders with information; however, it is often too much information - leaving the responder to interpret complicated, technical, and scientific data. Typically, a first responder receives limited training on how to interpret this chemical information. This limited training frequently cause first responders to make unsafe decisions based on their inability to transfer technical information to safe work practices. First Responders do not need more information; they need answers. The HazMatIQ 'GURU' will provide those answers. The 'GURU' will provide real time decision making process answers by using only the necessary information needed for the response at hand. For example, during a response to an ammonia leak, a typical mobile device would give chemical/physical properties, toxicological properties, and generic information on PPE. The GURU will eliminate the need for interpreting scientific information and provide an incident action plan for individual chemicals/WMD, and incidents involving unknown chemicals. The GURU would give First Responders arriving on a scene everything he/she needs in a matter of minutes. The 'GURU' will create a more prepared response community, which will better protect the public and emergency responders from the effects of chemical exposure. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: MetaMedia Training International, Inc. (MetaMedia) proposes to develop an mLearning application called 'HazMatIQ GURU' that provides a just-in-time application of HazMatIQ's internationally adopted '4-Step System' training through the use of a Playstation Portable (PSP). The HazMatIQ GURU is an electronic response tool built on the Sony PSP platform and is designed to walk responders through a process of how to safely and efficiently mitigate any incident involving hazardous materials/WMD. By delivering detailed and comprehensive action plans based on specific hazardous materials/WMD, the GURU will give responders answers - not technical scientific information which current mobile devices provide.