An analysis of firefighter personal safety alarm effectiveness on the fire ground

For firefighters in the line of duty, the last line of defense and chance for rescue oftentimes relies on the effectiveness of their Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) devices. When activated, a PASS device emits an alarm signal to notify others that a firefighter is in distress. However, there hav...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 2013-11, Vol.134 (5_Supplement), p.4094-4094
Main Authors: Ford, Kyle, Habeeb, Mudeer, Suits, Joelle, Abbasi, Mustafa, Wilson, Preston S., Ezekoye, Ofodike
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:For firefighters in the line of duty, the last line of defense and chance for rescue oftentimes relies on the effectiveness of their Personal Alert Safety System (PASS) devices. When activated, a PASS device emits an alarm signal to notify others that a firefighter is in distress. However, there have been notable instances where PASS devices have confused rescue personnel or created a more hazardous situation, for instance, when noise interference originating from other objects is involved. This research compiles data from various sources, for example, firefighter near miss reports and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) fatality reports, regarding PASS device effectiveness. The research will investigate the causes of confusion and danger as well as take a look at the situations where the device achieved its goal and was able to save a life. The implications of discovering how interfering noises can render PASS devices ineffective could save several lives in the future and ultimately lead to increased firefighter safety.
ISSN:0001-4966
1520-8524
DOI:10.1121/1.4830953