Twitter Chat to Discuss the Power of Data: Protecting Our Nation's Firefighters

Newswise — Thick smoke, scorching heat, and blaring alarm bells fill the building. Frantic calls to 9-1-1 are answered and a few miles away tones begin to sound at a local fire station. Engine bay lights flicker on and firefighters scramble to grab their apparatus and get on their engines. The motivational speeches from captains and the countless hours of preparation and training cross their minds as they don personal protective gear and self-contained breathing apparatus. The driver quickly pulls the pigtail from the side of the engine to disconnect the landline power source and throws the battery disconnect switch to start the engine. The roar of the diesel engine comes to life as the garage door begins to open. Firefighters strap on their seat belts and begin turning on portable radios. The officer-in-charge notifies dispatch they are enroute and begins checking the computer-aided dispatch system for additional details. All of this happens in 60 seconds or less, and then it’s time to focus on the actual situation at the scene they are headed to. What will they face? Where is the fire? What type of building is it? All this info is vital in the development of the strategy to fight the fire. Over 60 pounds of gear and countless hours of training help support our nation’s firefighters, but timely and accurate situational awareness or “scene size up” remains a challenge on every call. How does data analytics enable decision makers and first responders, especially firefighters? By identifying trends and patterns not only of the fires themselves, but in the type of building, time of year and general area of previous fires, firefighters can better protect themselves and communities. The DHS Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) Data Analytics Engine is teaming up with local firefighters and FEMA’s U.S. Fire Administration’s National Fire Program Division to analyze data to help inform future firefighting efforts. Data Analytics can not only be used to help predict instances of future fires but also look at trends with equipment failures and fire frequency, causes, and spread, all in an effort to reduce fire burden. By analyzing existing fire incident data to identify lessons learned from serious fire, EMS, wildland incidents, firefighters can project future fires, reduce the causes and nature of injuries, and increase inspections in those areas. Interested? Want to learn more? Please join @dhsscitech! and our local firefighting partners on Wednesday June 17 from 1 to 2 p.m. EST for a lively Twitter discussion on how S&T is working with the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Fire Program Division to collect the data that will help our first responders. Submit your questions and comments before, during or after the chat and use the #STTechTalk hashtag to engage in the two-way discussion.