CONTROLLING THE SCENE Christian Brewer

As the demands on emergency responders continue to grow, so does the urgency to improve their safety and efficiency. Implementing cloud-based technology is not just a modern convenience; it is a critical advancement that can save lives.

This technology is transforming how emergency response teams operate, offering real-time solutions to age-old challenges. The need for such innovation has never been more pressing.

The Urgency of the Situation

Distracted driving has become a significant threat to first responders. According to a recent study by Autoinsurance.com, since 2020, nearly 500 first responders have been killed on the nation’s roadways by distracted drivers. Despite all 50 states having “move over” laws, compliance is inconsistent, with many drivers unaware or indifferent to the presence of emergency vehicles. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reported that in 2017, more than 15,000 fire department vehicles were involved in collisions nationwide, leading to 18 fatalities. These incidents also resulted in 1,080 injuries, highlighting the critical need for improved safety measures.

The statistics reveal a troubling trend: According to the United States Fire Administration (USFA), up to 25% of annual line-of-duty firefighter fatalities are attributable to motor vehicles. This figure underscores the daily dangers that responders face not just from the emergencies they are called to handle but from the very act of getting to the scene. Moreover, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that in 2019, approximately 2,500 vehicles crashed into fire trucks parked as blockers, translating to nearly seven such incidents per day.

These figures are not just numbers; they represent the lives of first responders—men and women dedicated to protecting their communities. The rising number of distracted drivers, combined with the inherent risks of emergency response, creates a perilous environment for these professionals. Implementing advanced technologies is, therefore, not just beneficial but essential in addressing these critical safety concerns.

The Role of Cloud-Based Technology

Cloud-based platforms are revolutionizing emergency response by providing essential tools that enhance situational awareness and safety. One such innovation is Traffic Preemption technology, which grants emergency vehicles priority at intersections and empowers them to request a green light as they approach. This speeds up response times and significantly reduces the risk of accidents.

Chris Watkins, field solution engineer manager at Whelen Engineering, specializes in working nationwide with fire, emergency medical services (EMS), and law enforcement agencies to implement the Whelen Cloud Platform® (WCP®), which provides Traffic Preemption capabilities. “Traffic Preemption can be a game-changer for emergency responders,” says Watkins. “It provides a safer passage through intersections, reducing the stress and uncertainty that responders face when approaching these high-risk areas.” WCP uses a network of solution providers including Miovision, Applied Information, LYT, ThruGreen, and Econolite to offer traffic preemption and other enhanced safety features.

Integrating cloud-based systems also allows for seamless communication and data sharing between var

The City of Fort Worth and the Fort Worth Fire Department are excited to announce that official groundbreaking for the new Fire Station 16 will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at 5 p.m., the fire department said in a Facebook post. The groundbreaking is open to the public.

The current Station 16 is located at 5933 Geddes Street and was built in 1965. Approved within the 2022 Bond Program, the City of Fort Worth purchased a one-acre site at the northeast corner of Lovell Avenue and Horne Street for $2.27 million. The new Station 16 will be built on that site by Batson-Cook Construction and the original station will be demolished when construction is complete.

Station 16 serves the Como, Lake Como and Ridglea neighborhoods. The station averages over 5,000 runs a year (engine 4,000 runs a year/quint averages about 1,200).

The current facility is 60 years old and is in dire need of updates and improvements. The new station will be constructed with vital upgrades to technology, housing, facilities and the safety of the firefighters stationed there during their shift. It will be a 3-bay, 2-story double company facility and will eventually be the headquarters for Battalion 5.

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Councilmember Michael D. Crain, Councilmember Jared Williams, Ph.D., City Manager David Cooke, Assistant City Manager Dana Burghdoff and Fire Chief Jim Davis will be on site to mark the occasion and share a few words with the attendees and media. Lifelong Como Community member and leader, Estrus Tucker, will emcee the event.

BOSTON, Massachusetts (October 2024) — BRINC, a pioneer in drone technology for first responders, is excited to announce its participation in the upcoming International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference in Boston, where BRINC will demonstrate its fully integrated 911 response drone solution.

Agencies around the country are adopting DFR operations because they improve response times by 54%, can clear calls for service without sending patrol units, and provide situational awareness to improve community safety.

“Empowering agencies nationwide with drone technology has always been at the forefront of BRINC’s vision,” said Blake Resnick, Founder & CEO of BRINC. “We are thrilled to showcase our fully integrated DFR solution to public safety agencies at IACP.”

BRINC’s drones are integrated with CAD and Live911 for immediate notification and automatic deployment to call locations so first responders can get eyes on the scene in under 70 seconds. Upon arrival, these drones provide critical situational awareness for a more informed response. They can also deliver emergency medical payloads such as Restube emergency flotation devices, Narcan, and more.

Attendees at the BRINC booth (#1745) can see the Responder drone deploying from Station, its companion robotic charging nest, without any pilot input. BRINC’s IACP booth will also showcase Echodyne radars, which can help enable Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) DFR operations without visual observers. Additionally, guests can interact with BRINC LiveOps, the unified software operations platform that manages district-wide deployments, provides airspace awareness, and enhances transparency through customized community portals.

Along with live demonstrations of its purpose-built DFR ecosystem, visitors to BRINC’s booth can meet with Resnick and other experts to explore how drones can be better deployed to assist agency operations.

For more information about the IACP Conference and to register, please visit https://www.theiacpconference.org/.

About BRINC

BRINC is an American developer of technology in the service of public safety. The company builds a connected ecosystem of tools designed to save lives. BRINC manufactures its products in the US, has co- located R&D and production, and is vertically integrated, controlling the entirety of its supply chain. Over 500 public safety agencies and 10%+ of the SWAT teams in the US use its products to de-escalate dangerous situations and safeguard human life. The company is backed by top investors, including Sam Altman, Index Ventures, Dylan Field, Elad Gil, Patrick Shanahan, Julius Genachowski, Shyam Sankar, Alexandr Wang, Bradley Tusk, and Jeff Weiner. For more information visit brincdrones.com.

Giuseppe Ricapito
The Marin Independent Journal, Novato, Calif.
(TNS)

Oct. 15—Ross is asking the Ross Valley Fire Department for a one-year delay in the closure of Station 18 because of concerns about paramedic services.

A letter from the town to the fire board says Ross officials want to explore paramedic coverage options because of uncertainty about the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority finances if Larkspur and Corte Madera leave the agency.

At issue is a request made earlier this year by officials in Larkspur, who asked that a planned fiscal analysis of the authority consider a change in the contract to exclude Larkspur and Corte Madera, which would instead receive service from the Central Marin Fire Department.

The move “might better align governance to the stewardship of jurisdictionally-generated taxes and resources,” Larkspur City Manager Dan Schwarz wrote in a letter to Marin County Fire Department Chief Jason Weber, the paramedic authority’s executive officer.

The Ross Valley Paramedic Authority, created in 1982, operates on a $3.3 million budget funded by parcel taxes in member communities. It provides emergency services to Corte Madera, Fairfax, Ross, San Anselmo, Larkspur, Kentfield, the Sleepy Hollow Fire Protection District and unincorporated pockets in the Ross Valley.

The Ross fire station, built in 1926, is considered outdated and is scheduled to close by July 1.

Ross Councilmember Elizabeth Robbins, one of the town’s representatives on the fire board, said the absence of emergency medical responders in Ross would be unacceptable and would place residents at risk.

In the letter to the fire board, Ross Town Manager Christa Johnson wrote that when the Station 18 closure was agreed upon in 2021, it was unknown that the paramedic authority might be in jeopardy.

“Three years later, the fragility of the RVPA JPA is clear and its viability is in question,” the letter said. “It is reasonable to request a one-year delay in the closure of Ross Fire Station 18 so that every member of the RVFD and the RVPA can determine how best to maintain adequate levels of emergency medical response in the greater Ross Valley.”

Johnson said the departure of paramedic service would result in a two-minute increase in response time. An estimated 10-minute response time is considered an “edge suburban to rural level of response” and would be a significant decrease in service to the area, she said.

Amendments to the JPA would require approval by each member’s governing body before being considered by the fire board.

The Ross Valley Paramedic Authority has operated one of its two paramedic ambulances out of the Ross fire station since the early 1980s, according to a staff report.

A master facilities plan adopted by the council in 2023 included a new paramedic ambulance facility at an estimated cost of $2 million. The potential costs have dramatically increased since then, the staff report said, and the plans are on hold.

The town and the Ross Valley Paramedic Authority have had four-year leases for use of town facilities since 1982. The paramedic authority prefers the four-year lease because that is the term of its main funding source, a parcel tax, according to a staff report.

The latest four-year lease involving Ross, the Ross Valley Fire Department and the paramedic authority expired on June 30, but it has been was extended to Dec. 31.

Weber said the paramedic board would receive the fiscal analysis report, which would evaluate the potential change in jurisdictional boundaries, on Nov. 7.