By Brandi Makuski
MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Fire Department has begun testing new on-scene accountability technology from Ascent Integrated Tech, marking a significant step forward in firefighter safety and operational efficiency.
The system, first used during the Republican National Convention (RNC) held in Milwaukee in July 2024, provides real-time location tracking for firefighters, enhancing command control and decision-making during emergencies.
Deputy Chief Darin Peterburs said the department is currently using about 50 of the devices in training exercises. “We’re testing it out this fall, and if it proves effective, it could enhance our current system,” Peterburs said, adding that the system allows incident commanders to track individual firefighters through a sensor, carried in their pockets, which relays their precise location inside a structure. “Instead of just knowing they’re on the second floor, rear of the building, we can pinpoint their location to a much smaller area.”
Peterburs said that the technology will be especially useful during mayday calls or communication breakdowns. “We can quickly validate where a firefighter is, even in catastrophic situations where traditional tracking might fail,” he said.
The relationship between Milwaukee Fire and Ascent Integrated Tech began three years ago when Chief Aaron Lipski, a fourth-generation firefighter and Fire Chief since 2021, first spoke with the company.
According to Ascent’s CEO Paul Couston, Lipski’s initial response was clear: “We’re not going to be your science project. Milwaukee doesn’t pilot technology—we deploy it.”
The department is now Ascent’s first large metro client.
Couston, who co-founded the company with Chief Technology Officer Alex Wexler four years ago, emphasized that Milwaukee’s adoption of their technology is a major milestone for the company.
“Chief Lipski was one of the first fire chiefs I spoke to,” Couston said. “Three years later, Milwaukee bought 50 of our devices, and now they’re being used in real training scenarios with real firefighters.”
Ascent’s platform, which has been tested by departments across the country, and the U.S. Air Force, provides incident commanders with real-time tracking and biometric alerting.
“In the event that a firefighter has a cardiac event or stops moving, the system will notify command immediately,” Couston said. The technology leverages phones, wearables (like an Apple watch), and other devices already present on the fireground, reducing the need for costly custom hardware.
“We’re not trying to change the firefight, but make the tools firefighters already use more effective,” he added.
Milwaukee’s Deputy Chief Peterburs highlighted the system’s potential to integrate with traditional methods of accountability. “We’re very comfortable with pen and paper or dry-erase boards to track our companies,” he said. “But this tech gives us a more precise way to locate a firefighter in a building, which can be a game-changer in large structures or during critical incidents.”
In addition to firefighter location tracking, Ascent’s system also monitors biometrics to detect early signs of distress.
“If a firefighter is experiencing a cardiac event, the system will alert the command staff, allowing for a quicker response,” Couston explained.
Milwaukee Fire, with 30 fire stations and an annual call volume of approximately 120,000, is one of several departments testing the Ascent platform. The company has also worked with large departments, including Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., and smaller departments, like Mattoon, Illinois, tailoring their platform to fit both large and small agencies.
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