Update from WPI Personnel Tracking Conference – Day 1

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by Carol Politi

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) hosts a unique forum every year:  “Precision Indoor Personnel Location and Tracking for First Responders”.  This forum is a collection of technologists, customers, and program directors who gather to share requirements for and the state of the art of indoor tracking technologies.  The conference is focused entirely on the market for tracking applications and technologies that demand and require zero pre-installed infrastructure.

One of the great aspects of this conference is that it allows technology developers and customers to mix directly, share requirements and issues, get feedback, and show progress.  Here are some highlights from the user community presentations during day 1 of the conference:

• Chief Billy Goldfeder (EFO, Deputy Chief, Loveland-Symmes FD) – Chief Goldfeder provided a compelling overview of the need for tracking for firefighters, profiling numerous tragedies that may have been avoided with better accountability and better knowledge of where first responders are when inside a building responding to an incident.   He also pointed out the instances where technology won’t help – where good procedures can be instituted to prevent situations where tragedies might occur.  The session provided a good reminder for all developers that our customers are focused on their business – protecting lives - and need simple and reliable solutions that simply work without adding extra tasks to an already complicated operating environment.  Chief Goldfeder publishes “The Secret List” newsletter to enhance communications and bring forward issues in an effort reduce injury and death in the first responder community.
• Ric Plummer, Fire Engineer (Firefighter, Berlin Fire Department) &  Jeff Lenti (STOP Team, Mass. State Policy Academy) gave detailed presentations on the requirements and job of first responders in fire and police departments respectively.  Requirements they emphasized include:
  • Both firefighters and police wear a lot of gear - adding to an already packed belt/suit is difficult so minimizing size/weight/power is critical
  • Location and tracking systems need to deliver floor first, then XY coordinates (i.e., location on floor).  Elevation is critical.
  • Incident commanders are going to show up after the incident has started with a laptop in their car and firefighters already on the scene.  They need to be able to start managing the incident at that point.
  • Firefighters need to use the system and train on it all the time.  (System must be easy to use and integrated into operations for this to happen).

Also interesting were presentations from the LA County Sheriff’s Department, the DOD Test Resource Management Center (TRMC), and the US Army (Future Soldier Initiative). TRMC specifically indicated that GPS-denied location was a high priority for the DOD – both due to GPS jamming and due to natural and man-made infrastructure that impacts GPS reception.  While operational processes and form/fit vary, there is a clear confluence of relatively similar functional requirements from DOD, DHS, and state and local for GPS-denied tracking technology. 

Jalal Mapar (Program Manager, DHS, S&T Directorate) noted that while “It is just a guidance, navigation, and control problem", tracking without any installed infrastructure down to 1 meter accuracy – in demanding environments – is no easy task.  He called for getting products to market more quickly even if the more stringent requirements have not been met.  DHS has been supporting programs for the past 4 years (including the GLANSER program to which TRX is contributing as part of the Argon ST team).  In addition to its direct program support, DHS announced that it will be sponsoring the tracking conference next year as a DHS S&T workshop.

Stay tuned for updates from day 2.